STR Guest Reviews: Regain Control and Route Feedback for Maximum Value

Too often, guest feedback is trapped on OTA platforms. AIPEX helps hosts regain control, boost guest participation, drive direct bookings and backchannel negative feedback.

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The Problem: OTA Platforms Control the Review Narrative

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) dominate the vacation-rental review landscape. Guests leave their feedback on Airbnb or Vrbo, and those reviews remain confined to those platforms — out of the property manager’s control.
That means:

• You can’t reuse those reviews on your own website or listings.
• You can’t filter or privately resolve negative experiences.
• And you’re dependent on OTAs to maintain your reputation — and even your listing visibility.

In short, OTAs own the conversation with your guests. But property managers deserve better control over how feedback is gathered and showcased.

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The Solution: Make Reviews Part of the Guest Experience with AIPEX

AIPEX gives property managers back control over the review process — directly within the guest journey.

When guests check out, they can simply say:

“Alexa, we’re checking out.”

From there, AIPEX seamlessly guides them through a voice-based check-out flow that includes a review step. By making this process part of the in-property experience, participation rates skyrocket — capturing valuable feedback while guests are still emotionally connected to their stay.

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Key Benefits for Property Managers

• High participation rate: Because reviews are integrated into checkout, more guests leave feedback.
• Automated routing: AIPEX automatically directs positive and negative experiences down different paths — maximizing the value of both.
• Reduced negative visibility: Guests with issues can share private, constructive feedback instead of venting publicly.

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How It Works: The AIPEX Rating & Review Flow

AIPEX’s Rating & Review feature intelligently segments guest feedback based on their star rating.

⭐ Guests Who Leave 5 Stars

• Are prompted to rebook direct (vs another OTA reservation).
• Are encouraged to leave a public review on the host's Google Business Profile (or another preferred platform).
• Can instantly share their enthusiasm in a way that boosts visibility and credibility.

⭐ Guests Who Leave Less Than 5 Stars

• Are invited to share private voice feedback instead of posting publicly.
• The guest receives a call to share their feedback, and AIPEX emails both the audio and transcript to the property manager.
• The tone, emotion, and specifics behind the review help identify service improvements without exposing negative details online.

This thoughtful feedback funnel turns every guest interaction into actionable insight — preserving your reputation and improving your operation.

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Integrating with Google Business Profile

Google dominates the online review landscape — hosting roughly 73% of all online reviews worldwide. For vacation rental operators, it’s the most powerful place to collect authentic, independent reviews that help drive direct bookings.

AIPEX makes this process easy.

Property managers can paste their Google Business Profile review link directly into the AIPEX platform:

“To prompt guests to leave a review, enter your review link below.”

If left blank, guests won’t be prompted — but AIPEX recommends using your Google Business Profile link, which you can easily obtain in just a few steps:

1. Go to Google Business Profile Manager.
2. If you manage multiple properties, select the business you want to collect reviews for.
3. In the left-hand menu, click “Ask for reviews” (or “Get more reviews”).
4. Copy the link that appears — this is your direct review link to share with guests.

Paste that link into your AIPEX review field, and your 5-star guests will automatically be guided to leave a public Google review.

If You Don’t Have Access to Your Google Business Profile

If you don’t see your business listed or can’t access the “Ask for reviews” option, you may not have permission to manage the profile. Here’s what to do:

• Visit Google Business Profile Access Request and follow the prompts to claim or request access to the profile.
• Once approved, you’ll receive an email confirmation and can then access the dashboard to retrieve your review link.

If your Google account is part of a Google Workspace organization (for example, you sign in using a company-managed domain like @yourcompany.com), your Workspace administrator may need to enable access to Google Business Profile services.

Administrators can do this by following Google’s official guide here:
👉 Turn Google Business Profile on or off for users (Google Workspace Admin Help)

Once your admin enables this setting, refresh your access or sign out and back in. You should then be able to open business.google.com and retrieve your “Ask for reviews” link.

This setup ensures that happy guests are directed to your most visible, high-impact review platform — helping you build long-term brand equity outside of OTAs.

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Why This Matters: Turning Reviews into a Growth Engine

A strong Google review profile isn’t just about vanity metrics — it’s a strategic asset.

✅ Build Trust & Credibility

Reviews on Google appear in both Search and Maps, where most travelers start their research. Positive reviews here directly improve your local search ranking and direct booking conversions.

✅ Own Your Reputation

Unlike OTAs, your Google Business Profile — and the reviews on it — belong to you. You can respond to guests, manage your business info, and feature your best reviews across your website, email campaigns, and social media.

✅ Reduce Risk

By routing lower-rated guests to private feedback, AIPEX protects your public reputation while still capturing valuable operational insights.

✅ Increase Direct Bookings

Guests who discover your Google listing — or see reviews embedded on your website — are far more likely to book directly with you, bypassing OTA fees.

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Beyond Google: A Holistic Approach to Guest Feedback

While Google is the centerpiece, AIPEX’s flexible review-link system supports any public or private feedback platform. That includes:

• TripAdvisor (for international travelers and long-form reviews)
• Facebook Recommendations (for social sharing)
• Private guest surveys (for direct booking websites)

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Conclusion: Take Back Control from the OTAs

OTAs will likely always have a place in the vacation rental ecosystem — but they shouldn’t own your reputation. With AIPEX, property managers can regain control of the review process and maximize guest participation.

AIPEX transforms checkout from a simple goodbye into a feedback-powered growth loop — one that amplifies positive experiences and converts private critiques into actionable insights.

Regain control. Build trust. Grow direct bookings.

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