Responding to Hotel Cleanliness Reviews: A Complete Guide (With Examples)

Every hotelier knows that moment:

You’re reviewing your property’s latest feedback, and there it is — a one-star review mentioning cleanliness issues. Your heart sinks. According to TripAdvisor’s data, a single negative review about cleanliness can influence potential guests’ decisions much after it’s posted. And in today’s hyper-aware travel environment, these reviews carry more weight than ever before.

While maintaining cleanliness is crucial, equally important is how you respond to guest feedback about it. Professional, thoughtful responses to reviews demonstrate accountability and show potential guests that you take their concerns seriously.

In the hospitality industry, it’s not just about keeping things clean — it’s about managing perceptions and building trust through communication.

What Review Data Reveals About Hotel Cleanliness

Review platforms tell us a clear story: cleanliness consistently emerges as a critical factor in guest satisfaction and booking decisions. On TripAdvisor and Booking.com, it’s one of the key metrics used to calculate a property’s overall rating, while Google Reviews shows cleanliness-related comments often appear as the deciding factor in both positive and negative reviews.

Most review platforms (e.g., TripAdvisor, Google, Booking.com) allow guests to rate various aspects of their stay, such as location, service, and cleanliness.

Cleanliness is typically weighted heavily, and a lower cleanliness score will pull down the property’s overall rating. Even if other areas are strong (like customer service or amenities), poor cleanliness ratings often stand out and negatively impact future booking decisions.

Looking at industry surveys, consistently show a strong correlation between perceived cleanliness and guest satisfaction. This particularly matters for review responses — when hotels actively engage with cleanliness concerns AUTHENTICALLY, it shows future guests that the property takes these issues seriously.

But here’s the important part:

it’s not just about maintaining cleanliness — it’s about how you respond when guests raise concerns, once again, it’s about managing perceptions and building trust through authentic communication.

The Psychology Behind Cleanliness Complaints

Before we dive into response strategies, let’s understand what’s really happening when a guest complains about cleanliness. Let’s see it from their view.

These reviews often reflect more than just physical cleanliness — they speak to fundamental feelings of safety, respect, and value for money.

A guest who spots a dusty corner or leftover trash under the bed, or dirty curtains, isn’t just seeing dirt; they’re questioning whether their well-being matters to your establishment enough to be attentive to these things.

Common cleanliness complaints often reveal deeper guest concerns, for example:

1. Visible Issues (dust, trash, stains):

• Immediately visible problems like dusty corners or trash under beds signal lack of attention to detail
• These issues make guests question what else might have been overlooked in their room
• Often leads to guests doing their own room inspection, finding more problems

2. Bathroom Cleanliness:

• Bathroom issues are particularly serious as they directly impact guest comfort and health
• Even minor oversights like water spots on mirrors can trigger concerns about overall sanitation
• Guests may worry about previous occupant traces and sanitization procedures

3. High-Touch Surfaces:

• Remote controls, light switches, and doorknobs receive extra scrutiny
• Guests notice smudges, or sticky surfaces
• These areas are critical for health safety perceptions

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When these things happen so how do you manage perception?

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Six-Step Framework for Responding to Cleanliness Reviews

1. Open with Sincere Recognition

First impressions matter — your opening sets the tone for the entire response. A genuine, personalized acknowledgment shows you take each review seriously rather than copying and pasting generic replies.

• Begin with a personalized greeting
• Show genuine recognition of the issue
• Express sincere apology
• Thank them for the feedback

❌ Weak: “Dear guest, We’re sorry about your experience. We value all feedback.”

✅ Stronger: “Dear Mr. Thompson, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience from your stay in Room 506 this past weekend. We sincerely apologize that the cleanliness of your room did not meet our usual standards…”

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2. Maintain Proper Tone

Remember — your response will be read by thousands of potential guests. Keep it professional, even if the review isn’t.

• Stay courteous regardless of review tone
• Focus on solutions
• Keep responses concise
• Remember responses are public
• Avoid arguments or excuses

❌ Weak: “Our cleaning staff usually does a much better job than what you described. Perhaps you should have told us during your stay instead of complaining online.”

✅ Stronger: “We clearly fell short of our cleaning standards in this instance. This is not the usual experience the vast majority of our guests have. Please know that our front desk team is available 24/7, and we encourage all guests to contact us immediately if anything isn’t perfect during their stay — we’ll address it right away…

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3. Address Specific Issues

Show you’ve actually read and understood their concerns — guests and thousands of potential travelers don’t want to see generic responses like “we appreciate it, and we will do better.” (PS: This is where robust platform like GuestTouch can help)

• Reference exact concerns mentioned
• Show thorough understanding
• Validate their experience
• Avoid defensive language

❌ Weak: “We’re sorry if you felt the room was not clean enough. We always try our best.”

✅ Stronger: “We understand your specific concerns about the dusty surfaces and spots on the bathroom mirror. Finding hair in the bathtub is unacceptable and falls well below our standards…”

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4. Share The Actions You’re Taking

Actions speak louder than words — it’s so much better to show exactly what you’re doing to fix the issue. Be specific about changes and improvements.

• Detail immediate steps taken
• Explain process improvements
• Mention staff training
• Describe quality control measures

❌ Weak: “We will look into this and make improvements to our cleaning process.”

✅ Stronger: “Our housekeeping manager has reviewed your feedback with our evening team and added additional inspection steps for bathroom cleaning”

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5. Highlight Available Communication Channels

Real-time resolution is always better than post-stay damage control. Show future guests that you’re responsive and available when issues arise.

• Highlight 24/7 availability (if applicable)
• Provide direct contact options
• Encourage real-time reporting
• Show willingness to resolve issues promptly

❌ Weak: Pre-mature conclusion, “We hope to see you soon”

✅ Stronger: “Our front desk team is available 24/7 or through our hotel messaging. We have housekeeping staff on-site around the clock and can address any cleanliness concerns within 15 minutes of being informed.”

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6. Showcase Social Proof Thoughtfully

When appropriate, briefly reference your track record truthfully — but be careful not to sound defensive or dismissive of the current issue.

❌ Weak: “This is very unusual as we have thousands of happy guests and great reviews. You must have caught us on a bad day.”

✅ Strong: “While this experience does not reflect the consistently positive feedback we receive about our cleanliness from the majority of our guests, we take your concerns very seriously and have taken immediate steps to address them.”

or

“Though we regularly receive positive feedback about our housekeeping standards, I’ve personally reviewed your experience with our housekeeping manager. Please feel free to contact me directly at [manager@hotelGuestTouch.com] if you would like to discuss this further

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A few more examples of how this can all come together:

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Example: Basic Cleanliness Issue

📝 Review:

"Room 304 was disappointing. Found hair in the bathroom and dust under the bed. For a 4-star hotel, this is unacceptable. The front desk staff was nice but cleanliness is basic."

✅ Response:

Dear Ms. Johnson,

Thank you for taking the time to provide detailed feedback about your stay in Room 304. I sincerely apologize that our cleanliness standards were not met during your visit.

[Open with Sincere Recognition]

The issues you encountered - specifically the hair in the bathroom and dust under the bed - are completely unacceptable for any hotel, especially at our level.

[Address Specific Issues]

I have personally reviewed this feedback with our housekeeping manager, and we have strengthened our inspection process to prevent similar oversights. This includes additional verification steps for bathroom sanitization and thorough under-bed cleaning checks, followed by supervisor validation before guest check-in.

[Share The Actions You're Taking]

Please know that our team is available 24/7, and we encourage all guests to contact us immediately if anything isn't perfect during their stay - we'll address it right away. You can reach us through the front desk or our hotel messaging for immediate assistance. [Highlight Available Communication Channels]

While cleanliness is typically one of our highest-rated amenities, we clearly fell short in this instance. I would welcome the opportunity to personally ensure your next stay meets the high standards our guests have come to expect from Lex Hotel.

[Maintain Proper Tone + Showcase Social Proof]

Best,

Josh Rhodes

General Manager

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Example: Multiple Issues Including Cleanliness

📝 Review: 

"Terrible stay. Carpet was stained, curtains were dusty, and AC wasn't working properly. When I called front desk, no one picked up. Location is good but won't be back."

✅ Response:

Hello Emily,

Thank you for bringing these concerns to our attention regarding your recent stay. We sincerely apologize for the issues you encountered with our room condition and service responsiveness.

[Open with Sincere Recognition]

At Lex Hotel, we maintain meticulous protocols for guest room preparation, which makes your experience particularly concerning. I will be personally reviewing these instances with our housekeeping team, whose commitment to excellence typically results in immaculate room conditions.

[Address Specific Issues + Share The Actions You're Taking]

While our guests consistently commend our attention to detail, we evidently fell short of our established standards during your visit. This oversight, though uncommon, represents an opportunity for us to reinforce our service protocols.

[Showcase Social Proof + Maintain Proper Tone]

We would be grateful for the opportunity to welcome you back and demonstrate the exceptional experience that has become synonymous with Lex Hotel. Should you choose to return, please feel free to contact me directly to ensure your next stay surpasses expectations.

[Maintain Proper Tone]

As always, our dedicated team remains available 24/7 through our front desk or hotel messaging system, ready to attend to any requests that would enhance your comfort.

[Highlight Available Communication Channels]

Warm regards,

Steve O'Brien

General Manager

Lex Hotel

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