(ARTICLE UPDATED in February, 2025)
Editor's Note: Originally published in November 2019, this post has been completely updated and refurbished for comprehensiveness, accuracy, and relevance.
Imagine losing your bookings due to negative reviews. Sounds extreme? Unfortunately, it’s a reality many hotels face on Tripadvisor and other platforms. Reviews truly are big drivers for bookings. They influence booking decisions and impact your hotel revenue (calculate the possible negative reviews impact for your property)
Getting listed on Tripadvisor and gathering reviews can boost your business, but what happens when an unfair or fake review threatens your online reputation? This is simply unfair! Handling these situations effectively is crucial.
This guide will help you navigate the process of removing misleading or inappropriate reviews while also sharing strategies to manage reviews proactively and strengthen your reputation.
Tripadvisor is a major player in the travel industry, with over one billion reviews covering more than eight million travel-related businesses worldwide. With 400 million monthly users, it significantly impacts traveler decisions.
63% of consumers say they would lose trust in a business upon seeing predominantly negative reviews. Additionally, 42% of consumers would avoid a business for up to a year after reading a negative review.
While positive reviews can help your property climb TripAdvisor’s popularity rankings, negative ones—especially fake or misleading reviews—can be damaging. Understanding how to remove unfair reviews and manage online feedback effectively is key to protecting your brand.
So let’s explore what qualifies as an authentic review. There are some guidelines on what a guest review should be!
In addition to Tripadvisor’s general community guidelines, Tripadvisor has specific rules for posting reviews. Reviews appear on a property’s listing page and are linked to a bubble rating between 1 and 5. These ratings can affect the property's position in Tripadvisor's popularity rankings and its appearance on the platform.
Reviews must be based on first-hand experience, and each user must have their own account. One can’t post on behalf of others unless it's about someone in their traveling party. If someone hasn’t personally experienced the business, Tripadvisor won’t post their review.
Exceptions for Serious Safety Incidents
In cases of serious safety incidents, exceptions are made. For example, a family member may write a review in the event of a death, or a parent/guardian may post on behalf of a minor involved in a serious safety incident.
"Does Tripadvisor remove reviews?" “Can I remove fake reviews on Tripadvisor” “Can I delete a review on Tripadvisor” are some of the common questions among hoteliers.
A quick answer is Yes, but only under specific circumstances!
Reviews can not be simply deleted, or removed because one disagrees with the reviewer.
Here’re specific circumstances and scenarios where hoteliers can request the review to be removed:
Note: If your case falls outside these guidelines, you may still be able to challenge the review with strong supporting evidence.
Now that you have understood the guidelines as well as specific circumstances, let’s look at specific steps on how to request review removal!
How long does it take? Tripadvisor typically reviews removal requests within several days but may take longer for complex cases. In some cases Tripadvisor may ask you for more evidence in the email.
What if you wish to remove ALL past reviews? This is possible if there has been a major renovation and/or change of ownership!
Tripadvisor also allows a business to remove all past reviews if the implemented new changes are sufficiently indicated. Some of these changes include a complete overhaul of the lobby, structural changes, or having a new ownership, etc.
According to Tripadvisor, these structural changes must be clearly indicated. You can provide the following documents to support your claim:
Note: Aesthetic changes like new carpet, paint, or sign do not qualify as major renovation and so will not be taken into account if the review removal request is made solely on this basis.
IMPORTANT: Upon approval of your request, Tripadvisor will remove all reviews and photos from before your renovation completion date
Not all reviews can be removed, but your genuine review responses can shape public perception with your own authentic brand voice.
Here’re some useful tips:
📝 Stay Professional:
🔍 Clarify Misinformation Without Arguing:
⏱️ Respond Promptly:
🔄 Show How You're Improving:
💯 Highlight Your Standards:
🤝 Take Ownership:
👥 Reference Your Team:
📊 Mention Genuine Positive Track Record:
🔁 Invite a Return Visit:
A professional response shows potential guests that you care about customer experience and are proactive in addressing concerns.
With a reputation platform like GuestTouch, you can create your authentic voice and manage all reviews seamlessly with your brand voice, or you can get a dedicated team who works with you closely in managing every single review in a timely manner!
To minimize negative reviews and protect your reputation, here are a few strategies that you can implement holistically:
📌 Centralized Review Monitoring: Use modern reputation management tools to track reviews across platforms (Tripadvisor, Google, Expedia, Booking.com Airbnb, etc.).
⏰ Timely Alerts: Receive notifications for new reviews to respond promptly.
🤖 Streamline Review Responses: Use your own brand voice to respond to guest reviews online
📊 Sentiment Analysis: Identify key guest satisfaction trends to improve service proactively.
🌟 Encourage Positive Reviews: Collect more reviews seamlessly from happy guests to boost your overall rating.
⚠️Review Removal Assistance: If a review violates the platform's guidelines, reputation management tools will help you flag and request review removal more efficiently.
Removing a review from Tripadvisor can be challenging, but with the right approach and patience, it is possible to manage your online reputation effectively. The key isn’t just removal—it’s proactive reputation management.
Investing in a reputation management strategy and focusing on guest engagement will help minimize the impact of negative reviews and strengthen your online presence in the long run.
🚀 Your best defense against unfair reviews? A stellar guest experience that generates more positive reviews and prevents possible poor reviews with proactive internal feedback.
Remember that Tripadvisor's algorithm considers recency, quantity, and quality of reviews, so a consistent stream of positive reviews will gradually improve your property's ranking and overall rating.
Yes, Tripadvisor uses unverified reviews, so anyone can leave reviews on the platform. Unlike OTAs such as Booking.com or Expedia where reviewers must have booked through their platform, Tripadvisor's system allows anyone to post a review. However, Tripadvisor's content policy states that only first-hand experiences should be shared as reviews. The platform has systems in place to identify potentially fraudulent reviews, but the open nature of the platform means businesses must be more vigilant in monitoring their Tripadvisor presence.
No, hotel owners cannot directly delete Tripadvisor reviews they don't like. Tripadvisor maintains this policy to ensure the integrity of their review platform. However, if a review violates Tripadvisor's guidelines (such as containing inappropriate content, being posted for the wrong property, or written by a competitor), you can report it through the Management Center for potential removal. Tripadvisor's content team will review your request and make the final decision.
Yes, guests can delete their original review and post a new one. This is particularly useful when a property has resolved issues mentioned in a negative review, and the guest wishes to update their feedback.
4. Can I get reviews removed if I've completed a renovation?
Yes, Tripadvisor allows for the removal of reviews following a major renovation. The renovation must be substantial enough to significantly change the guest experience. Aesthetic changes like new paint or carpeting don't qualify, but structural changes to rooms, lobby renovations, or complete property overhauls do. You'll need to provide documentation such as building permits, press releases, or official letters from tourism boards verifying the scope and completion of the renovation. Upon approval, Tripadvisor will remove all reviews posted before the renovation completion date.
Yes, a change in ownership is grounds for removing previous reviews on Tripadvisor. When new management takes over a property, they can request that all reviews from the previous ownership period be removed. This requires providing documentation proving the change of ownership, such as business registration documents or an official announcement. Once verified, Tripadvisor will remove all reviews that were posted before the ownership change took effect.
Bulk removal of reviews is only possible in specific circumstances, primarily major renovations or ownership changes as mentioned above. Tripadvisor will not remove all reviews simply because a property wants a fresh start or is unhappy with their current ratings. The platform maintains this policy to preserve the integrity of their review system. When approved, bulk removals will clear all reviews from before the renovation completion or ownership change date.
The most effective strategy for generating positive reviews is to provide exceptional guest experiences, but you can also:
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