Take these steps to accurately interpret guest reviews and find a great Airbnb.īefore reading what guests have to say, look at the property description (under “about this listing”) to see what the host promised to provide. But since ratings on the website are so high, it’s important to have a critical eye when reading reviews. If you’re planning to stay at an Airbnb, you’ll want to check out guest reviews before booking a trip. To Airbnb’s credit, a recent Consumer Reports survey found that 92% of Americans that have booked a home-sharing service say they are likely or very likely to do it again, and fans said homestays make traveling more authentic and affordable. “If you’re reviewing a restaurant on Yelp, you’re not talking about the owner directly, but on Airbnb you’re essentially rating the host just as much as you’re rating the property,” says McNutt. Translation: “if you write a scathing review, a future host might be less inclined to let you stay at their place,” McNutt says.Īnother reason why Airbnb ratings are so high? For many people, it’s difficult to be critical of someone they’ve met and gotten to know-even if they had a bad experience. “Hosts also review guests, and future hosts can see every review you leave,” says Emily McNutt, an editor at.

Some Airbnb customers might also be hesitant to write a negative review because they fear repercussions. “People might feel bad leaving a negative review because they know that many hosts are using Airbnb to supplement their income and help support their family,” says Zervas. Zervas suspects there’s a psychological component at play. That’s a surprisingly high number when compared to hotel reviews on TripAdvisor, where the average rating is only 3.9 out of 5 stars for hotels with more than 100 reviews, a Cornell survey found. But it can be a challenge to navigate Airbnb reviews when the average Airbnb rating is a whopping 4.7 out of 5 stars, according to a recent study by Georgios Zervas, an assistant professor of marketing at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Vacation rentals such as Airbnb can save you money on lodging and provide a comfortable home base at your vacation destination.

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