Guide

The Psychology of 5-Star Reviews (and How to Earn Them Without Begging)

Executive Summary

Reviews are the tie-breaker; recency and emotion drive impact.(link)

What Makes Guests Post & Rate Highly

Emotion over features: words like “welcomed,” “felt taken care of.”

Timing: Requests soon after checkout yield more and often better reviews; research on request timing shows reminder timing shifts likelihood/quality.(link)

Effortless path: One tap → Google/Tripadvisor/Agoda review.

The 3-Moment Playbook

First-Day NPS Ping

Catch issues early; fix before it becomes a public 1-star.

Checkout Thank-You + Review Path

Send within 2–24h after checkout for best results.

Next-Week Personal Note

For high NPS guests only; invite a photo or recommendation story.

KPIs to Track

  • % of guests receiving a request <24h
  • New reviews/month and average rating
  • Mentions of staff kindness / local tips (count)

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