Airbnb Superhost & Guest Favorites Badge: The Complete 2026 Guide

Airbnb now has two major quality badges: the long-standing Superhost badge and the newer Guest Favorites badge. Both appear in search results. Both influence guest decisions. But they measure fundamentally different things — and the hosts who earn both have a massive competitive advantage.

This guide explains each program, compares them side by side, and gives you a practical roadmap to earning both.

Superhost: The Established Standard

Superhost has been Airbnb’s primary quality badge since 2014. It rewards hosts who are reliable, responsive, and consistently rated well.

Superhost Requirements (Assessed Quarterly)

Airbnb evaluates Superhost eligibility every quarter — January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. You must meet all four criteria during the assessment period:

1. Completed at least 10 stays (or 3 stays totaling 100+ nights) in the past year
2. 90%+ response rate — respond to at least 90% of new messages within 24 hours
3. Less than 1% cancellation rate — canceling on guests is heavily penalized
4. 4.8+ overall rating — your average across all reviews in the assessment period

Superhost Benefits

• Search ranking boost — Superhost listings appear higher in results
• Badge visibility — the Superhost badge displays on your listing and profile
• Superhost search filter — guests can filter exclusively for Superhosts
• $100 Airbnb travel coupon each year you maintain status
• Priority customer support — faster response times from Airbnb
• Early access to new features and programs
• Referral bonus — earn additional income when you refer new hosts

What Superhost Doesn’t Measure

Superhost is primarily about host reliability. It doesn’t deeply evaluate:

• The quality of the actual guest experience
• How your listing compares to others in your market
• The depth and sentiment of your reviews
• Whether guests would enthusiastically recommend you

This is where Guest Favorites comes in.

Guest Favorites: The New Quality Standard

Introduced in 2024, Guest Favorites represents Airbnb’s shift toward data-driven quality assessment. While Superhost asks “Is this host reliable?”, Guest Favorites asks “Do guests love this place?”

How Guest Favorites Works

Unlike Superhost’s transparent checklist, Guest Favorites uses a machine learning model that evaluates listings holistically. The exact algorithm isn’t public, but Airbnb has confirmed it weighs:

• Overall rating of 4.9+ — significantly higher bar than Superhost’s 4.8+
• High ratings across all six categories — no weak spots in cleanliness, accuracy, check-in, communication, location, or value
• Review volume and recency — typically requires 10+ recent reviews
• Review sentiment analysis — Airbnb’s NLP evaluates what guests actually say, not just the star rating
• Consistent quality over time — one great month isn’t enough; the algorithm looks for sustained excellence

Guest Favorites Benefits

• Estimated ~25% weight in search ranking — this is significant. Guest Favorites has become one of the most impactful ranking signals
• Prominent badge in search results — the Guest Favorites badge catches guest attention
• Higher guest trust — the badge signals “verified quality” in a way guests intuitively understand
• Filtering capability — guests can filter for Guest Favorites listings specifically
• Higher perceived value — Guest Favorites listings can often command premium pricing

The Key Difference from Superhost

Guest Favorites is earned from guests, not from metrics. You can’t game it with fast response times if guests aren’t actually delighted. This makes it harder to achieve — but more meaningful when you do.

Superhost vs. Guest Favorites: Side by Side

Factor	Superhost	Guest Favorites
Rating threshold	4.8+ overall	4.9+ overall
Assessment	Quarterly, fixed dates	Continuous, algorithmic
Focus	Host reliability	Guest delight
Requirements	Transparent checklist	ML-based, partially opaque
Response rate	90%+ required	Not directly measured
Cancellation	<1% required	Not directly measured
Minimum stays	10 stays/year	~10+ reviewed stays
Ranking impact	Moderate boost	High (~25% weight)
Can you have both?	Yes	Yes
Since	2014	2024

Why You Want Both Badges

Having both Superhost and Guest Favorites creates a compound credibility effect:

1. Double badge visibility — both appear in search results, making your listing stand out visually
2. Maximum algorithmic favor — you satisfy both reliability and quality ranking signals
3. Dual filter eligibility — you appear for guests filtering by either badge
4. Trust stacking — guests who see both badges perceive your listing as the safest possible choice
5. Premium pricing power — the combined trust signals justify higher rates

The 4-Phase Roadmap: From Zero to Both Badges

Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-3)

Goal: Establish your listing and build early momentum.

Actions:

• Complete your listing with maximum detail — every field, every amenity, every photo
• Price 15-20% below market to generate initial booking volume
• Enable Instant Book to maximize acceptance rate
• Respond to every message within 1 hour (set phone notifications)
• Send a personalized message at booking, pre-arrival, check-in, mid-stay, and checkout
• Ask every guest for a review after their stay
• Leave a thoughtful review for every guest

Targets by end of Phase 1:

• 5-10 completed stays
• 4.9+ average rating
• 100% response rate
• 0% cancellation rate

Phase 2: Superhost Qualification (Months 3-6)

Goal: Hit all four Superhost criteria before the next quarterly assessment.

Actions:

• Maintain your pricing competitively to keep bookings flowing
• Track your response rate weekly — one missed message can drop you below 90%
• Never cancel a booking. If a genuine emergency arises, contact Airbnb support to discuss options
• Monitor your rating after each review — if it dips below 4.8, identify the cause immediately
• Address any patterns in guest feedback (noise, cleanliness, amenity issues)
• Build toward the 10-stay minimum (or 3 stays / 100+ nights)

Targets by end of Phase 2:

• 10+ completed stays
• 4.8+ average rating
• 90%+ response rate
• 0% cancellation rate
• Superhost badge earned

Phase 3: Guest Favorites Pursuit (Months 6-12)

Goal: Elevate from “reliable host” to “exceptional experience.”

This is where you shift focus from meeting metrics to delighting guests:

Actions:

• Upgrade your welcome experience — local snacks, handwritten card, small gift
• Invest in quality upgrades — better mattress, premium linens, upgraded coffee setup
• Add Tier 2 amenities from the amenities checklist — blackout curtains, quality toiletries, workspace improvements
• Create a comprehensive digital guidebook with local recommendations
• Proactively resolve issues during stays (mid-stay check-in is critical)
• Go beyond expectations consistently — the “surprise and delight” touches that guests mention in reviews
• Respond to issues immediately — a problem solved in 30 minutes rarely becomes a negative review

Targets by end of Phase 3:

• 20+ completed stays with reviews
• 4.9+ average rating
• Strong scores across all six rating categories
• Positive review sentiment (guests mentioning specific delights)
• Guest Favorites badge earned

Phase 4: Sustain and Scale (Ongoing)

Goal: Maintain both badges while optimizing revenue.

Actions:

• Continue seasonal listing updates — photos, description, amenities
• Adjust pricing upward gradually — your badge visibility supports premium rates
• Invest in the amenities and improvements that reviews suggest
• Track your metrics weekly — early detection of issues prevents badge loss
• Consider expanding to additional listings (your hosting skills now compound)
• Use tools like Rank STR to identify optimization opportunities you might miss manually

Common Mistakes That Cost You Badges

Mistakes that lose Superhost:

1. Missing messages — one weekend away from your phone can tank your response rate
2. Avoidable cancellations — double-booking, personal plans conflicting with bookings
3. Seasonal rating dips — busy seasons with rushed turnovers lead to cleanliness complaints
4. Not tracking assessment dates — getting surprised by a quarterly evaluation

Mistakes that prevent Guest Favorites:

1. 4.8 complacency — 4.8 is enough for Superhost but not for Guest Favorites. You need 4.9+
2. Category weakness — even one consistently “4-star” category can prevent Guest Favorites
3. Inconsistency — a few amazing months followed by average months signals unstable quality
4. Over-promising in the listing — inflated descriptions create expectation gaps that lead to 4-star reviews
5. Ignoring review feedback — guests tell you exactly what to fix. Not acting on it shows in subsequent reviews

Tracking Your Progress

Weekly check:

• Response rate (should always be 100%)
• Any new reviews and their scores
• Any messages that need responses

Monthly check:

• Average rating trend (going up, stable, or declining?)
• Category score breakdown — identify your weakest area
• Review sentiment — what are guests praising? What are they suggesting?
• Booking volume — on track for the quarterly minimum?

Quarterly check (aligned with Superhost assessment):

• All four Superhost criteria met?
• Guest Favorites badge status
• Competitive positioning — how do you rank vs. similar listings?
• Pricing optimization opportunity — can you raise rates with your badge visibility?

Get Your Badge Readiness Score

Not sure where you stand? Rank STR analyzes your listing against the factors that drive both Superhost and Guest Favorites eligibility. You’ll see exactly what’s strong, what needs work, and what specific changes will have the biggest impact on your rating and ranking.

Try it free — paste your Airbnb URL and get your personalized report in under 30 seconds.

Both badges are achievable for any host willing to be intentional about the guest experience. Start with Superhost, level up to Guest Favorites, and watch your ranking — and revenue — compound.