Writing a hotel review on Booking.com can be an excellent way to share your experience with fellow travelers.
With an honest and detailed review, you can help others make an informed decision when booking a hotel. But, how do you write a valid hotel review?
In this article, we will explore the key elements to consider when writing a hotel review on Booking.com. We will also provide some tips on how to give an honest and helpful evaluation of your stay.
With this guide, you’ll be able to share your experience and knowledge in a way that helps others find the perfect accommodation for their needs.
How to Write a Hotel Review, Key Elements
Let’s first look at the key elements you should consider when posting your review on Booking.com.
Remember that a good hotel review should provide useful and detailed information to help other travelers make informed decisions.
Here are some key elements you can include when writing a hotel review:
Basic Information
Ensure that you are reviewing the hotel where you stayed. Check and note the review, considering the hotel’s name and location, as the same hotel may be in the same city but in different locations.
It may also be relevant to include the dates of your stay in your review.
Reception and Customer Service
Describe your experience at check-in and check-out. Answer questions like: Was the staff friendly and helpful? Were there any issues with reservations?
Facilities and Amenities
Talk about the rooms: size, cleanliness, amenities. Mention hotel facilities such as the gym, pool, spa, restaurant, etc. Try to answer: Do the facilities match the description on the hotel’s website?
Food and Drink
Share your opinion on the quality of food in the restaurant or room service. Comment on whether there are options for special diets or dietary restrictions.
You can indicate if the menu is varied or not.
Cleanliness
Were the rooms and common areas clean? Did the cleaning staff do a good job?
This is a crucial point to mention when writing a hotel review.
Comfort and Sleep Quality
Comment on the comfort of beds and pillows. Was there any noise that affected your sleep?
Location
Evaluate the convenience of the location in relation to your travel plans. Are there nearby attractions, public transportation, etc.?
Is the hotel’s location in a busy or quiet area?
Value for Money
Do you consider the price paid to be fair compared to the services offered?
Overall Experience
Summarize your overall experience. Highlight the positive aspects, and if necessary, mention areas for improvement.
Other Relevant Information
Photos: Include some photos to support your comments. These can be pictures of the room, facilities, views, etc.
Unique Aspects: If there is anything unique or special about the hotel, share it.
Remember to be honest and balanced in your review. Your goal is to provide valuable information to other travelers so they can make informed decisions about their accommodation.
How to Write a Review on Booking
Since Booking.com is one of the largest hotel booking platforms and owns other platforms such as Agoda, Priceline, Kayak, among others, we will explain how to write a review from their website.
These steps will also apply to other booking platforms, with slight variations in the names of options and their locations, but essentially, they are the same steps.
Now, here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a hotel review on Booking.com:
Log in to your Booking.com account
Access your account on Booking.com using your email address and password.
Find the reservation
Locate the hotel reservation for which you want to write a review. You can do this from the “My Reservations” section of your account.
Select the option to write a review
Look for the option that allows you to write a review about your stay. This is usually found on the reservation details page in the upper right corner of the screen.
Rate different aspects
Booking.com will ask you to rate different aspects of your stay. These may include room comfort, cleanliness, location, facilities, staff, etc.
Use the provided stars to give a rating.
Write your review
Take the time to write a detailed and balanced review. Describe your experience, highlighting positives and, if necessary, mentioning areas for improvement.
Be specific in your comments; see the tips on what to include in your review.
Add relevant details
Include specific information about your stay, such as duration, purpose of the trip, whether there were other people with you, etc.
Guidelines and Rules for Reviews on Booking.com
As specified on their website, the following guidelines and rules are intended to keep the content on their site relevant to all audiences without limiting freedom of expression.
What are these guidelines and rules? Let’s see what they are, and you’ll realize that they apply throughout this guide on how to write a hotel review, whether it’s on Booking or a non-chain hotel.
Reviews must be travel-related
They advise being as detailed as possible and focused on helping others make better decisions. It’s better to refrain from including personal or politically, ethically, or religiously related comments.
Reviewing a hotel with advertising content is not allowed. If this happens, the comment or review will be removed from the platform.
Reviews must be suitable for all audiences
Avoid using vulgar language or insults. Comments and other content that include expressions of hate, discriminatory comments, threats, sexual content, violence, or that encourage any illegal activity are not allowed.
All content must be authentic and unique
It’s preferable for comments to be authentic and objective. Your reviews should reflect your personal experience.
Establishments associated with Booking.com are not authorized to write comments on behalf of their guests or provide incentives in exchange for reviews.
They do not allow any attempt to harm a competitor’s rating by submitting negative comments about them.
Respect for others’ privacy
Booking.com will try to hide email addresses, phone numbers, website addresses, social media accounts, and similar data.
Why Is It Important to Write Your Own Hotel Review?
After enjoying a stay in a hotel establishment, numerous guests choose to share their experiences on various websites or media outlets, fostering interaction with the staff, strengthening the relationship with the brand, and connecting with other users within the information network and with the hotel itself.
Now, is it really important to carry out this task? Do reviews influence the quality of service? How can I ensure that my opinion makes a difference?
This time, we explore the relevance of writing a hotel review and why they are crucial for both users and hotel establishments.
After enjoying a vacation in a coastal destination, a cosmopolitan metropolis, or a charming picturesque village, it is crucial for users to evaluate the quality of service during their stay at the hotel.
On the web, there are prominent portals where users can write their own reviews and recommendations about such establishments (such as Booking.com), with the aim of communicating both to the hotel and other users the quality of service received during their visit.
In an online review, customers are expected to share their impressions about the condition of the rooms, the cleanliness of various areas, the friendliness of the staff, the quality of food, and, overall, their perception of the most relevant aspects of the hotel.
This will provide future guests with valuable information about the advantages and benefits of choosing this establishment over others, while also giving the company the opportunity to confirm customer satisfaction and improve its reputation.
Although many customers choose not to publicly share their comments, considering it a “tedious” activity,
it is essential for guests to spend a few minutes expressing their opinions about the hotel’s service.
These reviews not only encourage the participation of other users but also contribute to expanding a network of information and experiences that, over time, build a pleasant way to enjoy and offer high-quality service.