I am a Superhost with Airbnb, I recently had a guest stay. I wrote them a way too favorable review.

[John2311]

I discovered that they had vomitted in the shower and left it onthe floor to eat up the grout and stain the tile and grout. I did not check it since they had not used the shower or towels and they said they did not use the shower. Everything elas was clean so I wrote they left my place exceptionally clean. Now I want to do something about it. Can anything be changed or added?

Thanks for any tips other than yes ultimately I had do a better job checking next time.

[Ann72]

When they review, you can leave a public response to their review.

[Susan151]

@John2311. If they haven't left a review yet, you have 48 hours to edit your review. If they have reviewed or more time has passed, then you are out of luck. I learned early on, do NOT leave a review until you have actualy finished cleaning the space.

[Sarah977]

@John2311  You can't change a review once it's been published, but you have, I think, 48 hours to edit it if the guest hasn't already submitted a review. Since we have 14 days to write a review, it's always best to wait until you've thoroughly checked the place over and even a few days after that. Hosts have realized that things are missing days after seeing that it was left clean, or vice-versa- assumed a guest had stolen something which they then found in some strange place the guest had moved it to.

No wonder they didn't use the shower, after they vomited in it. You couldn't make this stuff up. There seem to be an inordinate amount of Beevis and Butthead "guests" out there.

[Emilia42]

 @John, Ann, Susan, and Sarah all offered great advice.

It is best not to reply to the review and mention vomit... you are only speaking to future guests when you reply to a review. Future guests no nothing of the vomit and it's best to keep it that way. In this case, I would not reply at all. Let it go. Or message the guest privately and ask them if everything is okay or that in the future, most hosts would like to know about something like vomiting in the shower if they aren't going to clean it up themselves.

Side note: Don't you find it odd that this guest particularly told you that they did not use the shower when in fact they vomited in the shower? Why not just say nothing at all if their approach is not to own up to it? I find that strange.

[Robin4]

@John2311 @Emilia42 @Sarah977 @Susan151 @Ann72

John, don't shoot yourself in the foot here! If you log on and go to Edit Profile > Reviews  it will tell you if you are still able to edit the review you have given for this guest. If the guest has submitted their review or, more than 48 hours have passed since you wrote the review, you will not be able to make any alterations.

John, if this was me I would just let it go, future guests get a bit squeamish when you  mentioning vomit and how it has left indelible traces in your listing. The other thing is, you have the right to leave a review response but if you are now going to turn around and tell the world that this guest was perhaps not the outstanding individual you have already said he was....that is going to make you look a bit of an idiot! Either you didn't do your checking properly before you wrote the review or your response is a bit of sour grapes for something the guest might have said in private feedback. Either way, it won't look good for you.

John, just accept that, like blood or wine stained sheets, broken cups /plates, this is just a part of hosting and the consequensces for bringing it up could be worse than just putting it behind you and getting ready for the next guest!

Good luck mate!

Cheers......Rob

[Tara248]

You could put your price up then have a cleaner come in and turn over your AirBnB like I do for my clients and you don’t have to do it then 

[Ben551]

@John2311 I have to agree with @Robin4 on this one, let it go. If you reply to his review and make the "vomit in shower" issue public, it will taint people's view of your listing. People want to imagine they are the only ones to use your space. They don't want to know about past... guest messes. Don't become the "vomit house", just let it go.

I had a similar issue and let's just say I rather chose to not become the "crap in the shower, up the walls, and on the towels house" !  

[Sudsrung0]

When you are doing a review dont make snap deccissions give it a couple of days stay calm and polite as much as you dont want to but some host could view you a some nagging old woman, we are not staying there attitude,

[Sarah977]

@Robin4@Ben551   I usually totally agree with both of you, but on this one, I don't. I certainly wouldn't mention the specifics, i.e. vomit, but I'd say something like "Unfortunately, I was a bit hasty in reviewing XXX, as on initial walk-through the place seemed to have been left clean and tidy. However, further inspection revealed a quite disgusting mess left in the bathroom, which required intensive cleaning and some repairs."

I would want to be warned about a guest who thought it was okay to vomit in shower (I mean, the toilet's right there, why would anyone use the shower?) and then just leave it there and walk away.

[Rebecca0]

@Sarah977 But no host is going to see such a comment, are they?  It will only appear on your own review page and, as others have said, it will only serve to put other guests off.

I'm often amazed at the stuff hosts write in response to reviews.  Very often they bring up things that were mentioned in private feedback.  It's hugely off-putting to guests because it makes them look either slightly deranged or two-faced.

[Emilia42]

@Rebecca is right. No future host of the guest will ever see that. Especially as @John2311 gets more and more reviews. Hosts' usually don't go digging if all looks fine, especially with AirReview being so popular now.

[Emilia42]

@Rebecca, I, too, cannot believe what some hosts 'respond' too. A glowing review from a guest and then the host apologizing for the mouse that ran across the bed waking them up! 

[Sarah977]

@Rebecca0@Emilia42  Well, I often cross-refence reviews- so if these guests who vomited in the shower, for instance, sent me a booking request, not only would I look at the reviews that were left for the guests from their past hosts, I might also look on those host's profiles to see what kind of reviews those guests tend to leave for their hosts. I would then see John's response comment under that guest's review of his place, yes?

Totally agree about many responses being off. I'd never mention something a guest shared with me in private feedback or something we talked about when they were staying. And I'd never write a review or a response in the heat of the moment. There are actually very few reviews that require a response,  but if I had a guest who just lied in their review (never had one of those), or if I found something after they left and after the reviews had been published that negated me having given them a good review, I would definitely leave a considered, calm, but factual response.