How does Booking.com calculate the review score?

Understanding how your review score is calculated can help you better manage guest expectations and improve your property's performance on Booking.com. Your overall Guest Review Score is based on individual scores submitted by guests, using a weighted calculation where more recent reviews have a greater impact on your total score.

The Review Process

1. Review Invitation

After guests check out, Booking.com automatically sends them an email inviting them to review their stay. Guests have 90 days from their checkout date to submit a review.

2. Overall Score

Guests are asked to rate their overall experience on a scale of 1 to 10. This overall score is the only mandatory question required to submit a review. Your property's Guest Review Score is calculated from all individual scores submitted over the last 3 years, with recent reviews weighted more heavily than older ones.

3. Optional Subcategory Ratings

In addition to the overall score, guests can optionally rate specific aspects of their stay, including:

• Cleanliness
• Comfort
• Value for money
• Facilities
• Location
• Staff

These subcategory ratings provide valuable feedback but do not directly affect your overall review score, as they are completely independent of one another.

Why Your Overall Score May Not Match Guest Comments

The overall score is neither an average nor a sum of the subcategories—they are completely separate metrics. A guest may leave positive written comments while giving a moderate overall score, as their overall rating reflects their personal, holistic impression of the entire stay.

The subcategories selected by Booking.com may not cover all aspects of a guest's experience. For example, factors like general design, family-friendliness, or other criteria important to individual guests may influence their overall score but won't appear in the optional rating categories.

Key Takeaway

Your overall Guest Review Score is a weighted average of ratings submitted over the last 3 years, with recent reviews having the most impact. While subcategory ratings offer useful insights into specific areas, your primary focus should be on encouraging guests to leave positive overall scores by delivering excellent experiences across all aspects of your property.