How the Reality Index is calculated
A single score from 0 to 100 for every hotel — built from signals that are hard to fake. We don't hide the formula: here's exactly what goes into it, and what we deliberately ignore.
How the index is assembled
This is not a simple weighted average. First we take the platform score and adjust it by confidence — the fewer reviews there are, the more cautiously the score is pulled toward the mean. Then we multiply it by confirmation from real signals: live guest photos, the tone of reviews. That's why there's no high index without confirmation — even for a hotel scoring 9+.
Reviews from real guests
baseThe average score and its volume. A thousand reviews carry more weight than ten — with few reviews the score is cautiously pulled toward the mean, and the hotel is flagged "thin data".
Live photos from guests
confirmationShots from guests, not the press office. This is a multiplier: without live confirmation the index won't rise above a baseline, however loud the platform score may be.
Consistency of scores
correctorWhether scores are steady across categories. A deep dip in one of them (sound, for example) honestly drags the index down.
Tone of reviews
correctorThe emotional colour of the text, not just the number. Warm wording strengthens confirmation; perfunctory wording doesn't.
Toggle these — the index recalculates with the real engine right here.
What we deliberately don't count
These things make other platforms' ratings pretty but dishonest. Here they don't affect the index — at all.
The hotel's promo photos
Polished shots from the press kit don't add a single point. The only proof is live guest photos.
Paid promotion
A hotel can't buy a higher spot. Booking's affiliate commission has no effect on the index.
Stars and category
"Five stars" is about the service class, not about whether guests actually liked it. We look at the guests.
The hotel's self-description
"A cosy boutique hotel in the heart of the city" is marketing. What goes into the index are the facts from reviews.
Few reviews — too early to judge. We honestly flag such hotels as "thin data" and show the index as indicative rather than hiding the emptiness behind a pretty number.
Where the data comes from
Signals will be collected from public reviews and guest photos via the Booking Demand API, and our engine calculates the index from them. No manual tweaks in a hotel's favour.
Collecting signals
Reviews, category scores and guest photos for a specific destination.
Cleaning
We filter out suspicious spikes and templated texts, and lower the weight of anomalies.
Calculating the index
The platform score, adjusted by confidence based on the review count and confirmed by live signals, gives a 0–100 score and a verdict.
Updating
The index is recalculated regularly — fresh reviews change the picture.