How to respond to your property's reviews without breaking the rules of Google, Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Airbnb (2026)

Updated: 9 November 2026

Review replies are public and are read by travellers, and also by the AI assistants that summarise what is said about your property. Replying well is easy; what causes trouble is breaking rules each platform publishes. This guide summarises what their official help pages say (sources at the end).

Where and how to reply

Google: from your Business Profile, "Read reviews" → "Reply". Your business must be verified. Google says the reply review usually takes about 10 minutes, but sometimes up to 30 days. You can edit or delete it.
Tripadvisor: with a "management response" from the owner account. If several managers share the listing, coordinate.
Booking.com: in the extranet, "Guest reviews" → "Reply". Booking.com reviews every reply before publishing it and only publishes replies in the language of the review or in English.
Airbnb: "Leave public response" under the review. It is posted immediately.

What you cannot put in a reply

Tripadvisor spells it out, and Booking.com, Google and Airbnb apply their general content rules to replies:

The guest's personal data (full name, dates, room, phone) or snippets of their messages.
Advertising or promotions ("come back with 20% off") and links that are not relevant.
Threats, pressure or hints of action against the reviewer.
Publicly accusing the review of being fake or guessing who wrote it: if you think it is, report it through the official channel.
Insults or offensive language.

When you can ask for a review to be removed

Google: you can report any review, but only those that violate its policies are removed. If it stays, there is a single appeal.
Tripadvisor: with the reporting function. Reviews that are not a first-hand experience or that come from people linked to the property are removed, for example. Offering anything in exchange for removing a review is forbidden.
Booking.com: has a form to report content that breaks its rules, including fake reviews.
Airbnb: you can request a review if it breaks its policy, but it will not be removed just because you disagree with the rating.

How to reply well, in three steps

Thank the guest and mention something specific they said (without personal data).
If there was a problem, acknowledge it without arguing and say what you have changed.
Offer to talk privately through the platform's channels if needed. Reply to positive reviews too: Google says replying shows customers you value their feedback.

How iQuota helps

iQuota does not write or post reviews for anyone. It gives each property an official page with direct booking and a connector so that compatible AI assistants can show its real availability and prices, commission-free and with payment at the property. Nobody can guarantee that an AI will recommend you.

Want a booking page AI can read and a connector with your real prices, commission-free? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Can I offer a discount to a guest who left a bad review so they change it?

No. Tripadvisor forbids offering anything in exchange for removing a review, and promotions do not belong in a public reply either.

Can I say in my reply that the review is fake?

Not in public. Tripadvisor forbids accusations of fraud in replies; report it through each platform's official channel.

Which language should I reply in on Booking.com?

The language of the review or English: Booking.com does not publish replies in other languages.

Sources

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