How does Booking.com calculate the review score?

Understanding how Booking.com calculates your review score helps you see why your overall rating might differ from individual guest comments. Your review score is a key factor in your property's visibility and success on the platform.

The Review Process on Booking.com

Step 1: Review Invitation

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

Step 2: Overall Score

Guests are asked to rate their overall experience on a scale of 1 to 10. This is the only mandatory question required to submit a review.

Your property's overall Guest Review Score is calculated using a weighted system based on all individual scores submitted over the last 3 years. The key point: more recent reviews have a greater impact on your total review score than older ones.

Step 3: Optional Subcategory Ratings

Beyond 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 insights into your property's strengths and weaknesses. However, they do not directly affect your overall review score—they are completely independent metrics.

Why Your Overall Score May Not Match Individual Comments

Your overall score is neither an average nor a sum of the subcategory ratings. Guests provide one holistic overall score based on their personal impression of the entire stay, separate from any optional category ratings.

Guests may prioritize factors not included in the optional categories—such as general design, family-friendliness, or other specific criteria important to them—which would be reflected in their overall score but not captured in the subcategories.

Key Takeaways

• Your overall Guest Review Score uses a weighted calculation favoring recent reviews (last 3 years)
• Only the overall score (1-10) impacts your total rating
• Subcategory ratings provide additional insights but do not affect your overall score
• Focus on delivering consistent quality across all areas of the guest experience

By understanding this system, you can better interpret guest feedback and make improvements to enhance both your overall score and specific category ratings.