Reviews

General Settings

To start, we are going to configure the setting via following panels: Accommodation → Settings → Extensions tab → Reviews

In this menu, choose the preferable number of characters to be visible in customer reviews before the “Read more” link (this helps make the structure of all reviews more organized).

Also, make sure to add your product license key and save changes.

Now, go to Settings → Discussion

 

In this menu, you can apply global (through the entire website) changes to the WordPress commenting system on your website. Since Hotel Booking Reviews add-on works through these native WordPress comments, the same settings will work for accommodation reviews. In plain words, reviews are comments with enhanced functionality (star rating, average rating, etc.).

 

For example, you can make the first and last name required, turn on Gravatar images, set up the comments to be approved manually by the website admin (to reduce spam), etc.

 

The rating system will be switched on only for the “Accommodation types” pages. On the rest of the website pages users can interact through the default WordPress commenting system.

Adding Rating Types

Rating types are property rating criteria you can allow travelers to evaluate your accommodation by (e.g. value for money, cleanliness, etc.). You can add unlimited criteria via Accommodation → Rating Types.

All of them will appear under all accommodation types you have on your website.

 

Important: You need to add at least one rating type for the star rating to work.

 

All guests who want to leave a review and assess your accommodation must evaluate it by each criterion (this way the average rating can be generated).

 

Note for non-English or multilingual websites: since rating types are created as a regular WordPress taxonomy, you can easily translate them with your favorite WordPress translation plugin.

Adding Rating Types

By default, Reviews functionality is automatically enabled for all “Accommodation types” listed on the website. It includes:

• “Write a review” button.
• Reviews counter along with the average “Accommodation type” rating (the average number is based on all reviews left under the “Accommodation type”).
• The list of Rating criteria (the average criterion rate is generated based on the number of all reviews left for each criterion).
• A simple feedback form for leaving a written review.

Note: guests can leave reviews for the general “Accommodation type”, not any particular room of the accommodation type.

Reviews in Widgets

You can also feature already posted reviews in any widget zone your WordPress theme supports (e.g. sidebar) to encourage prospective customers.

To find, configure and add Reviews to widgets, go to Appearance → Widgets → find “Accommodation Reviews” widget, then drag and drop it to the chosen widget zone: