Guest reviews are the engine of growth for aparthotels. Whether you're trying to drive repeat bookings, climb OTA rankings, or build a strong reputation in a competitive market, glowing reviews are your most valuable currency.
Unlike traditional hotels, aparthotels rely heavily on platforms like Booking.com, Airbnb and Expedia to win trust fast. And reviews, especially recent, authentic, 5-star ones play a critical role in shaping perception and driving conversion.
The data backs this up: 81% of travellers always or often read reviews before booking accommodation, and 52% won’t book a stay that doesn’t have recent positive feedback.
In 2025, the guest experience is the single biggest driver of reviews. Cleanliness, noise levels, communication, and comfort all show up again and again in guest feedback. This article breaks down proven, practical strategies you can apply right now, plus the tech tools that help operators consistently deliver excellence.
Guest experience directly shapes review scores, and review scores shape your revenue.
In a 2023 study by TrustYou, 76% of travelers said review scores were the most important factor when choosing accommodation. Not price. Not location. Scores. For aparthotels, where guest expectations sit between a hotel and a home, standards are higher and often more subjective.
Emotional satisfaction matters just as much as practical comfort. Feeling welcomed. Being heard. Having problems resolved quickly. These moments stay with guests long after check-out and appear in reviews more often than you think.
On Booking.com and Airbnb, algorithms reward properties with consistently high ratings by ranking them higher in search results. More visibility means more clicks. More clicks mean more bookings.
Reviews are a reflection of guests feelings. So while practical elements absolutely matter, (cleanliness, quiet nights, a working kettle, a smooth check-in) the difference between 3 stars and 5 stars comes down to emotion.
In fact, 60% of five-star reviews included emotional language like 'welcomed,' 'safe,' and 'comfortable'—even when describing simple services.
If you want to maximize your occupancy rates, you need to think experientially, not just operationally. Every frictionless detail or personal touch builds emotional loyalty. That’s what leads to glowing reviews.
The guest experience starts before they open the door. A clunky, confusing, or delayed check-in sets a poor tone. Guests remember stress.
Self-check-in is now the preferred method for travelers staying in vacation rentals or aparthotels. It’s fast, flexible, and eliminates awkward timing coordination.
To help meet this expectation, you can invest in digital locks or smart keypads, and make sure access instructions are crystal clear. Photos, videos, or maps in your pre-arrival email go a long way.
And remember, you can still add a personal touch, even without being there.
An automated but personalized welcome message—sent just after check-in—can make the experience feel human. Use the guest’s name, mention the Wi-Fi password, and suggest a local spot to grab food. It shows care, not just automation.
When first impressions are frictionless and friendly, reviews tend to reflect that, often within the first sentence.
Poor communication is one of the most common reasons for negative reviews. The issue isn’t always the problem itself, it’s that no one responded in time to solve it.
Start with a clear, helpful pre-arrival message. Send it 24 to 48 hours before check-in and include everything the guest needs: arrival instructions, access codes, transport tips, and key property details. This shows you’re organized.
Once the guest is in, follow up. A short, mid-stay message asking how things are going can stop a complaint before it reaches a review site. If there’s an issue, you can fix it. If not, it adds a helpful, positive touchpoint.
Tools like Guesty or Hostaway make it easy to automate communication, but what matters is your tone. Messages should feel personal and considered. Short, warm, and professional is the right tone. Avoid formal or templated replies.
When communication is proactive, guests feel supported, and that’s what shows up in 5-star reviews.
Comfort is one of the most consistently reviewed aspects of any aparthotel stay. Guests expect the convenience of a hotel with the space and flexibility of a rental, and they won’t compromise on either.
Start with the essentials. High-quality linen, comfortable mattresses, blackout blinds, and good lighting make a measurable difference. So do small details like powerful showers, plush towels, and kitchen basics that actually work.
You can go further with thoughtful extras. Stock the kitchen with coffee, tea, and a few local treats. Include a guide with recommendations for nearby restaurants, shops, and transport. Extra phone chargers or a universal adapter are other additions that guests appreciate.
If the space feels clean, calm, and well-equipped, strong reviews are more likely. If anything feels neglected or low-effort, guests will mention that too.
Technology is your best ally in preventing complaints and improving guest satisfaction.
With the right tools, you can spot problems early, resolve issues before they escalate, and deliver a seamless experience.
Noise is one of the most common guest pain points. Neighbors, parties, or late-night volume can lead to poor reviews. A disturbance-prevention platform like Minut lets you track noise levels in real time and receive alerts when they spike, so you can act before it becomes a complaint.
Minut sensors can also detect smoking, party risks, and temperature and humidity at unit-level, giving you early warnings and helping maintain high standards without relying on guests to report problems.
The best reviews are the easiest to collect. If you want feedback, the process must be seamless.
In-stay feedback is invaluable. Reach out while the guest is still on-site. A short message or quick survey can help you resolve concerns before they lead to negative reviews.
Once the stay ends, don’t wait. Use QR codes or SMS links to send guests directly to your review platform. The fewer steps, the better.
Timing is key. Guests are most likely to leave feedback within a few hours of checkout, when their experience is still fresh. A gentle nudge, combined with a personal message, increases your odds of a positive review.
Small issues, like a broken appliance or a check-in delay, can become big problems if ignored. But guests forgive minor inconveniences when they feel heard and supported.
Empower your team to act fast. Whether it’s fixing a clogged sink or delivering a replacement key, immediate action turns a negative into a neutral (or even a positive) experience.
Set up alerts or systems to flag problems as they happen. Stay ahead of issues and resolve them before they appear in reviews.
💡 For practical help, check out our guest experience templates for aparthotels to help streamline communication and speed up response times.
The timing of your review request is everything. Too early feels rushed. Too late, and the memory fades.
Send a personalized thank-you message immediately after checkout. Mention something specific about their stay to make it feel authentic: “We hope you enjoyed the local museums!”
Then, link directly to your review platform. Make it effortless.
A message within a few hours of departure captures the moment. Guests are still reflecting on their experience—and more likely to respond with a positive review.
Bad reviews happen. Even with the best systems in place, mistakes and miscommunications are inevitable. The key is how you respond both publicly and internally.
Read and reread this: don’t deflect, don’t delete, don’t argue. Acknowledge the issue, apologize with sincerity, and keep the tone respectful and professional. Even if you disagree with the review, your response isn’t for the guest who left it, it’s for the potential guests reading it.
Example:
“Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your stay didn’t meet expectations. We’ve reviewed your comments carefully and are taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
This type of response shows you’re listening, not defensive.
Be specific about what you're doing to prevent a repeat. If the issue was check-in instructions, mention that you’ve updated your pre-arrival messages. If it was a noise complaint, reference your monitoring system or new procedures.
Showing accountability builds trust. Future guests see that you act on feedback and care about delivering a better experience.
Bad reviews are more than problems, they are also data points. Recurring issues signal operational blind spots.
Look for repeated mentions of:
Track them by category and frequency. If two or more guests mention the same issue within a short timeframe, it’s a red flag.
Use the insights to improve systems and train staff. If guests are consistently confused about self-check-in, refine your instructions. If communication feels cold or delayed, revisit your message templates and automation settings.
Closing the loop between feedback and operations is how top-performing properties improve continuously.
Improving guest reviews doesn’t start with your first bad one. It needs to start as soon as doors open, before check-in, and long after check-out. Every step of the journey matters.
Improving guest experience is about consistency, anticipation, and smart systems that keep standards high. When you remove friction, respond quickly, and create comfort guests can feel, strong reviews come naturally.
Now’s the time to take stock. Audit your guest journey from first message to post-stay follow-up. Where are the friction points? What’s being missed? Which details could be elevated from acceptable to exceptional?
And if noise, parties, or property damage are dragging down your scores, Minut helps you prevent the issues that hurt reviews most. With real-time insights and privacy-safe monitoring, you stay in control and your guests stay satisfied.
