10 Great Airbnb Guest Review Examples

Writing great Airbnb guest reviews can be very, very challenging. We’ll give you some great Airbnb guest review examples so that you can get a better idea of what to write when you’re at a loss for the right words. Below we list out 10 great examples, but you can also join our Facebook group to ask the community for more detailed suggestions!

Positive or Negative, Writing Guest Reviews is Tough

Sometimes your guest doesn’t even stay that long, and now you feel pressured into writing a few sentences —good or bad—about them. You probably don’t feel like you have much to say. Besides “Slept in the bed. Left in the morning,” you just don’t know what to write.

Or maybe you have something really important to share, but you can’t find the right words to get your point across. When you’re writing a negative review, you don’t want other hosts to think you’re just being vindictive. You want them to know they should definitely stay away from this guest.

And if it’s positive, you want your review to stand out. So how do you do it? We’ll walk you through how to write the perfect Airbnb guest review.

5 Positive Airbnb Guest Review Examples

Here’s the thing about great positive reviews: it’s okay if they’re all similar. There are only so many ways to say that a person is clean and considerate. You just don’t want them to be identical. The old copy and paste may cut into your credibility.

Here’s what simsarah had to say when we asked the Reddit Airbnb community about their best positive and negative review tips:

“My positive reviews tend to all sound the same – honestly, you kind of DO want to say the same thing over and over, uneventful positive interactions are my goal! I make a point of saying that the guest was kind to my pets, if that is the case, because I know as a home host with pets in the house, that’s the sort of thing I’d like to know.”

1. Encourage Them to Come Back

With that in mind, a lot of good positive reviews are going to be variations of this:

“Good guest; welcome back anytime!”

Just keep it simple. That’s a great Airbnb review example because it’s straightforward and honest. One of the nicest things you can say about an Airbnb guest is that you want them to come back again.

After scouring the internet for Airbnb reviews, this one popped up time and time again from so many different sources. That’s probably because it works. All you want to do is let other hosts know that this guest is cool and friendly. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.

2. Bring Up Something Specific About their Stay

This one is also pretty easy: Just find something that you liked about them and mention it. Include a small detail or two that shows that you connected with your guest. Did they do something that stood out? Or maybe you just want to write a special review for a guest because you enjoyed their stay.

“(Guest) left the place incredibly tidy. He (or She) was more or less the perfect guest and I’d recommend him to any host.”

3. Emphasize Their Communication Skills

Can’t find anything specific to say about your guest even though you were happy with the stay? Think back to before they arrived. How were they at communicating with you during the booking process? Talk about how easy it was to coordinate dates and times for checking in. If they were flexible about picking up their key, mention it.

“(Guest) was very communicative. Scheduling times for check-in and check-out was simple and easy. A super smooth stay. Welcome back anytime.”

4. Make It Personal

Did you share a special moment with one of your guests? Lots of Airbnb hosts enjoy getting to know guests on a more personal level. If this is you, mention it in the review! For example:

“(Guest) was nice and easy to talk to. I enjoyed having a cup of coffee with her right before she checked out. I hope she has fun in France! Welcome back anytime… :)”

As guests, some of the best Airbnb experiences have been as simple as sitting down with the host for a chat and learning about the local culture. If you shared a special moment with your guest, even something as simple as a quick tour around your property, mention it in the review.

5. Give Background Info

This one applies especially to profiles that don’t have any information on them yet. Maybe you recently accepted a guest who didn’t have any reviews at all. In that case, just leave a simple one describing who they were and whether or not they were a good guest.

(Guest) is a (occupation) who was very respectful of my belongings. No problems whatsoever. Highly recommended! Welcome back whenever.

Remember, Airbnb guest reviews are for future hosts—so you want future hosts to know what they’re signing on for.

5 Negative Airbnb Guest Review Examples

You might be tempted to write every guest a good review—regardless of whether or not they were a good guest. You’re probably feeling nervous about getting a bad review yourself. Bad reviews can seriously hurt your business, after all.

Your guest might not even care (or notice) that you wrote a negative review. And even if they do, wouldn’t you rather have written your own honest review of them?

Maybe they broke your house rules or just generally acted like jerks. Whether you’re a host or a guest, don’t hesitate to bring it out in the open. You might think that, by letting bad behavior slide, the other party is going to do the same. That’s not always the case.

For example, check out this Reddit post. His host complained about a minor mess at the end of the stay, while Reddit user StonyMiddleton didn’t even mention a middle-of-the-night flood.

Here are a few keys to leaving a good negative review:

1. Be Specific and Detail-Focused

The facts don’t lie. So when you’re writing a negative review, rely on those facts. In this way, negative reviews are pretty much the exact opposite of positive reviews. No one blinks an eye if your positive reviews are similar, but you don’t want to write the same negative review.

Writing “Bad guest; not welcome back,” for every other review is going to say a lot more about you as a host than them as a guest. And not in a good way.

When you have a complaint, be specific about what they did wrong. If you’re worried your review is heavy-handed, you can mention something about them you did like. That way, your review seems fair.

In general, you don’t want future hosts guessing at why you gave the guest one star. For example:

“The guest and his friends were very inconsiderate of the home. Running up and down the stairs multiple times throughout the night, yelling noises to deliberately wake up people even at 3am. Sorry to have to leave a bad review but it was not a good experience to host this group.”

– Reddit User omarm

2. Be Clear That They’re Not Welcome Back

You don’t want to encourage your negative guests to come back. That would send a mixed message. But if the experience was bad enough, do the opposite.

Just like setting boundaries with awkward in-laws, you can set boundaries with your Airbnb guests too. Clearly state that you won’t allow that behavior to happen again. Here’s a great example:

“Despite an initially positive check-in meeting, I would not host this guest again in the future. The apartment was rented to a group purporting to be “a few business associates” when in fact it was a local group of friends celebrating a birthday. Our place was left in an extremely messy state and various house rules were broken.”

– Reddit User miluyvr

3. Don’t Sugarcoat It

Be honest: If the guest did something wrong, don’t sugarcoat it. Some people dance around the negative review by mentioning something positive first. Generally, this is a good idea, but for especially horrible Airbnb guests, it’s best to just come out and say that it was wrong.

Instead of, “Overall, Phil’s stay was fine, but he kind of left a mess in the kitchen…”

If you’re angry that Phil left the place a pigsty, start with that (and don’t say that it’s okay).

Here’s a great example review:

“Do not host this guest. Tried to have sex on the couch in the shared living room space with an outside guest and attempted to move the security camera beforehand.”

– Reddit User dannykrug

4. Make Sure You Mean It

You don’t want reviewer’s remorse. Here’s an example of the type of negative review from a Reddit user who regretted it after his guests left a lovely review:

“I would not host these guests again.”

– Reddit User BroadwayBungalow

Now, this review might seem like a fine negative review—short, clear, and to the point. But was your experience actually negative? According to the Reddit user, they just found the guests a little needy. It was a personal issue, not anything that reflected the quality of their stay as guests. So before you post, go back to the facts.

5. Keep Cool, Calm, and Collected

When something goes wrong in your Airbnb, you’re going to be tempted to write a scathing review immediately. Resist this temptation.

To write the best negative review you can, make sure you keep calm. Yes, you can write out all the things you’re feeling (in fact, that can be healthy), but don’t click “submit” just yet.

Let the review sit for 24 hours before you post it. You need time to unwind and consider the facts of the situation. Try to stay as unemotional as possible so other hosts will see that you’re the reasonable one, not the aggressor.

Instead of a rage-fueled hate rampage, try a more level-headed post like this Airbnb guest review example:

The guest threw a party which is against my house rules. When I applied an extra cleaning fee, she left an extremely negative review of my rental. I wouldn’t recommend hosting this guest.

That’s the type of review that’s simple, to the point, and honest. It’s exactly what you’re looking for in a great Airbnb review example.

How do I write an Airbnb guest review?

You’ll have 14 days to write an Airbnb guest review. You can’t add a review on Airbnb’s mobile website.

That means you either have to use the app or your desktop computer.

Here are the steps:

1. Log in to your Airbnb account.
2. Navigate to https://www.airbnb.com/users/reviews
3. You will see tabs for Reviews About You and Reviews By You
4. Hit the Reviews by You tab.
5. Write your feedback.

Airbnb has added a feature at the end of reviews where you can choose whether or not you would host the guest again. When you select this, Airbnb will not allow this guest to instant-book with you. If they inquire about another stay, you can decline their request.

Recap: Great Airbnb Guest Review Examples

For good reviews:

1. Encourage them to come back.
2. Bring up something specific about their stay
3. Emphasize their sommunication skills.
4. Make it personal.
5. Give background information.

For negative reviews:

1. Be specific and detail-focused.
2. Be clear that they’re not welcome back
3. Don’t sugarcoat it.
4. Make sure you mean it.
5. Keep cool, calm, and collected.

New to hosting? Get up to speed with our ebook, the New Host’s Guide to Airbnb!