Booking.com is a leading review generation source in the majority of the world’s markets. Now, it is introducing significant updates to its review scoring system, and this change marks a watershed moment—particularly for hotels that haven’t been leveraging ReviewPro’s GRI.
Aligning With the GRI Rationale
For years, ReviewPro’s Global Review Index™ (GRI) has provided a trusted, standardized score aggregating guest feedback from multiple online sources. GRI’s core strength lies in its algorithm that emphasizes reviews’ recency by putting more weight on the current performance of the hotel, as opposed to what a simple average would do.
Booking.com’s new review scoring approach appears to follow a similar line of thinking. According to online review analytics expert Bruno Saragat, the new algorithm will give – among other parameters – more weight to recent reviews, just as ReviewPro’s GRI does. By prioritizing the opinions of the most recent guests, Booking.com aims to provide a more realistic and dynamic representation of each property’s performance.
A Potential Boost in Scores for Many Hotels
While details remain somewhat guarded, what we do know is promising: the majority of the properties listed on Booking.com are likely to experience a higher score within a relatively short period of time (months).
This effect stems from the refined algorithm that puts greater emphasis on current, relevant feedback rather than older reviews that might no longer reflect a property’s true offering. The result, according to Bruno Saragat, is likely to be a “more reliable score, with no major fluctuations around every property’s new level.”
This means that for many hotels, especially those proactively working to improve guest satisfaction, the new system could help highlight recent enhancements and positive guest experiences. Properties that have steadily invested in service improvements, staff training, and guest engagement are more likely to see those efforts recognized and rewarded in their new Booking.com ratings.
Why This Matters
For hotels already using the GRI as an index, the shift feels natural. The GRI’s methodology and Booking.com’s new approach are fundamentally aligned. The changes at Booking.com reinforce the core principles that many GRI users have leveraged for years: that recency and relevance matter, and a more balanced scoring encourages genuine improvement rather than quick fixes.
For hotels that have valued the long term average score as the main index of reputation, this will cause quite a shift. While we don’t have all the details of the time that Booking will use in their calculations, we can assume that the past few months will make a difference. Look at your recent reviews, and you can predict what impact this will have on your hotel.
Increased Transparency and Trust in the Long Run
It’s important to acknowledge that not all details of Booking.com’s new scoring system have been fully revealed. This is intentional. By keeping some aspects less transparent, Booking.com hopes to prevent “gaming” the system and ensure that authentic guest feedback, rather than contrived strategies, guides improvements. While the current lack of knowledge might feel unsettling to some, it underscores Booking.com’s dedication to creating a trustworthy and fair environment for both travelers and hoteliers.
Over time, as the industry becomes more accustomed to the new scoring model, we expect clarity to improve. But don’t forget that your reputation is made from multiple sources, not just one. Monitoring and managing it consistently across all platforms is the most important.
Conclusion: Embracing a More Meaningful Score
The evolution of Booking.com’s scoring system is, at its core, an acknowledgement that the best measure of a property’s quality is a living, breathing assessment that evolves over time and truly reflects the current performance of the properties. The GRI has embodied this philosophy for years, and now, Booking.com’s transformation echoes that rationale on one of the world’s largest travel platforms.
