The master template
Use this negative hotel review response template as the structure for every reply, then adapt the variants below.
Thank you for your feedback, and we're sorry. [Restate the specific problem] is not the stay we want any guest to have. [What has changed or is being done]. Please contact [named person] at [email] so we can follow up personally. – [Name], [Role]
Variants
We're sorry your room wasn't ready at check-in. Waiting [time] after arrival isn't how a stay should begin. We've [change, such as added housekeeping on peak days]. – [Name], Front Office Manager
Thank you for telling us, and we apologise. [Issue] is below our standard; our housekeeping manager has reviewed the room and checks for that floor. – [Name], Guest Relations
We're sorry your sleep was disturbed by [event / noise]. We should have offered a quieter room, and we're reviewing how rooms are allocated on event nights. – [Name], Duty Manager
We're sorry. You should always be treated courteously, and I've raised this with the team. Please write to [email] with your stay dates. – [Name], General Manager
Thank you for the feedback on breakfast. [Issue] isn't good enough, and our restaurant team is [change]. – [Name], F&B Manager
We're sorry the [facility] was unavailable without notice. We now include closures in booking confirmations. – [Name], Guest Relations
We're sorry for the confusion about charges. Please write to [email] with your booking reference and we'll review the bill and reply within [time]. – [Name], Front Office Manager
Rules for every template
- No guest details: room numbers, dates, amounts.
- No compensation in exchange for changing the review.
- No blame on named staff or partners.
- Only describe changes that have happened.
Google's rules on incentives.
Prohibited and restricted content: Maps user contributed content policy (Google)Free review snapshot
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A filled-in example
Thank you for your feedback, and we're sorry. Finding the bathroom not properly cleaned on arrival is not the stay we want any guest to have. Our housekeeping manager has reviewed the checks for that floor, and every room now has a signed inspection before check-in. Please contact Anjali at [email] so we can follow up personally. – Anjali, Guest Relations Manager
Common mistakes
- Posting templates with brackets still in them.
- Using the same variant word for word across properties.
- Signing as "Management" instead of a person.
- Mentioning room numbers or stay dates.
Common questions
Who should sign hotel replies?
A named guest relations, front office or general manager.
Should templates be translated?
Reply in the guest's language where your team writes it well.
How often should templates be updated?
Quarterly, from the replies that worked best.
Can we offer an upgrade in the reply?
Resolve privately, and never conditional on the review.
In short
Use one structure, adapt it for the specific part of the stay, sign as a person, keep guest details and offers out, and escalate serious complaints before replying.
Checklist before posting
- Every bracket replaced with real details.
- The specific part of the stay named.
- Only true changes mentioned.
- Signed by a named person.
- No guest details or conditional offers.
Guests from many countries
Hotel guests write in many languages. Reply in the guest's language where a team member writes it naturally, and keep translated versions of the master template for your most common guest languages, checked by a native speaker.
Doing this with Falcon
Falcon's CRM is where a team handles replies across stores. For each review it suggests an owner from your taxonomy, drafts a reply from the playbook for the review's theme and sentiment, and checks the draft before it is saved: is it long enough to sound personal, does it contain a phone number or email, does it promise compensation that needs a manager's approval, and does it fit the channel's length. Reviews can be assigned, escalated and tracked to done. The reply itself is posted in Google Business Profile.