POLICY

Google’s Review Policy Explained for Restaurants and Hotels

Every successful review removal comes down to one question: which of Google’s policies does this review break? Here are the categories that matter for hospitality businesses.

Fake engagement

Reviews that do not reflect a genuine experience, including reviews from people who never visited, reviews posted by bots, and reviews posted in exchange for payment or perks.

Conflict of interest

Reviews from competitors, current or former employees, or anyone with a personal stake in the business. These are removable even if they describe a real visit.

Off-topic content

Reviews about something other than the customer’s experience: politics, a news story, parking on a public street, or a complaint about a different business.

Harassment, hate speech and personal information

Personal attacks on named staff, discriminatory language, threats, and posting someone’s private details all break policy.

What is not a violation

Strong negative opinions, low star ratings, and complaints you believe are unfair are allowed as long as they describe a genuine experience.