How to become an Airbnb “Guest Favourite” (and stay there)

Airbnb has changed its algorithm – again – so it favours Guest Favourite properties in search results.

Earning the badge, therefore, can directly boost clicks and bookings. Unlike Superhost – which is awarded at the host account level – Guest Favourite is listing-specific, reassessed frequently, and tied to the quality and reliability of each property. In other words: the badge reflects how this home performs for guests right now.

What “Airbnb Guest Favourite” actually means

Airbnb says the badge is based on several signals of quality and reliability, typically including:

• At least five reviews.

• Excellent ratings (around 4.9+ average) with consistently high sub-scores (check-in, cleanliness, accuracy, communication, location, value).

• Low host cancellation and customer service issue rates (less than 1% on average).

• Airbnb also runs a highlight system that ranks listings into top percentiles and displays badges and labels more prominently – further improving visibility for high-performing homes.

  
  

The playbook: earn (and keep) Guest Favourite

1) Engineer five-star stays, not five-star pleas

• Set expectations with precision. Keep photos current, update the content regularly, and ensure your house rules are crystal-clear to avoid “accuracy” complaints. If it’s on a hill, small, or has quirks – say so.

• Stage check-in for success. Share step-by-step directions, access codes, parking notes, and videos.

• Catch issues in-stay. Send a short “How’s everything?” message after the first night and fix fast to prevent escalations that jeopardise the badge.

  
  

2) Protect reliability: zero unforced errors

• Eliminate host cancellations. Sync calendars via a PMS, use dynamic pricing to prevent overbooked bargains, and keep a back-up cleaner/handyman list. Airbnb weighs cancellations and quality-related support cases heavily.

• Standardise operations. Cleaning checklists with photos, linen inventories, and pre-arrival property checks reduce the little misses that trigger support tickets.

  
  

3) Win the sub-scores guests see

• Cleanliness: professional standards and supervisor spot checks.

• Accuracy: update your content regularly (furniture, amenities, works nearby).

• Communication: reply within an hour; template common answers; keep tone warm and concise.

• Value: watch your comp set and bundle value (early check-in, parking, beach gear) rather than discounting blindly. These six sub-scores are called out in Airbnb’s criteria for Guest Favourite.

  
  

4) Create a review flywheel

• Close the loop: after check-out, thank guests and include one specific detail from their stay – it nudges thoughtful five-star reviews.

• Respond briefly to any four-star review with gratitude and the fix you’ve made; future guests (and Airbnb) read signals of continual improvement. Consistently excellent reviews are a core requirement.

  
  

5) Monitor the badge metrics monthly

Build a simple dashboard:

• Average star rating (goal >4.9).

• Monitor sub-scores: cleanliness, accuracy, check-in, comms, location, value.

• Host cancellations (goal: none) and cancellation issue rate (goal <1%). This mirrors the inputs Airbnb cites for Guest Favourite and helps you act before you slip below the threshold.

  
  

Tools that make it easier

• PMS + channel manager: prevent double-bookings, keep calendars/prices in sync, and centralise comms so you don’t miss messages.

• Digital guidebook: reduces “where is…?” messages and boosts perceived value.

• Quality workflow: cleaner app with photo checklists; maintenance tickets with service level agreements.

  
  

If you’re choosing a PMS, Hostfully is popular with multi-platform hosts and integrates guidebooks – use whatever tech stack helps you hit the quality and reliability targets mentioned above.

Guest Favourite vs Superhost (quick refresher)

• Guest Favourite: listing-level, refreshed frequently, focused on recent reviews/quality/reliability; benefits include prominent on-page highlights and badges that can improve visibility and click-through.

• Superhost: host-level status, reviewed periodically; useful credibility signal but applied to the account, not necessarily to each listing.

  
  

The 10-minute monthly checklist

1. Scan last month’s reviews; log any repeat issues.

2. Fix root causes; update listing photos/rules if needed.

3. Re-verify cleaning checklist and consumables.

4. Spot-check message templates and response times.

5. Confirm zero cancellations and low support cases.

6. Benchmark price & value vs your top comps.

   
   

Bottom line: Guest Favourite is a quality and reliability badge you can deliberately earn. Nail accuracy, cleanliness, check-in and communication, keep cancellations at zero, and maintain a stream of recent five-star reviews – then let Airbnb’s highlight system do the amplifying.