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 rating on Booking.com. Your overall review score is a weighted calculation based on individual scores submitted by guests over the last 3 years, with more recent reviews having a greater impact on your total score.

The Review Process on Booking.com

Review Invitation

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

Overall Score Calculation

Guests are asked to provide an overall score ranging from 1 to 10, which is the only mandatory question required to submit a review. This overall score is what directly impacts your property's review rating. The calculation uses a weighted formula, meaning recent reviews carry more weight than older ones when determining your final score.

Optional Subcategory Ratings

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

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

These subcategory ratings do not affect your overall score, as they are completely independent measurements.

Understanding Your Overall Score

It's important to note that your overall score is neither an average nor a sum of the subcategory ratings. A guest may leave a positive review with positive comments but give a lower overall score if their holistic impression of the stay didn't match their expectations in specific areas.

The subcategories selected by Booking.com may not represent your guest's complete experience. For example, guests might value aspects not covered by these categories, such as general design or family-friendliness, and this would be reflected in their overall score rather than in the optional ratings.

Key Takeaway

Your review score is based on the overall guest impression provided in their mandatory 1-10 rating, weighted toward recent reviews. While optional subcategory feedback provides valuable insights into specific areas of your property, only the overall score directly impacts your property's final review rating on Booking.com.