Unfair review from guest

[Caroline886]

I’ve been a super host for 2 years and my reviews for the 4 apartments listed are always good.

Recently I had a guest (party of 3) who booked for 3 nights and wanted to extent but we already had bookings in all the apartments but one of them was becoming available a few days later so I let him know. Big mistake because I hadn’t yet seen the full extent of the damages, neglect, dirt left in the apartment after the first stay. 
So when I got his request for a second booking I decided to decline it. 
As a result, 2 days later he wrote a very malicious bad review evidently designed to harm my reputation built with hard work over the past two years. The review is full of lies and exaggerations and he gave me a 1 star. Evidently if he had really considered it a 1 star he wouldn’t have insisted so many times to extend his stay, if possible to cancel other bookings so that he could stay longer, almost beg me for availability in any of the other apartments. He wrote out of revenge.

Even if I respond to the review, the damage will remain and I will loose my superheat status. What can I do?

[Jennifer1421]

I'm so sorry this has happened to you @Caroline886.

Is the review you're speaking about the one from "Humberto"? If so, you could contact Customer Servie and try to get the review removed under the new policy: https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/2673/airbnbs-review-policy?locale=en&_set_bev_on_new_domain=15784...

Much of what he has written is irrelevant and out of your control: muddy roads, lack of Uber service, and the quality of the equipment and smell in the (I assume?) building's gym. Refer CX to the new review policy. Be aware that CX doesn't care whether a review is truthful or whether it is a "revenge" review, so I'd say your best chance is to try the irrelevant route.

If you don't have success in getting the review removed, do respond to it - just remember that you're speaking to future guests, so keep your response unemotional and factual. Maybe draw attention to the fact that his complaints are about things that are beyond your control. I'd also suggest that future guests check your location on the map, to ensure that the location suits them...I'd like to think MOST people reading this review and the guest's complaints about location would wonder why he didn't do that himself.

[Caroline886]

Thank you so much for your comment Jennifer! This is really helpful.

Yes indeed that’s the review I was referring to.

I will definitely follow your suggestions of tackling the irrelevant and out of my control route. Thanks again!

[Alireza9]

I have a situation something similar to Caroline where I had received a bad review. 

The guest booked my unit through instant booking. Later finding out that they were arranging to throw a huge party of 40-50 people. So I told him that I can not host for a party so you need to cancel the booking. He canceled the booking and left a 1 star review. Now I am not able to get to my Superhost status. 

What can I do?