Location reviews

[Bruce-And-Jane0]

I looked over the last year of hosting and noticed the only time I received less than stellar reviews was when people gave me a bad rating for Location which happens more than I would like.

One woman gave me a three for location because the Highway was too windy for her liking and there were wild horses in the area which to her were a danger to drive around. People specifically come here for the rugged mountains and the wild animals in the area. 

I never know what the location review is for and I definitely know the guests don't know what it is for either. There are countless reasons people would base the location review on. It needs to be removed in my opinion. 

[Gillian166]

@Bruce-And-Jane0  yes, this has been discussed a lot and even acknowledged by ABB as a known issue, still the Location factor persists. Luckily those category ratings don't really affect the Overall Rating the guest chooses. 

[Huma0]

@Bruce-And-Jane0 

For sure, the location rating is an ongoing issue, as @Gillian166 mentioned. I have also had some problems with this in the past.

Hosts have been calling on Airbnb to remove it for years (after all, the guest chooses the location themselves and could do some research into it) but Airbnb refuses to remove it.

So, what I would suggest is to find ways to word your listing to attract only (at least the majority of the time), guests that are suited to your location and will appreciate it. Sometimes that means being very matter of fact.

Location was always my downfall for one of my listings, but not the other two (located in the same house!), until I changed my wording to clearly state that it is a multi-cultural, mixed income neighbourhood and please do not book if you are uncomfortable with that. 

Although I do still get requests quizzing me about the 'safety' of my neighbourhood, the vast majority of guests now rave about it in their reviews, rather than complain about it. I haven't changed the area, I have just changed the guests that my listings attract!

[Debra300 · Accepted solution]

@Bruce-And-Jane0,

Location is usually the thing that most hosts get a lower rating.  In previous threads there have been recommendations to change it to Accuracy to rate if the space was as described and depicted in the listing.  Location rating is a sore point with me, because guests have told me that they read where we've said, "the guesthouse is located on a hillside in the Beausejour Hills...our driveway has a steep slop and we advise against wearing smooth sole shoes...it may not be suitable for those with mobility challenges", and they've said, "But it didn't look like that in the pictures.".  Most times, I just give a tight grin with a slight nod as a response.  There were a couple of times in the past that I rhetorically asked, "Why do you think we wrote those things if they weren't true?".  I've learned that people will create a mental of whatever they desire regardless of the facts presented to them.

[Huma0]

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@Debra300 wrote:

I've learned that people will create a mental of whatever they desire regardless of the facts presented to them.

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@Debra300 

Oh, that is SOOO true...

[Gillian166]

it's frustrating that people don't quite understand the reality of country living. They want to come and visit wineries, those are large properties, so the distances around here reflect that.  They want to be on the tourist strip, but somehow also have the peacefulness of farm life. 

people will create a mental of whatever they desire regardless of the facts presented to them.

sjoe! @Debra300 sums it up perfectly. 

[Patti-And-Marty0]

@Bruce-And-Jane0  I agree with you, but don't let it get you down. I recently had a guest who told me he chose my place specifically for its location...... then gave me a 4 on Location. So there you go.

[Gillian166]

@Patti-And-Marty0  🤣😆
you gotta laugh at these situations, it's the only way to stay sane. 

[Dora486]

Location location location.   Dinged because they couldn’t park their car right in the pedestrianised area of our little Spanish hilltop village,  it’s awfully hilly with lots of steps,  oh and yes, those pesky Spanish people making noise as they go about their daily business.   

[Trude0]

Same situation for me as for many others, then: If I get lower than 5 stars on something, then it is usually on location.

Typically, the guest will not mention what made them rate my location lower. But I suspect it is either the fact that the guest house is in our garden (that they are uncomfortable with being so close - even though most of them never even see us), or that we are a bit outside the city centre.

The lower average rating on location is from a very few guests, and it has been a while since someone rated location lower, so I think I’ve succeeded in making it clear in my ad (text and pictures) what they get when they book my guest house.

This rating does not bother me very much, as it does not affect the overall rate. But if someone would be so disappointed with the location that they would lower the overall rating, that would of course be a something to worry about. 

[John5097]

@Bruce-And-Jane0 

I'm also having this issue. I'm the only listing that provides exact distance to the Visitors Center in the historic district. State its a quiet residential neighborhood just outside of the city. Two recent guest have mentioned its a great location in their review or private feedback but marked me down to a 3 for location. I still have all 5 star for location overall because its an awesome location but that's about to drop to 4.9 with the recent 3 star location reviews. The one recent guest also requested more info the day she booked, and I sent the guest guide that has very detailed info on distance to everything mentioned, places to eat, getting around etc. I state that guest will need a car or Uber. She was fully aware they booked a place just outside of the city with scenic views, but still expect it to be in the city? The of check in she sent a message that they wanted to get out of the car to walk around, so should have booked a place in the city. My cover photo is showing vast marsh and nature views, and less than 5 miles from the center of the historic tourist area. So they are just finding any way they can complain. I think some people may just call CS to complain about anything in hopes for a discount. Its really frustrating to have the listing 100% accurate, with maps, and exact distance to center of town and the beach, and still receive low location reviews.

Note in the public review she mentioned McCound Planation which they used a parks pass I proved and save $50 entrance fees for the tour. So she only wants more free stuff and marking me down to negotiate some kind of discount or something. 

So frustrating as I work hard to make it a perfect stay and make the listing as accurate as possible, but complain about the location when they were fully aware it was just outside of the city with scenic views of wildlife. 

Hopefully Airbnb guest don't all become scammers and have unrealistic expectations. 

So far the majority of guest go leave less than 5 stars for location actually say its a great location in the reviews or private feedback. Its like they don't want anyone else to know the host works extra hard to make it clean. I'm thinking about turning off IB so they don't have this false sense of control. I don't want these guest thinking they can book with me again.