Google reviews widget for hotels

Google reviews and OTA reviews are different pools

A hotel usually has reviews in several places: Google, Tripadvisor, and the online travel agencies (OTAs) where guests booked. Each platform collects its own reviews. A guest's Booking.com review never becomes one of your Google reviews. Google may still show some booking-site reviews on its hotel pages. Those come from travel partners that send them to Google under its third-party review policies, and they stay separate from Google reviews.

VerifiedWidget shows your Google reviews only. Booking sites usually invite reviews only from guests who booked through them. Google works differently. Its review policy asks that reviews reflect a genuine experience, but it does not ask for a booking number. Label the widget "Google reviews" so visitors know where the words come from. Don't copy OTA review text onto your site, because it belongs to those platforms.

Where the widget goes on a direct-booking site

Put a short carousel on the page where the guest sees the rate and the "Book direct" button, so reassurance sits at the decision point. If you use the floating badge instead, pick a corner that doesn't cover the booking button. Use a masonry or grid layout on the main reviews page, and a list layout on room pages where reviewers describe a specific room type.

Match reviews to the room when you can: a review about a quiet courtyard room belongs on the courtyard room page. Use named collections for room types, and review them after any renovation, because a featured review about a lobby you've since rebuilt confuses guests.

Example: a post-stay flow for a 40-room hotel

1. Check-out day: the front desk thanks guests, and asks whether anything was wrong. Issues are fixed or logged then.
2. Day 1 after departure: a thank-you email goes out with a link to your Google review page, to all departed guests.
3. Day 5: the manager reads the new reviews, and replies to each one within a few days.
4. On the site, the direct-booking page shows a carousel set to newest first, limited to five reviews. Each room page uses its own named collection.

Request templates

1. Leisure guest: "Thanks for staying with us. If you'd like to leave an honest Google review of your stay, here's the link: [link]."
2. Business traveler: "We hope your trip went well. If you want to share how your stay went, here's the link to review us on Google: [link]."
3. Event guest: "Thank you for celebrating with us. If you'd like to review the stay or the event, here's the link: [link]."

Send to every guest, including those who complained. Don't offer a late checkout, a room upgrade, or a discount on the next stay for a review. Google's review policy (linked above) bans discounts and free services for reviews. The FTC's 2024 rule bars rewards that depend on a positive review.

Reply examples

• Positive: "Thanks for mentioning the breakfast. We'll share this with the kitchen team."
• Negative: "We're sorry the room wasn't ready. Please email [address] with your dates so the manager can follow up."
• Neutral: "Thanks for the balanced review. We're looking at how we handle late arrivals."

Public replies shouldn't confirm that someone was a guest, name a room number, or repeat booking details. Move that to a private email.

Set up the widget

Connect your hotel's Google Maps listing, choose a layout, and add the script to your booking engine's marketing pages. If the booking engine is hosted elsewhere, check whether it allows custom scripts. The Free plan covers one widget with up to 20 reviews, refreshed monthly. The Reviews plan adds automatic sync, unlimited widgets, and up to 20 properties on one account. Search stars won't appear for your own site's reviews (why).

Frequently asked questions

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