The landscape of Airbnb hosting success has fundamentally shifted. Many property managers are still chasing yesterday's metrics. While hosts continue to celebrate their Superhost badges, a quiet revolution has been taking place. This shift renders Superhost achievements increasingly irrelevant for driving bookings.
The evidence is clear: Guest Favorite has replaced Superhost as the metric that actually matters for your bottom line.
Here's a simple test that reveals everything: open Airbnb. Try to filter search results by "Superhost." You can't. Now try filtering by "Guest Favorite." There it is, prominently displayed as a dedicated search option.
According to Airbnb's official documentation, guests can actively search and filter properties using:
Notably absent from this list? Superhost status.
While Superhost badges still appear on listings, they don't drive discovery. Guests can't proactively search for your Superhost properties. The badge becomes what marketing professionals call a "vanity metric." It's impressive to display but meaningless for performance.
This isn't speculation. Airbnb has explicitly created search functionality around Guest Favorites. Meanwhile, Superhost status remains just a passive display element.
The shift from Superhost to Guest Favorite represents a fundamental change in Airbnb's approach to quality measurement. The platform now prioritizes guest experience optimization over host metrics, marking a deliberate strategic pivot. This isn't simply rebranding—it's Airbnb leveraging data from over half a billion trips to identify what guests truly value, rather than just rewarding host behavior patterns.
Superhost evaluates hosts across their entire portfolio using quarterly assessments. The criteria focus on host behavior:
Guest Favorite evaluates individual listings using daily assessments based on actual guest experience:
Notice the critical difference: Guest Favorite requires a 4.9+ rating. Superhost only requires 4.8+ rating. You can literally be a Superhost and still not qualify for Guest Favorite status on your listings.
The numbers tell a compelling story about Guest Favorite impact. While Guest Favorite listings represent only 20% of all Airbnb properties globally, they generated 40% of all views on the platform during the second half of 2024. This means Guest Favorites receive twice the visibility of non-Guest Favorite properties.
The performance advantages extend beyond just views:
Airbnb's data reveals specific patterns that distinguish Guest Favorite properties. Compared to listings without the badge, Guest Favorites globally tend to feature:
These aren't arbitrary differences. They reflect the detailed care and strategic presentation that drives higher ratings and guest satisfaction
Many hosts wonder whether their listings have achieved Guest Favorite status. Here's how to verify:
Option 1: Check Your Listing Page The most straightforward way is to view your listing as a guest would see it:
Option 2: Search Results Your Guest Favorite badge will also appear in search results when guests browse properties in your area. The badge displays alongside your listing photos and basic information.
Option 3: Performance Dashboard In your host dashboard:
If your listing doesn't currently have Guest Favorite status, Airbnb doesn't provide a detailed breakdown showing exactly which criteria you're missing (unlike Superhost, which shows your specific metrics during evaluation periods).
However, you can assess your eligibility by checking:
Remember, Guest Favorite status is evaluated daily. If your listing doesn't qualify today, improving your ratings and guest experience could earn you the badge soon—Airbnb explicitly states "if your listing isn't included now, it could be soon."
Unlike Superhost status, which has a quarterly assessment window where you can check your progress toward specific benchmarks, Guest Favorite status is binary: you either have it or you don't, and it updates automatically based on your ongoing performance. This makes maintaining excellence a continuous priority rather than a quarterly sprint.
Achieving these higher standards requires strategic optimization across multiple areas. The "accuracy" rating deserves special attention—guests rate based on how well your property matches expectations, which starts with professional photography and detailed, accurate descriptions. Building consistently high ratings also requires proactive communication and strategic review management.
Success comes from focusing on the fundamentals that drive 5-star experiences: comprehensive amenities, immaculate cleanliness standards, zero-tolerance quality control, and prompt responses to all guest feedback. Properties that consistently maintain Guest Favorite status don't just occasionally hit 4.9 ratings—they've built systematic approaches to excellence across every guest touchpoint.
The frequency difference tells the real story:
When a platform evaluates something daily versus quarterly, it sends a clear signal. This shows algorithmic priority. Guest Favorites are powered by "ratings, reviews, and reliability data from over half a billion trips." They're updated every day, and as Airbnb notes: "if your listing isn't included now, it could be soon." This dynamic approach contrasts sharply with Superhost's static quarterly assessments.
This guest-first philosophy extends beyond just badges and ratings. Understanding policy changes is crucial for maintaining eligibility. With recently implemented cancellation policies from October 2025, hosts must stay informed about requirements that directly impact their Guest Favorite status.
The platform's evolution also includes significant economic changes. Airbnb has transitioned to a 15.5% host-only fee structure beginning in October 2025, eliminating guest-facing fees. With hosts now absorbing costs previously paid by guests, achieving Guest Favorite status becomes more critical than ever. Enhanced search visibility and higher booking rates help offset increased fees and justify necessary rate adjustments to maintain profitability.
Here's where the platform's true priorities become crystal clear. According to Airbnb's own documentation: "If you're a Superhost with a listing that doesn't qualify for Guest Favourites yet, you'll still be recognised with a Superhost badge."
Read that again. Airbnb explicitly acknowledges that you can be a Superhost and still not qualify for Guest Favorite status. This isn't an oversight - it's a deliberate quality hierarchy that places Guest Favorite above Superhost in terms of actual guest satisfaction metrics.
The math reinforces this hierarchy: with 8 million properties worldwide and only 2 million Guest Favorites, achieving this status means you're in the top 25% of all Airbnb properties. Meanwhile, there's no published data on total Superhost numbers, suggesting it's a less exclusive designation.
With only the top 20% of properties achieving Guest Favorite status, these listings benefit from enhanced visibility and guest trust.
Guest Favorite badges appear prominently in search results. They specifically influence booking decisions. When travelers use the Guest Favorite filter, they're explicitly seeking quality properties. These properties have demonstrated excellence according to peer reviews and platform data.
Meanwhile, Superhost badges still appear but don't correlate with searchable intent. A guest looking for exceptional accommodation will filter by Guest Favorite. They won't scroll through results hoping to spot Superhost badges.
Properties with Guest Favorite status benefit from:
This isn't just about badges. It's about placement in Airbnb's quality hierarchy that directly impacts booking probability.
Achieving Guest Favorite status isn't an overnight transformation—it's a systematic process. Here's a realistic timeline for optimizing your listing:
Focus on immediate improvements that boost your accuracy and presentation ratings:
Photography & Presentation
Description Optimization
Amenities Audit
Goal: Improve your listing's presentation and accuracy perception immediately.
Build processes that ensure every guest has a 5-star experience:
Guest Communication Framework
Cleaning & Quality Standards
Review Strategy
Performance Monitoring
Goal: Build systems that consistently deliver 5-star experiences without you having to think about every detail.
Fine-tune your operation for sustained Guest Favorite status:
Strategic Upgrades
Pricing Strategy
Incident Prevention
Rating Protection
Final Push
Goal: Achieve and maintain 4.9+ overall rating with excellence across all categories.
Once you achieve Guest Favorite status, remember it's evaluated daily. Maintain your systems, continue monitoring performance, and never let standards slip. One bad experience can drop your rating below 4.9, so consistency is everything.
The most successful property management companies have already pivoted their strategies. They now prioritize Guest Favorite achievement over Superhost status because the data proves it drives measurable results—higher visibility, better conversion rates, and increased revenue.
At Triad Vacation Rentals, we've restructured our entire operational approach around Guest Favorite requirements. While annual revenue remains our primary objective, achieving Guest Favorite status has become our most important operational goal. There's one simple reason: it directly drives the revenue that matters most. Our strategy focuses on individual listing optimization, daily performance monitoring, 4.9+ rating targets across all categories, and zero tolerance for quality incidents.
The results speak clearly: properties optimized for Guest Favorite status consistently outperform Superhost-focused properties. They achieve higher booking rates, average daily rates, and annual revenue. When guests can actively search for your properties through dedicated filters, occupancy rates improve dramatically.
This isn't anti-Superhost sentiment. It's data-driven strategy adaptation. Superhost criteria remain unchanged and the program continues operating as designed. However, the platform's evolution has shifted the competitive advantage toward Guest Favorite status.
The writing is on the wall for anyone paying attention. Platform mechanics matter more than legacy prestige.
Superhost status has become the participation trophy of Airbnb hosting. It's nice to have, but irrelevant for competitive advantage. Smart property managers are investing their efforts in metrics that guests actually use to make booking decisions.
The evaluation differences are clear: Superhost (quarterly, host-level, 4.8+ rating) versus Guest Favorite (daily, listing-level, 4.9+ rating). These differences reveal which metric Airbnb considers more valuable for guest experience optimization.
Success in today's Airbnb ecosystem requires focusing on guest-discoverable quality metrics:
The properties winning in 2025 will be those that guests can actually find when they search for quality accommodations.
Superhost status remains a nice credential. However, Guest Favorite has become the metric that drives bookings, revenue, and long-term success on Airbnb's platform. Property managers who adapt their strategies accordingly will outperform those still chasing yesterday's benchmarks.
Need help achieving Guest Favorite status? At Triad Vacation Rentals, our data-driven approach focuses on the metrics that actually drive bookings and revenue. We help property owners achieve and maintain top-tier ratings through systematic optimization and daily performance monitoring. Learn more about our property management services.
A: Yes! Many hosts have both. But if you have to prioritize one, Guest Favorite drives more bookings because guests can filter by it.
A: Since it's evaluated daily, you could regain it as soon as your ratings improve above 4.9. However, you need consistent performance—one 5-star review won't instantly fix a 4.8 average.
A: Guest Favorite is per-listing, not per-host. You could have 3 properties: 2 are Guest Favorite, 1 isn't. Each is evaluated independently.
A: No. It's free and automatic based on your performance. Unlike some platforms that charge for "premium" badges, Airbnb awards this based purely on guest satisfaction.
A: Check:
Guest Favorite requires excellence across ALL metrics, not just overall rating.
A: No! Guest Favorite criteria are stricter, so if you achieve Guest Favorite, you'll likely maintain Superhost too. They're complementary, not competitive.
A: No. Over 30% of Guest Favorites are under $100/night, and 10% are under $50/night. It's about consistent quality, not price point.
