How to Respond to a Google Review With No Comment (Examples for 1–5 Stars)

It happens all the time: a guest leaves a Google review with no comment—just a star rating.

You’re left thinking: What am I supposed to respond to?

The good news is that you can respond in a way that still looks professional, builds trust with future guests, and (sometimes) encourages the guest to share more detail—without sounding robotic.

Why people leave a Google review with no comment

Common reasons:

• they reviewed from mobile and didn’t want to type
• they were in a hurry and just tapped a rating
• they didn’t feel strongly enough to explain
• they expected the star rating to be “enough”

So the goal of your reply isn’t to guess the story—it’s to respond professionally and invite useful detail.

Should you respond to star-only Google reviews?

For hotels, it’s usually worth it because your reply is for future guests as much as the original reviewer.

Even a short response shows:

• you’re active and attentive
• you treat feedback seriously
• you have a consistent guest experience culture

The 4 rules for replying to Google reviews with no text

1. Thank them (always).
2. Don’t assume details (“glad you loved the spa” is risky if they never said that).
3. Invite specifics (one question, not an interrogation).
4. Keep it short (2–4 sentences is usually enough).

[!TIP] If you manage multiple properties, create one approved template per star rating, then add one small personalization detail (property name, general welcome line, etc.).

Templates: how to respond to a Google review with no comment

Use these templates as a base, then edit the tone to match your hotel (boutique, resort, business, luxury).

5-star Google review with no comment

Option A (short)

Thank you for the 5-star rating! We’re delighted you enjoyed your stay, and we hope to welcome you back again soon.

Option B (invites detail)

Thank you for the 5-star review! If there was one highlight of your stay you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it. We hope to see you again soon.

Option C (premium tone)

Thank you for your kind rating. We’re glad you had a great stay with us, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future.

4-star Google review with no comment

Option A

Thank you for staying with us and for the 4-star rating. If there’s one thing that would have made your visit even better, we’d really appreciate the feedback. We hope to welcome you back soon.

Option B (more proactive)

Thanks for your 4-star review. We’re always working to improve—if you’re open to sharing what we could do better next time, we’d love to learn. We hope to see you again.

3-star Google review with no comment

Option A

Thank you for the rating and for taking the time to leave feedback. We’d like to understand what we could improve—if you can share one detail about your experience, it would help our team a lot. We hope we can welcome you back for a better stay next time.

Option B (empathetic)

Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry your stay wasn’t a 5-star experience, and we’d love to learn what we could improve. If you’re willing, please share a quick note so we can follow up internally.

2-star Google review with no comment

Option A

We’re sorry to see this rating and appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. We’d like to understand what went wrong—if you’re willing, please contact our team so we can learn more and address it. Thank you.

Option B (invites details without pressure)

Thank you for the feedback. We’re sorry your experience didn’t meet expectations. If you can share what happened, we’ll review it with the team and work to improve.

1-star Google review with no comment

Option A (calm + accountable)

We’re sorry to see this and appreciate the feedback. We’d like to understand what happened so we can address it—if you’re willing, please contact our team with the date of your stay. Thank you.

Option B (stronger service recovery)

We’re sorry your experience was disappointing. This isn’t the standard we aim for, and we’d like to learn more and make it right if possible. Please reach out to our team so we can follow up.

How to add personalization when there’s no comment (without making things up)

If you want to avoid “copy/paste” responses, personalize in safe ways:

• add the property name (only if you’re replying from the correct listing)
• keep a consistent sign-off (“—Guest Relations Team”)
• mention a general intention, not a specific claim (“we hope you had a comfortable stay”)

Avoid specifics unless the guest wrote them.

What if you suspect the review is fake?

Star-only reviews can sometimes be spam or mistaken identity.

Best practice:

1. respond politely and invite details
2. investigate internally (date, events, potential matches)
3. if appropriate, report it via Google’s review policies process

Do not accuse the reviewer publicly—future guests may interpret that as defensive.

How ReviewAgent helps with star-only reviews

If your team is drowning in volume, the easiest win is speed + consistency:

• draft a reply in seconds in your brand voice
• keep a manager approval step for 1–2 stars
• store templates by rating and scenario so staff can respond consistently

For the full workflow, see: How to Respond to Every Google Review in Seconds

Read next

• Google Review Agent for Hotels: The Complete Guide
• How to Respond to Negative Hotel Reviews
• Mastering Google Reviews: A Complete Guide