Should a B&B reply to Google reviews too, not just on Booking.com and Airbnb?
Short answer
Yes. Guests who are unsure about your B&B or vacation rental often look up your name on Google, even after visiting Booking.com or Airbnb. Unanswered reviews there clash with the personal hospitality you show on other platforms. A short, warm reply to each review is enough, ideally within a week and signed with your own name.
As the owner of a B&B or vacation rental, you probably already reply faithfully to reviews on Booking.com or Airbnb. It comes with the territory, and the platform reminds you. Google then feels like yet another channel, and reviews there sometimes sit for months.
Yet a guest who is on the fence often ends up on Google: they see your place on a booking site, type in the name and get your profile with photos, map and reviews. What do they find under those reviews?
Why Google reviews count for a B&B too
Because guests compare platforms. Your Google profile shows up when someone searches for your name or looks for a place to stay nearby, and it also holds reviews from guests who booked directly. A profile with personal replies confirms what they already saw on Booking.com or Airbnb.
Almost everyone reads reviews. According to a BrightLocal survey of 1,002 US consumers (2026), 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and 41% always do. In the same survey, Google's share as a review platform dipped from 83% (2025) to 71%. If you want to win guests over, it is better not to rely on a single platform.
The pattern is not only American. In a survey by Trustoo of 1,075 Dutch adults (2022), 80% say they check online reviews first when they do not know the seller. A guest who has never seen your B&B is in exactly that situation.
Google, Booking.com and Airbnb: what is the difference for your replies?
On Booking.com and Airbnb, reviews come from guests who booked through that platform, and the platform sends you reminders. On Google, anyone with an account can write a review, and you have to remember to check it yourself. People who have never seen you anywhere else read along there too.
| Point | Booking.com and Airbnb | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes | Guests who booked through the platform | Anyone with a Google account, including guests who booked directly |
| Who reads | People already searching on that platform | Anyone who searches your name or looks at the map nearby |
| Reminder to reply | The platform sends you notifications | Turn on notifications yourself in your Business Profile |
| What your reply does | Builds trust within the platform | Builds trust with people who do not know you yet, including for direct bookings |
Your Google profile is your business card outside the booking sites. Make sure it feels just as warm there as on Booking.com or Airbnb.
How to answer Google reviews as a small host in 5 steps
Set one fixed moment per week, answer criticism first and praise second, and write the way you talk at the breakfast table. With a fixed approach you only spend a few minutes per review, even if you do everything yourself alongside the cleaning, the laundry and breakfast.
- Pick one fixed moment per week, for example Monday morning once the weekend guests have left.
- Turn on notifications in your Business Profile, so you do not spot a critical review only weeks later.
- Start with the guest's name and refer to something from their stay: the breakfast, the walk you recommended, the rain during their weekend.
- Keep it short. Three to five sentences are enough. In its tips for better replies, Google itself recommends keeping replies short and simple.
- Sign off as the host, with your first name. That way the reply feels like a message from you, not from a company.
If it still keeps slipping, you can hand off the writing. If you are short on time, ReplyHero can prepare a personal reply to every new review, in the tone of your place. With the "you approve" setting, each reply waits until you post it with one click or edit it first.
A personal tone that suits a family-run guesthouse
Write the way you welcome your guests: warm, simple and with your name underneath. Use the same level of formality you would at the door, refer to small details from the stay and avoid hotel phrases like "we thank you for your valued feedback". Guests chose you, not a chain.
- Small details make the difference. The dog that was allowed to come, the cake for a birthday or the cycling route you recommended: that is how the guest notices you really knew them.
- Not the same every time. Google advises against sending everyone the same thank-you. At a small B&B that stands out even more, because your reviews sit close together.
- Be careful with private details. You sometimes get to know guests well. In a public reply, do not mention the reason for their trip, their family situation or conversations at the table.
- No gift for a review. A bottle of wine at checkout in exchange for a good review is not allowed: Google prohibits incentives for reviews.
- Criticism of your house is not criticism of you. Even if it feels that way. Reply like a host: calm and welcoming.
How quickly should you reply, and how long do reviews count?
Within a week is a good goal. Guests mainly look at recent reviews, so a fresh reply to last month's review says more than a perfect reply from two years ago. Keeping up with your reviews pays off especially in high season.
In the BrightLocal survey, 74% of US consumers say they only care about reviews written in the last three months, and 81% expect a response within a week. What guests write this summer is what the fall bookers will read.
Have more rooms and lots of international guests? Then also read how hotels reply to reviews in the guest's language.
Example replies
Use them as a starting point and make them personal: mention something from the review and sign with your own name.
Negative review about a cold room
Lovely spot, but the room was cold. The heating cut out during the night and it took until morning for anyone to reply to our message. Breakfast made up for a lot, but for that price you expect a warm room.
Reply
Dear Tom,
I am so sorry you were cold during the night. The heating failing is bad enough, and having to wait until morning for a reply made it worse. I only saw your message when I got up, and that is not how it should go.
The boiler has since been serviced. Every room now has an extra blanket and a number where you can reach us at night as well. I am glad breakfast made up for a little of it.
Warm regards,
Ellen, The Orchard B&B
Mixed review about the vacation cottage
We stayed a week in the garden cottage. Beautiful view and very peaceful. A bit dated though: the kitchen was not ideal for real cooking and the wifi barely worked upstairs. Fine for a weekend, too limited for a week.
Reply
Hi Natalie,
Thank you for your honest review. I am glad you enjoyed the view and the quiet; we still admire that view every day ourselves. You are right about the wifi: the cottage walls are thick and the signal struggles to reach upstairs. We are installing an extra booster this winter.
The kitchen is indeed basic. We will take your comment into account as we plan the renovation. Thank you for taking the time to write this.
Ellen, The Orchard B&B
Positive review about breakfast and walks
What a wonderful place. Ellen bakes her own bread every morning and gave us the best walking routes in the area. Our dog was welcome too. We will definitely be back!
Reply
Dear Anna,
Thank you for these warm words. It was a pleasure to have you, and your dog is welcome back any time. I hope you managed to do the route past the mill, as it is at its most beautiful in the fall.
I bake the bread with flour from the miller down the road, so I will happily share that compliment with him. Until next time, and do bring your walking boots again.
Ellen, The Orchard B&B
ReplyHero for b&Bs and vacation rentals
ReplyHero reads the reviews on your Google Business Profile and writes a personal reply to every new review, in the tone you choose. For each location you decide how the reply reaches Google:
- Fully automatic: ReplyHero posts the reply right away.
- With a review window: the reply waits for you for 48 hours. If you do nothing, ReplyHero posts it.
- You approve: you read the reply in your portal and post it with one click, or edit it first.
Free forever for one location, or from $9 per location per month. Cancel any month. See pricing.
Start with ReplyHeroFrequently asked questions
Should my B&B reply on Google if I already reply on Booking.com?
Yes. Your Google profile is read by people who search your name or look for a place to stay nearby, even if they have not seen you anywhere else. Unanswered reviews there give the impression that nobody is home. A short, personal reply to each review is enough.
How much time does it take to answer Google reviews?
For a small B&B, usually not much, especially if you pick one fixed moment per week. Start with critical reviews, keep replies to praise short and turn on notifications in your Business Profile so you miss nothing. If you are short on time, you can have replies prepared and simply review them yourself.
Can I ask guests to write a Google review?
Yes, for example in your thank-you email after their stay. Ask all guests, not just those who seem happy, and offer nothing in return. Google prohibits both rewards for reviews and selectively asking for positive reviews. An honest, open request to everyone is fine.
Can I get a review removed from someone who never stayed with me?
You can report the review through your Business Profile. Google then decides whether it breaks its rules, for example in the case of fake reviews or reviews with a conflict of interest. You cannot remove it yourself. In the meantime, reply briefly and kindly that you cannot find the stay, without accusing the writer.
How do I respond to criticism of my own home?
Try not to take it personally, even if it feels that way. Thank the guest, acknowledge what is true and briefly say what you are doing about it or why something is the way it is, for example a steep staircase in an old house. New guests then see an honest, welcoming host.
Sources
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026
- Trustoo, survey on misleading reviews (2022)
- Google, Tips to write better review replies
- Google, User contributed content policy
