Hi! Long time lurker, first time poster here. Just received our first 4 star review and just wanted to vent a little and maybe get some advice. I have a new Airbnb listing but have rented out my previous home on Airbnb before and have had some success and have always put in quite a bit of effort to ensure 5 star reviews. Today we had a guest check out that spent two nights, we let her check in early and check out late, trying to be as accommodating as possible. Her review was very positive but she rated us 4 stars over all so I contacted her to see if there was any area I could have improved on and her response was “Having stayed in world class places, I thought it would be deceiving to give 5 stars to the apartment. 4 said great and it is. I gave 5 stars to everything within your control.” I just find this a bit frustrating because we advertise our apartment exactly as it is, not sure why we should be penalized just because she’s been fortunate enough to stay in nicer places than ours, we have plenty of photos and a large write up, she knew the exact place she was staying. Anyway! I’m sure this won’t be our last four star review but I just needed to vent. If you’d like to give me advice on my Airbnb ad please do. Thanks!
You have a lovely place and a lovely listing. You can’t please everyone 
Congratulations on your success so far and keep going !
“Great” seems just fine. I can understand her thinking and I agree with it. She paid for a great place and that’s what she got. However, I can also understand your frustration in being compared to the Four Seasons Hotel.
As Airbnb hosts we want people to see the incredible value they are getting and use that lens to see our places as being “excellent” even though there are no Godiva chocolates on a bed that’s fitted with gazillion count Egyptian cotton sheets–nor a doorman and concierge to greet and pamper them.
I only looked at the pics and you have a very beautiful place. I can tell you put a lot of thought and time into making it a very nice place to stay.
As far as your guest, I doubt there would have been anything you could have done in order to get her to give you a 5 star rating. She’s comparing her experience to “world class” accommodations. What she is failing to realize is that she didn’t pay “world class” rates.
Godiva, smodiva; if it’s not Maison Du Chocolat I’m not giving five stars. ; )
Well I’d actually prefer a really good can of sardines and some nice crackers.
Wow your place is amazing. Just looked at the listing. What a cow that woman was!! I hope she didn’t slip and fall on any ice patches on her way out.
there is Nothing you can do. Nada. I do look at the reviews they give out before I take a guest…if there is a history of giving low stars, they can go elsewhere.
I just got a 3 star. I am a superhost and have only had 5 stars for 6 years. I spent an hour on the phone with CS. It is what it is. I seethe inside and move on.
I let them stay 3.5 hours late departure.
My guests partied and cussed outside around midnight and I had to get them to sush…they took their revenge on me with the star rating.
just watching Four Seasons on Maui on Hotel Impossible. They gave Anthony a helicopter ride to a Kona coffee tasting.
Very pretty !
Don’t get too discouraged it happens perhaps ask your guests why 4 star so you can improve.
I noticed sometimes just tiny little thing can effect their view.
Once my guests didn’t check airbnb message also didn’t check her email . She arrived without knowledge of how to check in by herself . So she called me, I told her over the phone where is the key and asked her to message me back once she get into the apartment. But 15 minutes later she still didn’t text me. So I call her again and find out she don’t know how to use fob key, still trying to use apartment metal key to open the apartment lobby. So I explained to her that plastic thing is KEY, she finally got in I was relieved. But you know she gave the the worest review ever for that listing. Only 3 star. And said how unhelpful is this host, don’t provide her instructions and address ( all in the message and email, I even texted her if she received it she said yes)she also complaint I gave her half roll of toilet paper ( who throw away half roll? Even hotel dont throw away half roll. I provide three spare rolls inside bathroom cabinet) she also complaint Aircon I installed in the wrong place not really cooling the apartment ( she can adjust it)
Anyway, it only need one thing go piss them off. I got another guest gave me 3 star review I asked them where I can improve next time, they said they been wake up at 9pm by the fireworks ! Because they had red eye flight they just want to sleep in the first day.
It’s a lovely apartment, and your rate is amazing.
Many guests dont remember what really happened if it’s not too major.they only remember how they feel. So I find out check with them periodically to find out their temperature kind of testing the water to see if anything goes wrong and how can I help to fix it.
Exactly. I’ve had plenty of four stars and the way I see it, they are better than 1, 2 or 3. It helps when I remind myself that this is all about money and not about stars.
I’ve spoken to many guests and potential guests about this and it seems that a star rating of less than a perfect five doesn’t deter them from booking at all. If the place is located where they want to be, if reviews speak well of the place and if the price is right that’s what they care about more than anything else. Nowhere suits everyone.
Experienced guests already know that people can get lower stars from picky guests. Inexperienced guests know nothing about the star system anyway.
I think that it’s a shame that Airbnb has inflicted this worry onto hosts and that hosts spend so much time and energy worrying about a four star rating. I’m very pro-Airbnb but I do wonder if the star rating (and Superhost status) is counter-productive as it seems to generate so much stress. I also wouldn’t use any of my time to contact the guest and find out why.
Yes, if I had a two or even one star rating in any category, I’d be concerned but I’d be more likely to decide that the guest was just a bit of a nutjob and move on.
I think that’s an illusion generated by reading this (or other) host forums. 1000s of hosts aren’t bothered by it all, in fact 1000’s probably don’t even know what their ratings are. And check the OP’s post…a longtime lurker spurred to finally post by the disappointment of 4 stars. When I got my 3 and 4 star ratings I didn’t give it much thought because I wasn’t on this forum yet. Now when I get another it’s going to bother me because someone(s) here make me feel like it should. 
That’s a very good point. And if any new hosts (or hosts-to-be) are reading this then it’s very valuable advice.
I am amazed that these hotel owners are real people. Where do they grow these people? They always have the staff just sitting around doing nothing wondering why customers aren’t coming in…all the while the entire place is covered in filth and nastiness. It’s as if they have never seen the show before - Don’t they know the little bald headed man is going to let them have it?
Thanks everyone for the responses and all the feedback!
@J_Wang LOL thank you! The supers are pretty on top of the ice removal fortunatley (unfortunately? …JK)
@Zandra thats such wonderful advice that I will try to keep in the forefront of my mind, thanks!
@cabinhost Thanks so much, we did put a lot of work into the apartment and tried to make it as cozy and enjoyable as possible for our guests - and I completely agree with you, our price is quite low and competitive much cheaper than the other “world class” places she’s stayed I’m sure.
Im sure after a couple more less than perfect reviews the sting will subside and I will get more used to it, I think my issue was less with the star rating and more with the fact that she was comparing my humble one bedroom apartment in small town Nova Scotia to the “world class places” she’s stayed at all over the world haha. Oh well, on to the next guest!
Thanks again for all the feedback on my listing!
You think reality shows are real? LOL.
Actually they did a hotel/hostel here in El Paso and I heard good things about the show.
Then you need to go to this amazing place in Lisbon ! It’s a canned fish restaurant and it’s wonderful ! Fresh Portuguese bread, a tin of sardines and a bottle of green wine I can’t even tell you how good it is. @J_Wang
Haha! Anthony could be busy in my area for a while. I knew a guy (in housekeeping) who finally admitted to me that he only changed the motel sheets if they looked like they needed to be changed. Other than that, he just picked the hairs off and made the bed back up. Guests would find empty beer bottles under the bed, everything in need of repiar, etc. Nasty motel. Reminds me I need to order a black light…