Overview
This guide outlines our internal process for managing reviews, ratings, and review removal requests across all OTAs (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, etc.).
Our goal is to maintain consistent engagement across every platform, protect listing performance, and ensure that guest feedback—both positive and negative—is used constructively. Through timely responses, accurate guest ratings, and proper handling of review removal requests, we strengthen our reputation and continue improving the guest experience across all properties.
Review Responses
We believe every guest deserves acknowledgment. That’s why we respond to every review received across all OTAs, including Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. Each response is crafted with care to maintain a professional, welcoming, and consistent voice across all platforms.
Responses are written thoughtfully to express appreciation for positive feedback and to address any concerns in a professional and constructive tone. When issues are mentioned, we take the opportunity to clarify context, outline improvements made, and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to guest satisfaction.
Timely responses help maintain listing visibility and build trust with future guests. Prompt engagement shows that we are attentive hosts who value transparency and communication—key factors that influence booking decisions.
Reviews also serve as valuable feedback for our team to identify areas for improvement. We actively monitor patterns or recurring comments and work with operations and housekeeping to ensure any issues are resolved quickly. By learning from guest experiences, we continually refine our listings and elevate our overall guest experience.
Guest Ratings
All guests are rated on the applicable OTA following their stay. Ratings are based on cleanliness, communication, and overall respect for the property. Trek's strategy is to rate all guests with high scores on Airbnb and Vrbo 24 hours after checkout. The goal is to help encourage guests to review us in return.
However, if there’s a guest you prefer not to rate, please follow the steps below depending on your current PMS. This tag signals that we should:
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Avoid giving the guest a positive rating on Airbnb or Vrbo.
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Avoid encouraging them to leave a review (reducing the likelihood of a negative review).
Use this tag for guests who were unhappy, uncooperative, or did not follow house rules during their stay.
Instructions
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Open the reservation.
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Go to the “Flags” tab.
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Search for “P (Pain Reservation)” and toggle it on.
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(Optional) Add notes if additional context is needed.
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Scroll to the bottom and click “Complete Flags Modification” to save.
Instructions
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Open the reservation.
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Add the tag “Suppress Review” next to the guest’s name.
Applying this tag ensures the guest will not be rated across any OTAs and helps prevent unnecessary or negative feedback that could impact the property’s reputation.
Requesting Review Removal
Some OTAs allow us to request the removal of a review, but the process is very specific and must meet each platform’s criteria. Review removals are only granted under certain circumstances, and approval is not guaranteed.
Below are examples of situations where a review may qualify for removal (based on Airbnb’s policies):
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The guest never arrived or did not stay at the property.
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The review is retaliatory (e.g., written after a justified charge or enforcement of house rules).
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The review includes irrelevant or false information unrelated to the guest’s stay.
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The review violates content policies (contains discriminatory language, private information, or spam).
If you believe a review should be removed, please submit a request with the following details:
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Property name and platform (Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.)
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Reservation code
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A brief explanation of why it may qualify for removal
Our team will review the request to determine if it meets the OTA’s removal criteria and, if appropriate, submit a formal request on your behalf. While not every review can be removed, we always make our best effort to ensure that unfair or policy-violating reviews are addressed promptly.