How should hotels respond to Google reviews?
Short answer
Respond to Google reviews promptly, personally, and specifically. Thank guests for positive reviews by mentioning something they actually wrote about. For negative reviews, acknowledge the issue, give factual context or what you've changed, and offer a direct contact to resolve it — without arguing or sharing private booking details. Remember that replies are public and written for future guests as much as the reviewer. Google checks replies against its content policies before posting them, and the reviewer is notified. Never offer incentives for reviews or for changing a review.
By Lodging Engine Editorial Team· Reviewed by Eric Zwanenburg· Last reviewed
How replies work on Google
According to Google's help pages:
- You must verify your Business Profile before you can reply.
- Replies are checked against content policies — usually within minutes, sometimes longer.
- Approved replies are public and appear as the business, not your personal name.
- The reviewer is notified and can still update their review.
Replying to positive reviews
- Thank the guest by name if they used one.
- Mention a detail from their review.
- Keep it short; avoid copy-paste templates.
"Thank you, Anna — we're glad the quiet garden rooms and the breakfast terrace made your stay. We'll pass your kind words to Marco at reception."
Replying to negative reviews
- Thank and acknowledge — "Thank you for telling us about the noise from the street."
- Be factual — what happened and what you've done ("We've since installed secondary glazing in front-facing rooms").
- Take it offline — invite them to contact a named person.
- Stay calm and brief — future guests are judging your response.
Don't disclose booking details, argue about facts in public, or blame the guest.
Examples are illustrative — write in your own voice.
What Google's policies don't allow
Under Google Maps content policies, businesses must not:
- Offer incentives (payment, discounts, free goods or services) for posting reviews, or for removing or changing negative ones.
- Solicit content that doesn't reflect a genuine experience.
- Post reviews about competitors to undermine them.
You can share a review request link or QR code with guests.
Reporting reviews
If a review violates Google's content policies (for example spam or offensive content), flag it. Reviews you simply disagree with aren't removed for that reason.
Why it matters
Google says helpful replies show you value feedback and can help your business stand out. See do reviews affect local ranking?.
Checklist
- Profile verified so you can reply
- Owner assigned to reply regularly
- Replies personal and specific, not templated
- Negative reviews answered factually with a contact
- No incentives for reviews
- Policy-violating reviews flagged
Sources
- Manage customer reviews — Google Business Profile Help
- Prohibited and restricted content (Maps user-generated content policy) — Google Maps Help
- Tips to improve your local ranking on Google — Google Business Profile Help