How We Earned “Guest Favorite” Just Three Months After Opening

When launching a vacation rental, one of the most crucial factors for a strong start is how quickly you can accumulate positive reviews. Many platforms, including Airbnb, have systems that award eye-catching labels or badges to highly-rated properties. This helps listings stand out in search results and gives guests the confidence they need to book with peace of mind.

On Airbnb, for example, properties that maintain a consistently high review average can earn special distinctions like “Superhost” or “Guest Favorite.” Among the properties we manage at Stay Buddy Inc., we have a case where a listing opened last December and earned “Guest Favorite” status in just three months.

In this article, we’ll walk through that case study in detail—looking back at the specific measures we took and the key points behind them. We hope this will be helpful whether you’re just starting out in vacation rentals or already running a property and looking to boost your reviews early on.

Right After Opening, We Filled the Calendar with Special Pricing

A newly opened property has no reviews yet, which naturally makes it harder for guests to commit to booking. On top of that, since the property owner and cleaning staff are still relatively inexperienced, unexpected issues are more likely to surface.

From a guest’s perspective, it’s only natural to prefer a proven property over an unknown one—especially at a high price point. So we set our rates slightly below the local market average, making it easier for guests to think, “At this price, it’s worth trying out.”

This approach meant that even if unexpected issues did arise, the anxiety it caused guests was kept to a minimum, since expectations were already set lower. By lowering the price barrier, we made it easier to secure bookings from the very beginning, which in turn created a flow that helped us earn positive reviews early on.

We Continuously Refined the House Manual and Check-in Guide

The next thing we focused heavily on was the ongoing refinement of our house manual and check-in guide.

Unlike hotels, vacation rentals often don’t have front desk staff on-site, so guests need to figure out everything themselves—from how to check in to how to use the furniture and appliances. If the manual is inadequate, guests are left wondering things like “Where’s the AC remote?” or “How does the water heater work?”—and these small frustrations can easily lead to negative reviews.

To address this, we analyzed what questions our very first guests had and updated our manuals and instructions accordingly, each and every time. Even small details—like when and where to take out the trash, how to request extra towels, or information about nearby convenience stores and restaurants—make a big difference when presented clearly. This allows guests to enjoy a smooth, stress-free stay.

These kinds of thoughtful details became a key driver of positive reviews and helped maintain high satisfaction levels for every guest who followed.

We Created a Message Response Manual

Guest inquiries tend to follow similar patterns for the most part. That said, rather than relying on individual staff members’ judgment to craft the ideal response and follow-up for each inquiry, we recommend building a set of response templates that ensure consistent quality no matter who’s handling the message.

Especially right after opening, a poorly handled guest communication can lead directly to a negative review. By anticipating common scenarios—such as “What should we do if a mid-to-long-term guest requests a sheet change?”—and building a manual around them that’s shared with all staff, you can minimize guest anxiety significantly.

We Used Generative AI to Streamline Translation and More

With advances in AI technology like ChatGPT, it’s now possible to go beyond simple translation and text generation—these tools can understand context and produce wording that genuinely resonates well with guests.

For vacation rentals hosting many international travelers, the quality of English and Chinese message responses is absolutely critical. Where traditional auto-translation apps often produced awkward phrasing, tools like ChatGPT let us generate natural, polite messages instead—dramatically improving our guest communication process.

Our operations staff simply had to give a final review to the AI-suggested text before sending it, allowing us to boost both speed and quality at the same time. Achieving smooth communication that erased any sense of a language barrier played a real part in helping us build up positive reviews early on.

We Followed Through Diligently on Review Requests

We made it a firm practice to reach out after checkout with a message like, “We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a review.”

While some booking platforms automatically send review requests, in many cases guests only end up writing a review after receiving a couple of gentle reminders. Some guests are simply busy right after checkout and forget to leave a review, so sending one or two follow-up reminders can be quite effective.

That said, being overly persistent can backfire, so it’s important to be mindful of timing and wording. Simply sending an occasional, friendly note saying “We’d love it if you could leave a review” can help increase your review count early on and boost your chances of earning labels like Guest Favorite. Aim to strike that perfect balance in your communication.

Through these efforts, we were able to earn “Guest Favorite” status just about three months after opening. It started with setting the right pricing and guest-ready systems to appropriately manage expectations, then actively incorporating guest feedback, and continuously fine-tuning the house manual and message responses based on how guests actually reacted.

Sustaining this kind of ongoing effort is what led to earning strong reviews early on. Once you earn a high-rating badge, it creates a positive cycle—your listing is more likely to rank higher in search results and gives guests greater peace of mind—which in turn drives even higher occupancy and more stable revenue.

We hope this case study proves helpful for anyone thinking about opening a vacation rental, or for those who have just recently started. If you have any concerns about guest communication, cleaning management, or strategies for earning strong ratings as you move forward with your operations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Stay Buddy Inc.

Drawing on extensive operational know-how and a track record of success stories, we’re fully committed to helping you earn Guest Favorite or Superhost status in a short amount of time. Let’s work together to maximize guest satisfaction and get your vacation rental business off to a strong, successful start.