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i’ve sent the following email to airbnb admin. i’m hoping that others on the forum who agree, will do the same.
i think the location rating is completely counter productive. one’s location is what it is. people see this rating and think it refers to “actual location”. i suspect you are trying to keep hosts honest about their neighborhoods on their listing descriptions but i believe many guests will rate down listings that are simply not what they had hoped for. for instance, i’m near the beach but not ON the beach. my neighborhood is lovely and convenient to everything but i often get graded down on location even though my description is VERY clear. i’ve spoken to other hosts of the forum and they often complain about the same category. please consider removing this category and allowing guests to use the overall rating if someone is not upfront about living in a bad neighborhood.
Perhaps the solution would be to change the wording to “neighborhood” rather than location, if the original intention was that guests could comment on what the area round the property is like?
i have the same problem. my apartment in in a capital, where the public transport covers pretty much everything, so you can be in the center in 10 minutes by subway. but as i see people always concerned if its ‘in the city’ - of course, i even uploaded pictures… but i think this location-rating is very annoying.
I completely agree and get about 1/2 5 stars and 1/2 4 stars and now Airbnb is showing a “caution” type symbol when I look at my reviews on location. What’s frustrating is that it should be based on what we say it is, not whether or not people feel it is the perfect location for them. If that’s the case, the guests should choose a different location because if they want the heart of a big city then they will likely be paying much more.
I’m also in complete agreement. My place is located in the middle of nowhere, but stunning scenery all around. I say in my listing that we are remote and have no shops or cafes or restaurants near us at all. All my reviews say “stunning views”, “amazing place” etc and yet people still mark me down on location,Case in point - my second to last guest gave a rave review ABOUT the location but then gave 3 stars for location - go figure that one.
Yes, the only negative review I received for location was because someone didn’t like that they weren’t actually downtown - and my listing specifically says how long it takes, shows where I am on the map, explains I’m between the airport and downtown etc… everything they would know before I arrive!!!
I don’t understand the purpose of this section of review, too.
they will not remove. it is a very important information for the guests, even if its misleading sometimes. i uploaded pictures of the street, view, neighborehood, so i hope they decide based upon those.
I gave up already to understand how these reviews come together. I got overall experience from last guest 4, though al categories were 5 exept for value 4.
I got several for location also 4, which I don’t really understand at all. We live In one of the best neighborhoods, with public transport around, all the entertainment you can think of, restaurants 2 min.walk, beach, airport 10 min.drive, park with a lake across the street. It’s piecefull with no cars passing by. I still get 4* stars and 1 was even 3*.
I don’t know how someone can give lower score if its not on a beach if the listing clearly states even how many miles from the beach we are.
I don’t think the location category is of any value at all. It’s far too objective and obscure. Plus the fact that this is something people can do NOTHING to improve. Star ratings are supposed to give hosts useful feedback to improve their listing, yes? Let guests use the general rating category and comment in review if the area is unpleasant.
Even then it’s not something that the host can improve. I think as long as the host is above board regarding the neighborhood then the guest is going into it informed. If the host isn’t above board then the guest can rate down the general star rating and comment in review.
@yana. That’s my point exactly. If a host can contact a guest to enquire why they were rated down and then use that info to improve, I’m all for it. The location category doesn’t work like that. If people aren’t honest about their neighborhood then the guest can comment in review and rate down the overall rating, can’t they?
I am in complete agreement, I have mainly 5 star points on location but 2 ratings with only 2 points - thing is, when my guests select my property they can see it on the map, they choose the location, and then they rate it down? I simply don’t understand. Fair enough, perhaps they didn’t like their choice once they arrived, however as I live in the best and most desired neighbourhood in my town I do not think such low ratings are justified, especially when the guests give it without understanding what they are doing.
I agree with another commenter to change the term “Location” to “Neighbourhood”, it would be easier for guests to understand.
I agree completely Julie. Guests can see the area on the map very precisely. They can easily do their own research about what is near or far, or even what kind of neighborhood it is. I have gotten 5 stars from almost every guest but 3 guests marked 4 on location, and said we weren’t nearby to anything. It may have been that those particular times I didn’t explicitly explain that all they had to do was walk down the hill and around the corner, but as it is written numerous times on the listing, and you would only stay in the area presumably because of the beautiful Marina I live right above that is full of restaurants and cafe’s and everything you need, I was shocked that they missed it. Now I make sure to explain exactly where we are to every guest, and how to get there (it is a 5-10 minute walk at best). Seeing a guest write it is wonderful in every way, just be aware it is not close to any shops although it was fine because everything is only a ten minute drive is quite a shock when they were a few minutes walk away and hadn’t bothered to check.
I sometimes wonder if people visiting think because we are in a beautiful getaway area from NY, that we may be in the middle of the countryside rather than in a town, and are actually disappointed that there are other homes on the street - perhaps they imagined rural retreat, despite our clear description? You simply can’t understand what some people are thinking. I do agree however, we cannot change our location, so why are we being graded on it? Are we going to hump the house on our back and move it closer to the beach/town/countryside? It really is an absurd marking.
I totally agree with the note about star rating for location… I even have written to airbnb about that…
Location is very well spelled out in the description on the site, the area can be checked on google maps even before the booking (the exact address is hidden until then).
I think the obligation is on the guest to check before booking if the location suits their needs… e.g. seeking quiet reflection won’t be possible in city centre…
I always chat with my guests before they book to find out exactly what their needs and wants are and I can advise them or reject the booking if it doesn’t fit…
I feel calling it “neighbourhood” is a better discription
I’m having a similar experience, I receive all 5 stars on everything but the location. Even though I fully disclose that the neighborhood is ethnically diverse, I repeatedly get people from non-urban areas that become very uncomfortable when staying here.
I’ve pointed out that the listing goes as far as it can in describing the neighborhood without being offensive, but yet people are still rating location not on how accurately it’s described, but rather how they feel about it overall.
I’m going to put a small card on each bed similar to the ones that Amazon/Ebay sellers send out regarding getting 5 star reviews, and to have any concerns addressed directly (as well as potential education on what the location rating really means (description accuracy, vs. location).
I’ve got maximum score 5 stars from all of my guests on my location and there’s a reason for that. My property is bang on city center in the most expensive/exclusive area in Iceland. Some other neighbourhoods here in Reykjavík are lovely but not at the same level.
For an example,
Being on the beach is 5 star. Being near/close to the beach is 3 to 4 stars.
I can understand that it can be frustrating to get low ratings but it is what it is. Taking the bus to city center or having a flat in city center is not the same and deserves different ratings.
I disagree Petersen. I too am in a city centre, but it’s not the center of a small town like Reykjavik, it’s a big city where there is noise. Comparing a provincial “city” in a backwater country to a large urban metropolis in North America is unfair and only shows how limited your perspective is.
I get marked down on location too, even though I am totally convenient to my city’s center. It’s the noise factor, something I have done my best to control with good windows and layers of curtains. But it seems some people want it all–convenience and the silence of a cathedral at midnight. It defies logic, but then so do a lot of the things our guests do.
It´s a tough one for sure. Location can be perfect but factors like noise can drag your ratings down. But what to do? Does one deserve 5 stars for location if there’s noise or some other factors that brings it down?
Perhaps a better system could be in use for customers to recognise areas/neighbourhoods around the world. Especially in the big cities. But removing the star ratings for location is wrong. Bad business for anyone on air with a great location. Even though some of you don’t like it it still gives a pretty good idea about what’s going on.
