Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team
Playbook for hotels and restaurants
Reputation management for hotels and restaurants
Reputation management for hotels and restaurants means replying to every review, reporting only the ones that break a platform's rules, and earning or buying coverage that ranks for your name. Google, Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Yelp and OpenTable remove fake, abusive or conflicted reviews, not genuine bad ones, and the FTC's fake review rule has applied since 21 Oct 2024.
Sources: the 5 platforms' own rules, the eCFR, the FTC, 6 review tools' price pages, and the Essentras catalog
What you will do
- See what each of the 5 review platforms removes, how to report, and how to reply.
- Find the right route for a specific review with a free 2-question tool.
- Learn what the FTC rule bans, from fake reviews to review suppression.
- Reply with 6 copy-ready templates, including a compliant review request.
- Compare software, agencies and Essentras, and see 8 real press baskets from $276 to $4,999.50.
Start here in 1 click
Start with the free check for Google reviews. The catalog lists travel and food outlets with prices; the cheapest listing tagged both is a real first step.
Free Google review policy checker
Answer up to 6 questions about the review and see the Google rule it likely breaks, the evidence to attach and what to expect. It runs in your browser. Google decides.
Cheapest real start: TripOutlook.com
$139
- Tagged
- Travel, and food and cuisine
- Turnaround
- 1 to 3 business days
- Label
- Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label.
Travel outlets with prices
Every listing tagged travel, filterable by price, country, link policy and label. Food titles sit under the food filter.
Paid placements are paid, not earned coverage. Each listing states its price, turnaround, link policy and label before you pay, and a quote reserves nothing.
Start with the job
What reputation work does for a hotel or restaurant, and what it does not
Guests read reviews and search your name before they book. Reputation management is what you do about what they find: replies, reports, the experience behind the reviews, and the pages that rank next to them.
What it does
Shows how you handle problems
A calm reply tells future guests more than the review does. Tripadvisor counted 11.3 million owner responses in its 2025 report.
Removes what breaks the rules
Fake, conflicted, abusive or off-topic reviews can come down through each platform's own report route, with evidence.
Wins back the search for your name
Articles, a Business Knowledge Panel and complete profiles rank next to the review sites when someone searches your name.
Stops extortion early
Google, Tripadvisor and Booking.com each have a route for review blackmail. Documented threats can be acted on.
What it does not do
Remove genuine bad reviews
No platform removes a real guest's negative opinion because you dislike it. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.
Allow review incentives
Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp and Booking.com ban incentives for reviews outright, even disclosed ones and even when the FTC would allow them.
Allow review gating
Asking only happy guests is banned on Google and Tripadvisor, and the FTC says it could violate the FTC Act. Yelp bans asking for reviews at all.
Change a rating with press
A paid article ranks for your name; it does not touch your stars. Fix what the reviews keep saying.
5 platforms
The 5 review platforms: who can review, what comes down, how to report and reply
Each platform's own rules, read on its own pages on 19 Oct 2026. None removes a review for being negative.
| Platform | Who can review | What it removes | How to report | How to reply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anyone with a genuine experience. Content with no real experience, or paid in cash or in kind, is fake engagement and is removed. | Reviews that break a named policy: fake engagement, rating manipulation (conflicts of interest sit here), harassment, hate speech, personal information, off-topic, advertising and more. Not a negative opinion. | Business Profile, Reviews, Report, or the Reviews Management Tool. Several days; statuses: decision pending, no violation, or escalated. 1 appeal covers up to 10 reviews. Extortion has its own form. | Verified businesses only. Each reply is checked against policy, usually within 10 minutes, sometimes up to 30 days. No deals or promotions in replies. | |
| Tripadvisor | First-hand experience within 1 year, from your own account; 25 characters minimum; 1 review per visit, a repeat after 3 months (hotels) or 1 month (restaurants). Not staff, relatives or friends of staff or owners, suppliers, or same-category businesses in the same town or within 10 miles. | Reviews that break its guidelines. Disagreeing with a review is not enough. | Management Center, Reviews, the review, Report Review, a reason, Submit. The outcome and appeal options come within 3 to 5 working days. Blackmail: Help chat, with unedited correspondence. | 1 response per review, published within up to 2 days; it cannot be edited, only deleted and resubmitted. No offers, promotions, fraud accusations or guesses at the reviewer's identity. |
| Booking.com | Only people who booked through Booking.com, including no-shows. The invitation goes out about 48 hours after check-out; guests have 3 months to submit. No anonymous reviews. | Political, promotional, illegal, hateful or threatening content, personal data, spam, fakes and impersonation. A property can request removal only in set cases: the guest cancelled and did not arrive, the property cancelled 24 hours or more ahead, a no-show describing no experience, an invalid card, the wrong property, or blackmail with written proof. | Extranet Inbox, Booking.com messages, Guest Reviews. Reviews from confirmed stays stay up: every guest who stayed must be able to review. | In the extranet or the Pulse app, only on reviews with text, in the review's language or English. Moderation takes up to 72 hours; replies can be edited in the extranet. |
| Yelp | Anyone writing about their own experience; not of their own, family or competitor businesses; no AI-drafted reviews. | Reviews that break its content guidelines. Yelp does not take sides in factual disputes, and defamation claims need a court order. Its recommendation software also hides reviews from the rating. | Yelp for Business, Reviews, the 3 dots, Report Review. It may take several days; the result comes by email. | A public comment or a direct message, with no incentives. "Businesses should never ask for reviews": not from anyone, not with freebies or discounts. |
| OpenTable | Only diners who booked and honored a reservation, from the account that booked; 1 review per reservation. | Offensive or illegal content. Negative reviews are published. Reviews are moderated within up to 72 business hours. | Email [email protected] with the review text, dining date, reason and restaurant details. | Public or private (star-only ratings get private replies only). Replies cannot be edited or removed. Never ask a guest directly to change a review. |
- Score windows differ. Booking.com scores the last 36 months weighted toward recent reviews (since January 2025); OpenTable uses a rolling 120 days in North America (all-time under 10 reviews) and 365 days elsewhere; Tripadvisor's popularity ranking weighs quality, quantity and recency.
- Yelp's not-recommended reviews stay linked on the page but do not count toward the stars, and Yelp staff cannot override the software.
- Penalties are public: Google can block new reviews and show a warning, Tripadvisor can add a red penalty notice, and Yelp posts Consumer Alerts.
How to remove a Google review (free policy checker) How to remove a Yelp review
Free tool
Which route fits this review? Who decides, and when Essentras can help
Pick the platform and the problem to see the route, its cost, the stated timing and what it will not do. Essentras works on Google reviews only.
Answer the 2 questions to see your route.
Every answer, in a table
| If | Route | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| A real guest's negative review, on any platform | Reply, fix the cause, and let it stand | $0 | Reply now; it stays |
| Google, and someone demands something over a review | Use Google's extortion report form; do not pay | $0 | Google reviews the report |
| Google, and the review may break a rule | Report it under the rule it breaks; Essentras can take it on | $0 to report; Essentras from $499, refunded if Google keeps it | Google says several days; 1 appeal for up to 10 reviews |
| Tripadvisor, and someone threatens a review for a refund or a favor | Report blackmail through Management Center Help chat | $0 | Tripadvisor investigates written threats |
| Tripadvisor, and the review breaks its guidelines | Report Review in Management Center | $0 | 3 to 5 working days for the outcome and appeal options |
| Booking.com, a review from someone who did not stay, or blackmail | Request removal in the extranet Guest Reviews inbox | $0 | Booking.com reviews the request |
| Booking.com, a review from a confirmed stay with abusive or conflicted content | Reply; Booking.com applies its own content rules | $0 | Your reply is moderated within up to 72 hours |
| Yelp | Report Review in Yelp for Business | $0 | Several days; the result comes by email |
| OpenTable | Email OpenTable's review team | $0 | Reviews are moderated within up to 72 business hours |
Essentras Google review removal: prices and terms
For Google reviews that break a named Google rule, Essentras files through Google's own report and appeal routes. Google decides every removal. The refund is ours to make.
| What | Price | Terms that matter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 review | $499 | If Google does not remove the review, the full fee comes back. |
| 3 reviews | $1,350 ($450 each) | Pro-rata: that review’s share comes back for every review Google does not remove. |
| 5 reviews | $2,000 ($400 each) | Pro-rata: that review’s share comes back for every review Google does not remove. |
| 10 reviews | $3,500 ($350 each) | Pro-rata: that review’s share comes back for every review Google does not remove. |
Pro-rata refund, per review: if Google does not remove a review you paid for, that review’s share of the fee comes back. Reviews that do not qualify in the free check come off the order and are refunded before anything is filed. Essentras does not remove Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Yelp or OpenTable reviews: use their own routes above.
Google review removal: prices and refund terms Remove negative Google reviews
The law
What the FTC rule bans: fake reviews, paid sentiment, insider reviews and suppression
The FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) has applied since 21 Oct 2024. These are its sections, in the eCFR's numbering, and what each means for a hotel or restaurant.
| Section | What it bans | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 465.2 | Writing, creating or selling fake reviews, and buying or spreading reviews the business knew or should have known misrepresent the reviewer or the experience. | No reviews from people who never stayed or ate, and no review vendors. Generalized requests to every customer are exempt. |
| 465.4 | Compensation or incentives in exchange for, or conditioned on, reviews expressing a particular sentiment, positive or negative. | No discount for a 5-star review. The rule counts discounts, coupons, contest entries and other reviews as things of value. |
| 465.5 | Officer or manager reviews without a clear disclosure, and managers soliciting undisclosed reviews from staff or relatives. | Staff and family do not review the business, or disclose clearly if they do. |
| 465.6 | Presenting a website you control as an independent review source. | Your "best hotels in town" site cannot pose as independent. |
| 465.7(a) | Unfounded legal threats, physical threats, intimidation or knowingly false public accusations to prevent or remove a review. | No threatening letters to reviewers, and no public "this reviewer is lying" replies you cannot prove. |
| 465.7(b) | Claiming the reviews on your own site are most or all of them while suppressing negative ones by rating or sentiment. | If your site shows reviews, show the bad with the good, or do not claim completeness. |
| 465.8 | Buying or selling fake indicators of social media influence, such as followers, views or likes, for a commercial purpose. | No bought followers for the restaurant's Instagram. |
- Penalties: up to $53,088 per violation for penalties assessed after 17 Jan 2025 (16 CFR 1.98, line (d)).
- Review gating: the FTC's Q&A says the rule has no specific ban on it, "But this practice could violate the FTC Act." Google and Tripadvisor ban it outright.
- Enforcement so far: the FTC warned 10 unnamed companies on 22 Dec 2025, and on 11 May 2026 the FTC and Illinois sued Premium Home Service, which "posted fabricated five-star reviews" to "dilute legitimate one-star reviews".
- The Consumer Review Fairness Act bars form-contract terms that penalize people for honest reviews: no anti-review clause in booking terms.
Replies
How to reply to hotel and restaurant reviews: rules and 6 templates
Replies are read by the next guest more than by the reviewer. The rules below come from the platforms' own pages; the templates follow them.
- Reply to every review, good and bad, from the verified business account.
- Never accuse a reviewer of fraud in public: Tripadvisor bans it in responses, and a knowingly false public accusation can be review suppression under 16 CFR 465.7.
- No offers, discounts or promotions in replies: Google and Tripadvisor ban them, and an offer tied to a changed review is an incentive.
- Never guess who the reviewer is or quote booking details; move the conversation to a private channel.
- Write it once, carefully: OpenTable replies cannot be edited or removed, and Tripadvisor responses can only be deleted and resubmitted.
A fair complaint (hotel)
Noise, cleanliness, a room problem, a slow check-in.
Thank you for staying with us and for telling us about [the issue]. You are right that [what went wrong] is not the standard we hold ourselves to. We have [specific fix: replaced, retrained, changed]. I would like to hear more about your stay: please write to me at [email]. [Name], [role]
A fair complaint (restaurant)
A long wait, a cold dish, a booking mix-up.
Thank you for dining with us and for the honest feedback on [the issue]. That is not the evening we want for anyone, and we have [specific fix] since. If you would like to talk it through, I am at [email or phone]. [Name], [role]
A review you believe is not from a guest
After you have reported it. Neutral, no accusation.
We take every review seriously and could not find a [stay / reservation] that matches this description. If you visited us, please contact me at [email] so I can look into it personally. [Name], [role]
A positive review
Short and specific; never an offer.
Thank you for the kind words about [specific detail they praised]. We will pass them on to [team or person]. [Name]
Report text for a review that breaks a rule
For the platform's report form; 1 rule per report.
Review: posted by [display name] on [date], [rating]. Link: [review link] Rule: [the platform's own rule name] Why it applies: [1 or 2 factual sentences] Evidence: [booking or till records searched for the dates, with the result; employment dates only; screenshots] Request: please review this report against [rule name].
Review request for every guest (not for Yelp)
The same message to every guest, with no filter and no reward.
Thank you for [staying / dining] with us. If you have a moment, we would value an honest review, good or bad, on [Google / Tripadvisor]: [link]. It helps other travelers and helps us improve. [Name]
Send the request to every guest the same way: Google bans selective solicitation and Tripadvisor bans gating. Do not use it for Yelp, which bans asking for reviews at all. Booking.com and OpenTable invite their guests themselves.
The routes
Doing it yourself, review software, an agency or Essentras: what each costs
Most properties need a reply routine, a reporting habit and a way to see every review in a single place. Software buys the last; an agency buys the time; Essentras sells Google review removal and paid placements, each priced up front.
| Route | What it costs, as published | Time | Who decides | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | $0 plus staff time | Daily replies; reports as needed | Each platform | Replies, reports and fixes, with no extra tool |
| Review software | From $34.99 a month per property (GuestRevu CORE) to $599 a month (Podium Pro); details below | Monthly or yearly plans | Each platform | Reviews in a single inbox, alerts, request campaigns |
| A reputation or PR agency | Reputation X lists sample general reputation programs from $3,000 a month ($5,000 with review management); published PR retainers run from $1,500 to $75,000 a month | Months | Each platform; editors for press | Strategy, staff time, outreach; no promised removal or coverage |
| Essentras Google review removal | $499 for 1 review, $1,350 for 3, $2,000 for 5, $3,500 for 10 | Google's own report and appeal timeline | Reports and appeals for rule-breaking Google reviews; a refund for any Google keeps | |
| Paid placements (Essentras) | From $130 (food) and $137 (travel); US local dailies $2,167 | The listing's stated window | You pick the outlet; it publishes with its label | Pages that rank for your name, paid and labeled as each listing states |
Review software prices, as published
| What | Price, as published | Terms that matter |
|---|---|---|
| GuestRevu | Free plan; CORE $34.99 a month per property; PRO+ $93 to $348 a month by size | Hotel-focused; PRO+ adds 20+ sources and AI responses |
| ReviewTrackers | From $89 per location a month for 1 to 4 locations | Paid annually; the per-location price falls with more locations |
| Podium | Core $399 a month; Pro $599 a month | Whether prices are per location is not stated |
| MARA (AI review replies) | EUR 70, 130 or 210 per property a month | Billed annually; a set number of AI replies a month |
- Birdeye, TrustYou, ReviewPro and Revinate showed no public price on 19 Oct 2026.
- Check every feature against the platform rules: a staff review contest or quota breaks Google's and Tripadvisor's rules, and Yelp bans review requests and AI-drafted reviews.
The catalog
What press costs for hotels and restaurants, and 8 real baskets
Press does not change your stars, but it changes what ranks when someone searches your name and gives guests something to read beyond the reviews. On 19 Oct 2026 the public API returned 223 outlets tagged travel and 153 tagged food.
| Outlets tagged | Outlets | In the US | Median price | Middle half | From | Live within 1 week | Labeled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | 223 | 25 | $2,107 | $650 to $4,030 | $110 | 51% | 57% |
| Food | 153 | 21 | $2,929 | $702 to $17,437 | $110 | 41% | 63% |
| Travel and hospitality topic | 47 | 15 | $1,517 | $445 to $3,126 | $130 | 49% | 36% |
| US outlets tied to a state | 631 | 631 | $2,167 | $2,000 to $2,250 | $173 | 51% | 22% |
Travel, food and local outlets, as listed
| Outlet | Price | Turnaround | Label, as the listing states it | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TripOutlook.comTravel, food and cuisine | $139 | 1 to 3 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow |
| Luxury Travel MagazineLuxury travel | $417 | 1 to 3 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow |
| Patch.comLocal news network | $433 | 3 to 5 business days | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow |
| eTurboNewsTravel industry news | $993 | 3 to 7 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow |
| Smartertravel.comTravel | $3,247 | 3 to 7 business days | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow |
| Hotel BusinessHotel industry trade title | $5,833 | 1 week | Published with a discreet disclosure. | Dofollow |
| Condé Nast TravelerNational travel magazine | $11,667 | 2 to 3 weeks | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow |
| Cooking InstilettosFood | $130 | 3 to 5 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow |
| Momma CuisineFood | $153 | 3 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow |
| New York Street FoodFood | $500 | 3 to 5 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow |
| STL TodayExample of a US local daily: 283 US outlets list at the same price | $2,167 | 1 week | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow |
| EaterNational food title | $119,395 | 4 weeks or more | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow |
What $300 to $5,000 buys, for a hotel and for a restaurant
Each basket was priced with the public quote endpoint on 19 Oct 2026; the totals are the endpoint's own figures, with the volume discount it applied.
| Budget | For a hotel | For a restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| About $300 | Hoteluzcan.com ($137), TripOutlook.com ($139)Quoted total: $276Subtotal $276; Volume discount: None | Cooking Instilettos ($130), Momma Cuisine ($153)Quoted total: $283Subtotal $283; Volume discount: None |
| About $1,000 | TripOutlook.com ($139), Luxury Travel Magazine ($417), Patch.com ($433)Quoted total: $890.10Subtotal $989; Volume discount: 10% ($98.90) | Momma Cuisine ($153), New York Street Food ($500), Patch.com ($433)Quoted total: $977.40Subtotal $1,086; Volume discount: 10% ($108.60) |
| About $2,500 | eTurboNews ($993), TripOutlook.com ($139), Travelerstoday.com ($1,517)Quoted total: $2,384.10Subtotal $2,649; Volume discount: 10% ($264.90) | Momma Cuisine ($153), Patch.com ($433), STL Today ($2,167)Quoted total: $2,477.70Subtotal $2,753; Volume discount: 10% ($275.30) |
| About $5,000 | TripOutlook.com ($139), Luxury Travel Magazine ($417), Patch.com ($433), Travelers Press ($652), eTurboNews ($993), Smartertravel.com ($3,247)Quoted total: $4,998.85Subtotal $5,881; Volume discount: 15% ($882.15) | Momma Cuisine ($153), Patch.com ($433), Wonderful DIY ($2,802), STL Today ($2,167)Quoted total: $4,999.50Subtotal $5,555; Volume discount: 10% ($555.50) |
- The restaurant baskets lean local: 283 US outlets list at the same $2,167, almost all local newspapers, and STL Today is only the example. Pick the paper your guests read.
- eTurboNews and Hotel Business ($5,833) reach the hotel trade, not travelers; Condé Nast Traveler ($11,667) and Eater ($119,395) show how high national titles go.
- A quote reserves nothing. Listings state: "Refunded if not published, or if the turnaround is missed." Every outlet here is a paid placement with the label its listing states.
The plan
A 30, 60, 90 day reputation plan for a hotel or restaurant
For a single property. A group runs the same plan per location.
Days 1 to 30: the foundation
Profiles, policy, cleanup
- Claim and complete your profiles: Google Business Profile, Tripadvisor Management Center, the Booking.com extranet, Yelp for Business, OpenTable for Restaurants.
- Name 1 owner for replies and write a short reply policy from the rules above.
- Read your recent reviews and list the complaints that repeat.
- Report only the reviews that break a rule, with evidence; run Google ones through the free checker.
Days 31 to 60: the routine
Reply, ask, fix
- Reply to every new review from the verified account.
- Ask every guest the same way, with no reward and no filter, on Google and Tripadvisor only.
- Fix the top repeated complaint and say so in replies.
- Pitch a local food or travel writer with something new: a chef, a menu, a renovation.
Days 61 to 90: the search result
What ranks for your name
- Search your name and note what ranks next to the review sites.
- Add labeled placements where a page by a date helps: an opening, a season, an award.
- Consider a Business Knowledge Panel once coverage exists.
- Check what AI assistants say when asked about your property.
Avoid these
Hotel and restaurant reputation mistakes that backfire
A discount for a review
Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp and Booking.com ban it; the FTC bans it when tied to a positive review.
Asking only happy guests
Review gating is banned on Google and Tripadvisor, and the FTC says it could violate the FTC Act.
Staff review contests
Google bans staff review quotas and Tripadvisor bans employee incentives. Staff and family should not review at all.
Calling a reviewer a liar in public
Tripadvisor bans fraud accusations in responses, and a knowingly false public accusation is review suppression under 16 CFR 465.7.
Threatening to sue
An unfounded legal threat to remove a review breaks 16 CFR 465.7, and Yelp posts Consumer Alerts for questionable legal threats.
Paying someone to "remove any review"
Only rule-breaking reviews come down, and only the platform decides. Essentras works on Google reviews only, with a refund when Google says no.
Ignoring what reviews repeat
The same complaint in review after review is an operations problem. No reply or report fixes it.
Add-ons and lighter starts
Optional. Nothing here is required, and none of it changes what a platform, an editor or Google decides.
Often added
Google review removal, 3 or 5 reviews
$1,350 or $2,000
For Google reviews that break a named rule. Pro-rata: that review’s share comes back for every review Google does not remove. Google decides.
See review removalBusiness Knowledge Panel
$1,200
Owns the result guests see when they search your name. Pay today. If we take you on and your panel does not go live, you get every dollar back. Google decides whether a panel appears.
See the panel serviceAI Visibility Tracker
$49 a month
Asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and 4 other assistants your questions about the property every week and keeps every answer. A free plan tracks 3 questions.
Track what AI says
Not ready yet?
Google review removal, 1 review
$499
If Google does not remove the review, the full fee comes back.
Start with 1 reviewThe free Google review checker
Free
See which Google rule a review may break and what evidence to attach, before you pay anyone.
Check a reviewTripOutlook.com, travel and food
$139
1 to 3 business days. Listing label: "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label."
See the listing
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can a hotel or restaurant get a negative review removed?▾
Only if it breaks the platform's rules: fake, conflicted, abusive, off-topic or containing personal details. Google, Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Yelp and OpenTable do not remove a genuine negative opinion. Report with evidence, and reply either way.
How do I report a fake review on Tripadvisor?▾
In Management Center: Reviews, open the review, Report Review, choose the reason and submit. Tripadvisor says the outcome and appeal options come within 3 to 5 working days. For blackmail, use the Help chat with unedited correspondence.
Can Booking.com remove a guest review?▾
Only in set cases: the guest cancelled and did not arrive, you cancelled 24 hours or more ahead, a no-show describing no experience, an invalid card, the wrong property, or blackmail with written proof. Reviews from confirmed stays stay up.
Is it legal to offer a discount for a review?▾
The FTC allows disclosed incentives that do not depend on a positive review, but Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp and Booking.com ban review incentives entirely. On those platforms, the answer is no.
What does the FTC fake review rule mean for my hotel or restaurant?▾
No fake or bought reviews, no rewards tied to a sentiment, no undisclosed staff or manager reviews, no threats or false accusations to remove reviews, and no hiding negative reviews on your own site. Penalties reach $53,088 per violation.
What should I do if a guest threatens a bad review unless I pay?▾
Do not pay. Keep the messages and use the platform's route: Google's extortion form, Tripadvisor's Help chat with unedited correspondence, a Booking.com removal request with written proof, or Yelp's report.
How much does hotel reputation management cost?▾
It can cost staff time only. Published review software runs from $34.99 a month per property to $599 a month; Reputation X lists programs from $3,000 a month. Essentras charges $499 per Google review, less in bundles.
Does Essentras remove Tripadvisor or Yelp reviews?▾
No. Essentras works on Google reviews only, through Google's own report and appeal routes, and Google decides. Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Yelp and OpenTable decide their own reports: their steps are on this page.
Does press coverage help a hotel or restaurant's reputation?▾
It changes what ranks for your name, not your stars. Paid placements start at $130 for food and $137 for travel in the Essentras catalog, each labeled as its listing states; earned coverage comes from pitching writers with news.
Next steps
- 01
Claim all 5 profiles
Google, Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Yelp and OpenTable, each verified.
- 02
Reply to every review
Use the templates; no offers, no accusations.
- 03
Report only what breaks a rule
With evidence, through each platform's own route.
- 04
Ask every guest the same way
Google and Tripadvisor only; never Yelp; never a reward.
- 05
Own the search for your name
Coverage, a Business Knowledge Panel and complete profiles.
Got a Google review that breaks a rule?
Check it free, then report it yourself or let Essentras file it: from $499, refunded per review if Google keeps it.
Check a Google review See review removal pricesChecked on . Every platform rule, legal provision and price on this page comes from a page named in the sources below, read on the date shown there, or from the Essentras public catalog and service terms.
Sources
- Google: Maps user contributed content policy (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: manage and report reviews (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: read and reply to reviews (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: report review extortion (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Tripadvisor: review guidelines and fraud rules (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Tripadvisor: management response guidelines (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Tripadvisor owner help: report a review (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Tripadvisor owner help: blackmail and threats (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Tripadvisor: 2025 Transparency Report press release, 18 Mar 2025 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Booking.com Partner Hub: guest review process and conditions, updated 17 Aug 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Booking.com Partner Hub: how to request removal of a guest review, updated 3 Aug 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Booking.com Partner Hub: guest review scores, updated 17 Aug 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Booking.com: review guidelines (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Yelp: content guidelines (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Yelp support: how to report a review (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Yelp: recommendation software (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Yelp: 2025 Trust and Safety Report, 25 Feb 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- OpenTable help: ratings and reviews, 16 Sep 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- OpenTable for restaurants: respond to reviews, 9 Oct 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- eCFR: 16 CFR Part 465, current 15 Oct 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- eCFR: 16 CFR 1.98, civil penalty amounts (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Federal Register: the final rule, 22 Aug 2024, effective 21 Oct 2024 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, questions and answers, Nov 2024 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- FTC: warning letters to 10 companies, 22 Dec 2025 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- FTC: FTC and Illinois action against Premium Home Service, 11 May 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026)
- FTC: Consumer Review Fairness Act, what businesses need to know (read 19 Oct 2026)
- GuestRevu: packages and pricing (read 19 Oct 2026)
- ReviewTrackers: plans (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Podium: pricing (read 19 Oct 2026)
- MARA: pricing (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Reputation X: pricing (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Essentras public catalog API, topic travel (read 19 Oct 2026)
- Essentras agent API reference, including the quote endpoint (read 19 Oct 2026)
Essentras sells Google review removal, Google Knowledge Panel work, AI visibility tracking and paid media placements, and this page links to them. Essentras does not remove reviews on Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Yelp or OpenTable. Google decides every Google removal. This is general information, not legal advice.
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