Review of Location

[Valerio58]

Hi there, is there someone that can explain me the utility of having Location as one of the criteria for a guest's review?

If I get less than 5 stars for Location, what can I realistically do with this information? I cannot move my prooperty or make my neighbouring area look better. While I can do something if Cleanliness, Accuracy etc. are not 5 stars, with location I am powerless. So why is Location a criterion if hosts don't have the power to intervene?

Airbnb stated in a previous similar thread in 2016:

"As a helpful criteria for many guests, we are not intending to remove this at this time; however, we always appreciate this feedback as we regularly refine our platform to best meet hosts and guests needs. Location is intended to help future guests get a sense of the area and tends to reflect proximity to nearby destinations. It was created to help establish potential guests’ expectations, setting both you and your guests up for fewer surprises. While this isn’t something we are planning on changing, we are investigating including transit score and walkability score on the listing page in order to clarify location as a criteria. Since it’s not something you can change or control, it doesn’t impact the overall Star Rating for the listing or Superhost status."

Yet it does impact on my star rating, since I have just received a review with all 5 stars except for Location, and the overall star rating is 4 stars. If Locations is intended to help future guests get a sense of the area, why does it need to have an effect on my rating? Let the guests mark the Location, but don't link this mark to my rating, is this not more sensible?

If I carry on getting less than 4 stars for Location my overall rating will decrease without me being able to intervene. And Airbnb will lose on service fees, because an otherwise good property won't receive the number of bookings it deserves: this just because Location is one of the criteria. So having Location as criterion is financially disadvantageous for Airbnb as well.

If Airbnb wants to keep Location as criterion (and I understand the rationale for keeping it), it should keep Location but not linking it to the property. And also it should be specified what Location means: the immediate neighbourood, the quarter, the whole area, the whole town?

Thanks, Valerio

[Lawrene0]

Sorry to break some bad news, @Valerio58, but it was not the location stars that lowered your overall rating on that review. It was the guest. The guest could put 5 stars for the other things, 4 stars for location, and then 5 stars for overall, and you would get 5 stars. The guest, in this case, gave you 5 stars for the other things, 4 for location, and decided upon 4 for overall. 

I travel as a guest, so I see the ratings system from both sides. The guest gave you 4 stars for location, and 4 stars for the overall experience. He/she gave you 5 for everything else. The overall star rating is not an amalgam of the other stars given - it is its own category. 

[Valerio58]

Fair enough! It's just a little frustrating to get marked down on Location, especially when the description/map explain well what guests can expect. But at least it's good it doesn't have an effect on the overall rating.

Thanks!

[Lawrene0]

Oh, I agree, @Valerio58. The location rating is quite annoying. There is a map on every listing. Unambiguous circle on it.

[Allison116]

Agree the location criteria is too vague as to what exactly the guest is supposed to be rating. Of course, they get to see where their place is on a map prior to booking so they can’t complain about that. It should be clearer like rate the safety of the location. I think the location criteria should be taken out.

[Lawrene0]

I wouldn't press for "rate the safety of the location", @Allison116, although I know what you are getting at. It's just that, in the absence of an actual attack, people often feel safe and unsafe for personal reasons. A cabin in the woods is as scary to some as a downtown core is to others. It would be asking guests to rate their own imaginations. Which, come to think of it, could be argued is the present system. 🙂

[Marie-Elsie0]

I get your frustration Valerio.  I actually came to vent also.  I get 5 stars overall but I get 4 or 3 stars on location just because my house is not located near or in Miami Beach.  I do specify in location that the house is nowhere near the beach.  I even go so far as letting the guests know that it will take them 1 hour to get to the beach but because on the map the house look close to the bay which no one, unless you have a multi-million $ house have access to, I get dinged.

When guests ask about the proximity to the beach, I am very honest to let them know it is a very nice neighborhood with lots of attractions nearby but no beach.  

My reaction is the same as yours for I cannot take my house and move it to wherever the guests want it to be.