Hosts depend on reviews. It affects our search ranking and lets future guests know what to expect. Hosts who regularly receive great reviews have the ability to earn “Super Host” which means that they strive to provide a great stay for their guests and consistently provide it.
But what about those stars?
While AirBnB uses a 5-Star system, it is not like a hotel’s star system which is based on their amenities and pricing.
A 5 star host is one who consistently gives their guests what they promise. Guests who rate 5 stars were happy with their stay and want future guests to know it.
This means you need to read the listing to know what amenities and services are provided. And reading the reviews of previous guests will help you feel confident in your future stay.
A host’s future is (literally) in the stars!
The all-important 5-star host rating system explained…
- Overall Experience: This is far and away the most important rating to any host! Most strive for a 5-Star Overall Experience for all guests.
- Cleanliness: Was the property clean and presentable? It does not matter if the place is old or new. What does matter: was it clean?
- Accuracy: Was the property as described in the listing or were there surprises? It’s important to review the entire listing before booking, there should be consistency in what is offered and what is actually provided.
- Value: Was the property and experience worth the nightly fee? This is another important category as hosts try to keep up with local pricing trends of similar listings.
- Communication: Were the hosts readily available and responsive before, during, and after your stay to answer questions or to help?
- Arrival: Was checking in easy? Was someone there to greet you, or were the keys where they said they would be?
- Location: It’s important as a guest to check the location carefully before making a booking. Are they located where it was described and would future guests enjoy the area?
How to use those stars:
5 STARS = Excellent. There may have been a few minor issues, but overall a great experience.
4 STARS= Good. There were several issues that needed improvement, but overall a good experience.
3 STARS = Okay. There were a lot of things wrong with the property, just an okay experience.
2 STARS = Bad. There were significant problems with the property, it was a bad experience.
1 STAR = Terrible. The property is awful, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, it was a terrible experience.
While it may surprise you, if a host gets less than 5 stars that means (to us) that something was wrong. 5 stars means you had a great stay and would stay again!
And what about the guest rating system? Part of what makes AirBnB work is accountability. We want our guests to leave honest reviews and hosts want to know what to expect with future guests.
Guests are rated on communication, cleanliness, following the house rules, and then an overall “thumbs up” or “thumbs down”.
While future hosts won’t be able to see your star ranking, they will see the written review that past hosts left you. So remember that you are staying in someone’s home and be respectful and let them know right away if something is wrong.
We want to rate you highly. We need you to communicate with us so that we can plan for your arrival. If an accident happens, let us know right away so that we can fix it. And please respect our house rules so that your stay is great for us too. Some house rules may seem like common sense, but they’re usually there because someone previously was disrespectful.
Are you wanting to Instant Book in the future? If so, make sure you are a great guest because guests that receive a “thumbs down” may not be able to instant book at all properties. And some hosts have it set that only highly rated guests can use Instant Book at their property.
Was this helpful? Is there anything else about the rating system that puzzles you? Comment below!
hoteldewarren.wordpress.com 