The Impact of Airbnb’s Guest Favorites Badge on Listings in 2025

By now, you’ve probably seen the badge that says “Guest Favorite” sitting next to some of the top-performing Airbnb listings. But what does it actually do for your listing? Is it just another badge... or something more?

We’ve been tracking this since the badge first rolled out. First, we introduced what it was and who was earning it. Then we ran a follow-up with early performance data. Now, after months of additional tracking across thousands of listings and millions of data points, we’ve got fresh insights to share.

Let’s break it down.

Wait—What Is the Guest Favorite Badge Again?

Quick refresher: The Guest Favorite badge is Airbnb’s way of spotlighting listings that guests consistently love. To qualify, a listing needs:

• An average rating of 4.9+ stars

• High marks in categories like check-in, cleanliness, accuracy, and communication

• A low cancellation rate and minimal guest complaints

It’s separate from (and easier to earn than) Superhost status, and appears right in search results—making it highly visible to guests browsing for their next stay.

What We Found

We compared performance data from listings with the badge against similar listings without it. Here’s what stood out:

• Review Quality: Listings with the badge average 4.95 stars. Those without? 4.15 stars—a 19% difference that signals strong guest satisfaction.

  
  

• Listing Strength: Badge holders had about 2x as many reviews and 22% more photos, helping them stand out visually and build trust at a glance.

  
  

• Search Visibility: First-page impression rate was higher for badge listings (46.8%) compared to others (41.5%). Not massive—but consistently better.

  
  

• Click-Through Rate: A big one. Badge listings had a 52% higher CTR—a clear signal that the badge draws guest attention.

  
  

• Booking Conversion: This was the most dramatic finding: listings with the badge converted at 23%, compared to 9% without it. That’s a huge gap—and one that can translate into major earnings over time.

  
  

So... Is the Badge Causing the Performance Boost?

It’s a bit of both. High-performing listings are more likely to earn the badge—but the badge itself also seems to reinforce guest trust, which could be giving those listings an added boost in search and booking.

In other words, the badge doesn’t make a great listing—but it does highlight one. And Airbnb might be nudging those listings higher in the algorithm because of it.

Want the Badge? Focus on These Fundamentals

Whether you’re aiming for the badge—or just want to improve performance overall—these are the areas Airbnb looks at when deciding who qualifies as a Guest Favorite:

• Keep your ratings high: Aim for an average of 4.9+ stars, with strong marks in check-in, cleanliness, accuracy, communication, and value.

  
  

• Avoid cancellations and guest issues: Reliability matters. Low cancellation rates and minimal quality-related complaints help build trust with both guests and Airbnb.

  
  

• Earn consistent reviews: You’ll need at least five reviews in the past two years, so keep delivering great stays and encouraging guests to leave feedback.

  
  

• Nail the fundamentals: Fast replies, smooth check-ins, and clear expectations make a big difference in guest satisfaction—and badge eligibility.

  
  

• Strengthen your listing visually: Listings with more high-quality photos tend to perform better and attract more attention in search.

  
  

• Monitor your metrics: Tools like IntelliHost help you track visibility, click rates, and booking performance—so you can fine-tune what’s working.

Conclusions and Future Insights

The Guest Favorite badge isn’t just a vanity label. It’s part of Airbnb’s evolving ecosystem—and our latest analysis shows it may carry more weight than hosts initially thought.

Want to know if your listing is on track to earn it—or why it’s not converting like it should? IntelliHost gives you the data to see what guests are seeing… and the insights to fix what’s not working.

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