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Airbnb is unique because of the two-way rating and review system between Airbnb hosts and guests. To be honest, Airbnb reviews give me a lot of anxiety. Six years into my Airbnb hosting journey, I still hold my breath before reading a review. That said, they are also a great way to gather guest feedback.
So, today, I want to discuss what to do with the feedback that your Airbnb guests give you! Whether it comes in the form of glowing reviews or constructive criticism, guest feedback is gold. When you learn how to gather, act on, and showcase those updates, you can boost your bookings, improve your reviews, and stand out as a thoughtful, professional host.
Airbnb Guest Feedback
While it’s not always valuable, the feedback and comments left by your Airbnb guests are most often based on honest, first-hand experiences. Look at it like a focus group. You may not have asked for it, but there it is. So, let’s figure out how to weed out the good suggestions and use them to improve the Airbnb experience for future guests!
Where Do Guests Leave Feedback On Airbnb?
In this post, guest feedback refers to any comments or critiques that an Airbnb guest gives you. This could be in the form of private messages before, during, or after their stay, either with direct feedback or asking questions. Repeat questions on the same topic usually mean you aren’t providing needed information in advance, and it is great indirect feedback.
The other main place where you will receive feedback from your guests is in the review. Airbnb reviews have three places to gather information: the main public review, the private notes for the host, and the category star ratings/feedback.
READ: Why Do Some Airbnb Hosts Not Leave A Guest Review?
I also take one extra step immediately after checkout to try to get any specific feedback from my guests. Immediately after they send me an Airbnb message saying that they have checked out, I reply, thanking them for their stay and wishing them safe travels home. But, then I add the following:
“Also, if you noticed anything that may need my attention before the next guest arrives this afternoon, please let me know directly here in a message so that I can take care of it right away today.”
That message gets them to tell me about any issues right away so that I can fix them, of course, but it also helps keep them out of the main review. Often, these are things like loose toilet seats, batteries not working in a remote, an AC that doesn’t seem to be working well, etc. I love having the ability to hear about these things right away. There is nothing worse than reading about an issue in the review after the next guest has already checked in!
RELATED READ: Don’t Ghost Your Host: Ways To Be A Great Airbnb Guest
5 Steps For Using Guest Feedback To Improve Your Listing
So, how do you use Airbnb guest feedback? When should you discard it? How do you politely respond to criticism from your guests? I am going to answer all of these questions and give you some added first-hand examples from my years of Airbnb hosting.
The following 5 steps outline what you should do with your guest feedback. The order will sometimes vary, depending on the type of comments you receive and their severity.
#1 Track Your Airbnb Feedback
First, create a spreadsheet or just make mental notes of the feedback you receive from your guests. Remember not to take things personally. Just take the information and categorize it appropriately by theme. Here are a few common categories:
- cleanliness
- check-in process
- comfort or layout
- missing items or amenities
- decor and atmosphere
- communication
- wi-fi or tech issues
If multiple guests are pointing out the same issue, it’s probably worth prioritizing. Most future guests will disregard a one negative comment in a review, but when they see something said in multiple reviews, they often take note.
Make a note of when something is a one-off situation, such as noise from a nearby annual concert or even the weather. Some things are out of your control, but lessons could be learned even from these isolated issues. Should you have known about the concert and given your guests a heads-up?
Be sure to track the positive comments as well. You want to amplify those, so consider adding them to your listing description, like we’ll talk about in #4, or even your Airbnb listing title.
#2 Look For Patterns (Good & Bad)
Once you have several stays under your belt, start to look for patterns. Do guests often mention how hard your place is to find? That typically means you aren’t providing adequate instructions.
At this stage, you should start to identify common critiques from your guests, such as a lack of blackout curtains or full-length mirrors. You also might see patterns where you fell short, such as repeatedly stained linens or a dwindling silverware set that needs replacing.
But not all valuable feedback will show up more than once. One of my favorite comments from a guest was something nobody had recommended before. They said that since I have a baby-friendly rental, it should be helpful to include small children’s hangers in the closet with the adult ones. That was a GREAT idea that I implemented right away, and have gotten lots of positive feedback about.
#3 Act On Repeat Suggestions From Your Airbnb Guests
Don’t try to address every suggestion, but if something comes up more than once or is a quick fix, it may be an easy win.
For example, if a guest says they wish there were a full-length mirror, add one for under $100! Likewise, if multiple guests tell you that your check-in instructions were a bit confusing, then rewrite and simplify them.
Situations like this are usually low-hanging fruit. These easy, low-effort changes can have a high impact, and over time, the more critiques you address, the more seamless and positive your guest experience will be!
#4 Showcase Improvements In Your Airbnb Listing
As soon as you make those improvements, make sure to update the amenity section of your Airbnb listing. If a guest or guests left a damaging public suggestion or critique in their review, such as an uncomfortable mattress or banged-up pots and pans, then update your listing as soon as you fix it!
You can add a simple line that says, “brand new mattress in 2025” or “kitchen recently updated with all new pots and pans in 2025.”
READ: The Best Mattress For Airbnb Rentals That My Guests Rave About
These thoughtful updates signal to future guests that you’re proactive and guest-focused. They may read the negative review, but then see that the issue has been addressed!
You can also add a What Our Guests Love section to your listing that bullet points the positive feedback you receive. Below is an example!
What Our Guests Love:
- great walkability
- heated pool
- comfortable bed
- private beach access
- quick response time
- nearby shops & dining
- baby and toddler gear
- custom reccomendations
#5 Responding To Your Airbnb Reviews Or Comments
You also need to respond to the guest’s feedback. Although this step is listed as number 5, it will actually happen at every step. My recommended approach varies based on how you received that specific feedback.
Private Messages
If a guest brings up an issue or gives you feedback in a private message, immediately acknowledge it! Sometimes, these are real-time issues that they bring up that require damage control. This includes things like appliances not working or sofa bed sheets not being in the room. Offer a solution, and always thank them for letting you know.
Public Reviews
If a guest leaves a critique or complaint in a public review, wait a second before responding. It’s easy to want to defend yourself, especially if their comments aren’t 100% accurate. But how and if you respond will be what matters most to your future guests. And, you only have one chance to reply, and Airbnb gives you 30 days to do it. You can not add to it or edit your reply down the road.
You also want to have time to address the issue, publicly thank them in your Airbnb review replies, and briefly share what you’ve done about it. For example, if the guest mentions stained and worn towels, take the time to replace them, and then leave a reply that says something like, “Thank you so much for letting us know about the damaged towels. We have since replaced all of them!”
Another example would be guest complaints about blackout curtains. You can reply and say, “Thanks for the suggestion on blackout curtains—we’ve just added them to all bedrooms!” In this case, you went back to reply after fixing the issue.
You can also calmly reply to negative criticism that you are disregarding. For example, a recent guest (who was my rudest guest ever) left a long, scathing comment that parking is a nightmare, and that he circled for hours and almost left. So, I left a reply for future guests saying, “Being a summer holiday weekend, I did tell PERSON well in advance that parking would be very limited. I recommend taking advantage of the great walkability our area offers vs coming and going a lot. Outside of busy holiday weekends, parking is not an issue.”
In the above scenario, I just wanted to reassure future guests. I recently had another difficult guest who mentioned in her review that it was impossible to find our building and the specific condo. My Airbnb House Manual has very detailed turn-by-turn instructions that she didn’t read. My guests often thank me for this! I didn’t leave a reply to that one because, honestly, her review sounded immature and is one most future guests would ignore.
When To Disregard Airbnb Guest Feedback
Speaking of that gal in the scenario above, when should you disregard guest feedback? My answer is basically, it’s when something is not possible, unreasonable, or already offered.
If a guest tells you that they didn’t like the 10 a.m. checkout, it should be 12 p.m. Make a note of it, but you likely won’t want to change anything. My cleaners are very busy and rely on the full window between guests.
One time, a guest left me private feedback stating that they wished our place had coastal decor because it is so close to the beach. Some of our condos do like this one-bedroom unit, but this studio condo is more neutral. They knew what it looked like when booking, so I disregard comments like this.
Another person recently mentioned that they wish there were a blender in our condo. This unit is a small studio with a kitchenette and very minimal counter space, a mini fridge, and no dishwasher. It does have bunk beds and caters to families with kids. So, I thanked her for the suggestion, but I will not be adding one. I know that it would be very hard to keep clean and out of children’s reach.
Using Airbnb Guest Feedback
Your Airbnb guests are your greatest source of insight! It’s easy to feel defensive because I know how hard you worked to set up a great place for your guests to stay.
However, by actively listening and improving based on what they share, you’ll elevate your Airbnb rental and build trust and loyalty with future guests. Remember that thoughtful hosts get better reviews, more repeat guests, and a stronger brand.
More Tips For Airbnb Hosts
If you enjoyed this insight into Airbnb feedback, you will love my other detail-oriented Airbnb hosting blog posts! I have dozens of posts covering every topic imaginable! Here at Our Little Lifestyle, I weave my first-hand hosting experiences into each post to help you be the best Airbnb host possible!
You can shop my popular Airbnb Buying Guides or get valuable Airbnb Hosting Tips anytime. And, make sure to join my Facebook group for Airbnb hosts. That is where I answer questions and help guide new hosts!
Click here to browse all of my Airbnb blog posts!
Pin: Using Airbnb Guest Feedback For Later
This is a great, practical article for Airbnb hosts! The five-step process for tracking and acting on guest feedback is an excellent system for continuous improvement. It’s a smart way to turn every review, good or bad, into an opportunity to build a better business.