--- title: "Google review alerts and replies for hotels ยท Vivified Tech" description: "Get an alert for every Google review, collect them under a Gmail label and reply with an approved opener and a personal line. Free, about 20 minutes." url: "https://vivifiedtech.com/guides/google-review-replies-for-hotels/" --- The four steps in 30 seconds [Download the video (MP4)](https://vivifiedtech.com/assets/video/google-review-replies-for-hotels/who-replies.mp4) The steps from this guide, 30 seconds, no sound. The example reply is illustrative. ### Transcript of the video 1. 0:00 GOOGLE REVIEWS Who replies to your Google reviews? Google Business Profile and Gmail. No new software. 2. 0:02 1 An alert for every review More > Notifications In your Business Profile, turn on "Customer activity". 3. 0:05 2 Collect the alerts in Gmail More > "Filter messages like these" Tick one alert email. Label it "Reviews". Never send to Spam. 4. 0:09 3 One approved opener, one personal line Read reviews > Reply EXAMPLE Approved opener Thank you for staying with us, \[Name\]. Your line We're glad the quiet room helped you rest. 5. 0:14 4 Send the link to every guest Read reviews > Get more reviews > Copy Not only happy guests. No discounts or freebies. Google prohibits both. 6. 0:19 What this does not do It covers Google reviews only. Booking.com and other OTAs have their own extranet. A person still writes every reply. 7. 0:23 We're building this idea for guest messages. Approved wording. Staff take the personal ones. Typing the same replies every day across channels? Vivified Tech builds the software that takes over repetitive hotel admin. Free assessment. vivifiedtech.com/case-studies Link in the post. ## Step 1: Get an alert for every review 1. Go to your Business Profile while signed in to the Google Account that manages it. Select **More**, then **Notifications**. 2. Find **Customer activity** and turn it on. Google describes it as alerts when customers leave new reviews or add photos. [Google's notifications page](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7198436?hl=en) has the steps. 3. In the Google Maps app, tap **Business** at the bottom right, then **Notifications** at the top right to see the same alerts. 4. Step 2 needs the alerts by email. Google says Business Profile notifications may come through email, Search or Maps, and does not say how to choose. After the next review, check that an alert email reached your inbox. ## Step 2: Collect the alerts under one Gmail label 1. In Gmail on a computer, tick the checkbox next to one review alert email. Click **More**, then **Filter messages like these**. 2. Check the criteria Gmail filled in, then click **Create filter**. The steps are in Google's [filter guide](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6579?hl=en). 3. Choose what the filter does: apply a new label called Reviews, and never send these emails to Spam. Click **Create filter**. 4. Agree who owns the label. One person opens Reviews at the start and end of each shift and replies or hands the review on. ## Step 3: Reply with one approved opener and one personal line 1. In your Business Profile, select **Read reviews**. Next to the review, select **Reply**, write the reply and select **Reply** again. [Google's reviews page](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en) has the steps. 2. Write the reply as one opener from your approved list, then one line that only fits this guest. Sign with a first name or initials. Google's [reply tips](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474122?hl=en) suggest a personal sign-off. 3. For a negative review, keep the same shape and follow the tips below. Examples only. Write openers and lines that are true for your hotel and for that review: ``` Thank you for staying with us, [Name]. Thank you for taking the time to review us, [Name]. Thank you for telling us, [Name]. We are sorry this fell short. ``` ``` We're glad the quiet room helped you rest. Our team will be pleased to hear the airport pick-up went smoothly. We have passed your note about breakfast to the kitchen team. ``` A negative review, as an illustration: ``` Thank you for telling us, [Name]. We are sorry the room was not ready when you arrived. Please write to [address] so we can look into what happened. [Your first name] ``` Google's tips for a negative review: be polite and short, address the reviewer by name, acknowledge what they actually said and apologise when it is right to. Do not take responsibility for things outside your control. Never share the reviewer's private information. For anything complex, ask them to contact you by phone or email. Reply promptly. The same tips say not to send the same "thank you" to everyone, which is why the personal line is required. They also say not to use a reply to offer deals or promotions. When you post, Google checks the reply against its content policies. If it is not approved, you are asked to edit it. Replies usually take up to 10 minutes to review, but sometimes up to 30 days. An approved reply appears under the review as if the business wrote it, and your personal name is not shown. The reviewer is notified and can change their review afterwards. ## Step 4: Send the review link to every guest 1. On a computer, open your Business Profile, select **Read reviews**, then **Get more reviews**, then **Copy**. [Google's review link page](https://support.google.com/business/answer/16816815?hl=en) has the steps. The QR code can only be made in a computer browser, not on a phone. 2. Put the link where every guest sees it, such as the thank-you email after checkout, the end of a chat or a printed QR code at the front desk. You can keep it as a [Gmail template](https://vivifiedtech.com/guides/gmail-enquiry-inbox-for-hotels/) or a [WhatsApp quick reply](https://vivifiedtech.com/guides/whatsapp-business-auto-replies-for-hotels/). 3. Send it to every guest, not only the ones who seemed happy. Google's content policy does not allow businesses to selectively solicit positive reviews. It does not allow discounts, free goods or services in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing a negative one. [The policy](https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114?hl=en) also says not to require or pressure guests to review while they are on the premises. ## Details and limits Checked on 2026-10-21 against Google's pages. Menus change, so look for the same words if yours differ. Google's Gmail help says to choose what the filter does but does not name the options, so step 2 describes the actions instead of quoting the dialog. ### What it does Every review alert lands under one label, so nobody misses a review. Each reply starts from an approved opener and adds a personal line, so it is quick to write and does not read as copied. Every guest gets the same request. ### What it can't do - It covers Google reviews only. Google's page on third-party reviews says those come from websites that are not Google, and to contact the other website directly about a review from it. Replying to a review on a booking site is done on that site. - It does not write or post replies. A person reads the review and writes the personal line every time. - It does not make guests leave reviews, and it must not try to. The link is a request, not an incentive. ### Limits - You can reply only after you [verify your business](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242?hl=en). - Reviews are available only in certain countries or regions and for certain business categories, so check yours in the Business Profile. - The Customer activity alert also covers photos, so some emails under the label are not reviews. - Alerts can come by email, Search or Maps, and an email filter only sees the email ones. - If a review breaks Google's content policies, you can [report it](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773?hl=en) instead of replying. ### When this stops being enough When the same replies are typed every day across Google, booking sites and chat apps, a label and a list of openers only go so far. We are building software for guest messages with approved wording, where staff take the personal ones. See the [guest messaging assistant case study](https://vivifiedtech.com/case-studies/guest-messaging-assistant/). If your case is not a fit, we will say so. Read [how the no-build-fee model works](https://vivifiedtech.com/how-it-works/). ## Sources 1. [Manage your notifications (Google Business Profile Help)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7198436?hl=en) 2. [Create rules to filter your emails (Gmail Help)](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6579?hl=en) 3. [Manage customer reviews (Google Business Profile Help)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en) 4. [Tips to get more reviews, including tips to write better review replies (Google Business Profile Help)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474122?hl=en) 5. [Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews (Google Business Profile Help)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/16816815?hl=en) 6. [Prohibited and restricted content, Maps user generated content policy (Google)](https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114?hl=en) 7. [About third-party reviews (Google Business Profile Help)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/10286840?hl=en) 8. [Verify your business on Google (Google Business Profile Help)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242?hl=en) 9. [Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile (Google Business Profile Help)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773?hl=en) ## Related guides - [Auto-acknowledge hotel enquiries in Gmail](https://vivifiedtech.com/guides/gmail-enquiry-inbox-for-hotels/) - [Auto-replies for hotel WhatsApp, set up free](https://vivifiedtech.com/guides/whatsapp-business-auto-replies-for-hotels/) ## Have a task like this? Tell us the repetitive task and we'll say honestly whether we can automate it. [Get a free assessment](https://vivifiedtech.com/contact/)