Warning signs
- 1
No Google Maps place despite many reviews
A property with hundreds of Booking.com reviews almost always has a Google Maps presence. Small private apartments may not – that alone is normal.
- 2
Review counts that don't match
800 reviews on Booking.com and 4 on Google Maps? Hijacked profiles inherit reviews the real-world place never earned.
- 3
The map pin is far from the stated address
Honest listings put the pin on the building. A pin several kilometres away, or in the middle of a park, is a warning.
- 4
Street View shows a different building
The facade, the number of floors, the shop on the ground floor or the view from the window don't match the listing photos.
- 5
A different name or “permanently closed” on Google
The Google Maps place at that address carries a different name or is marked as closed.
- 6
No Tripadvisor or other footprint
An established property with a long history usually shows up on other travel sites as well.
What to do
- Type the property name and city into Google Maps and compare the name, address and number of reviews.
- Open Street View at the address and compare the building and street with the listing photos.
- Check that the listing's map pin and its written address point to the same place.
- Look at the guest photos on Google Maps – they show the place as it really is.
- Paste the listing into StayDetective to run these comparisons automatically.
What our check looks at
- Google Maps presence of the property near the stated locationfull report
- Review counts on Booking.com vs. Google Mapsfull report
- Distance between the map pin and the geocoded addressfull report
- Street View at the address vs. the listing photosfull report
- Tripadvisor footprintfull report
Questions
My apartment isn't on Google Maps. Is it a scam?+
Not necessarily. Small private rentals often have no Google Maps place, which is why we don't penalise it for listings with few reviews. It becomes a red flag when a property claims a long history but has no footprint outside a single platform.
Why do review counts matter?+
Guests who stayed at a real place leave traces on several platforms. When a listing has hundreds of reviews on one site and almost none anywhere else, the reviews were often inherited from a different property.