Do higher Airbnb ratings mean more revenue? What 1,439 Bali villas show

Bali villas with 5 or more bedrooms rated 4.85 or higher earned a median of $65,900 in the 12 months to October 2026, about twice the $30,500 earned by villas rated under 4.5, according to AirDNA data. This is a pattern, not a promise: a rating alone does not double revenue. But villas that are run well tend to earn both.

By IndaVillas Published 14 November 2026 6 minute read

the yearly revenue of villas rated 4.85 or higher, against villas rated under 4.5

AirDNA, Bali, 12 months to October 2026. 5+ bedrooms, 5+ reviews.

How much more do highly rated villas earn?

In AirDNA data for the 12 months to October 2026, Bali villas with 5 or more bedrooms and at least 5 reviews earned a median of $65,900 a year when rated 4.85 or higher. Villas rated under 4.5 earned $30,500. The higher rated group earned more than double.

Median yearly revenue by Airbnb rating, Bali villas with 5+ bedrooms

Rated 4.85 or higher: $65,900 a year686 villas
Rated under 4.5: $30,500 a year143 villas

Source: AirDNA, Bali, trailing 12 months to October 2026. Listings with 5 or more reviews. Medians.

The two groups also differ in how they earn. Villas under 4.5 charged a median of $266 a night and were 47% occupied. Villas at 4.85 or higher charged $456 a night and were 56% occupied. A lower rating goes with a lower rate and emptier nights at once.

What the terms mean

Four terms carry the figures in this article.

Overall rating: The overall rating is the average of the overall star scores, from 1 to 5, that guests gave a listing on Airbnb. Guests score it separately from the six category ratings.
Superhost: Superhost is a status Airbnb gives to hosts who meet four requirements over the past 12 months. They are listed further down.
Median: The median is the middle villa in a group: half earned more and half earned less. A few very high earners do not pull it up the way they pull up an average.
5 or more reviews: The rating tables leave out villas with fewer than 5 reviews, because one review can swing their average.

Where does the gap open?

The gap opens below a rating of 4.7. Between 4.7 and 5.0, median yearly revenue stays inside a narrow band of $61,700 to $67,500. Below 4.7 it falls to $45,500, and below 4.5 it falls again to $30,500.

Bali villas with 5+ bedrooms by Airbnb rating, 12 months to October 2026
Overall rating	Villas	Median revenue	Median nightly rate	Median occupancy
4.95 to 5.0	301	$66,200	$527	52%
4.90 to 4.94	171	$64,100	$435	57%
4.85 to 4.89	214	$67,500	$391	61%
4.80 to 4.84	167	$61,700	$380	57%
4.70 to 4.79	222	$61,700	$363	59%
4.50 to 4.69	221	$45,500	$312	53%
Under 4.5	143	$30,500	$266	47%

Source: AirDNA, Bali, trailing 12 months to October 2026. 1,439 listings with 5 or more reviews. Analysis by IndaVillas.

Two things stand out. First, the nightly rate climbs with every step, from $266 to $527, which suggests that guests pay more for a villa other guests have praised. Second, revenue does not keep climbing above 4.7. A villa at 4.75 is not held back by its rating. A villa at 4.6 probably is.

Do Superhost villas earn more?

Superhost villas in Bali with 5 or more bedrooms earned a median of $60,500 a year, against $32,000 for villas without the badge, in AirDNA data for the 12 months to October 2026. About half of the 2,910 villas in the data (1,432) are run by a Superhost.

The nightly rate is almost the same in both groups: $466 for Superhost villas and $459 for the rest. The difference is occupancy, 53% against 37%. Superhost villas are not charging more. They are booked more often.

Superhost is a status Airbnb gives to hosts who meet four requirements over the past 12 months: an overall rating of 4.8 or higher, a response rate of 90% or higher, a cancellation rate under 1%, and at least 10 stays (or 3 stays that add up to 100 nights). Airbnb checks every three months.

Why would ratings and revenue move together?

Ratings and revenue move together for three reasons, and only one of them is the rating itself.

Search placement. Airbnb says its search weighs listing quality, and that quality includes guest ratings and reviews. Higher rated listings tend to appear higher, so more guests see them.
Guest choice. A guest comparing two similar villas reads the reviews. The better reviewed villa can hold a higher rate, which fits the steady climb in nightly rate in the table above.
A shared cause. A team that answers fast, cleans well and describes the villa honestly earns good reviews and repeat bookings. The rating is a sign of the management, not a lever on its own.

The data cannot separate these. It also favours older listings, which have had more time to collect both reviews and bookings. That is why the right reading is "villas that are run well tend to earn both", not "raise your rating and revenue doubles".

What an owner controls

An owner controls most of what guests score. Airbnb asks guests for an overall rating and for six category ratings: cleanliness, accuracy, check in, communication, location and value. Five habits cover the first four.

Photos that match the villa. Accuracy is scored on whether the listing showed the place as it is. Reshoot after any change.
Clear arrival instructions. Check in is scored on how easy it was to find the villa and get inside.
Fast replies. Communication is scored from booking to checkout, and response rate counts toward Superhost.
A spotless first impression. Cleanliness is judged in the first minutes. A written arrival checklist protects it.
Fixing what reviews mention. A fault named twice in reviews will be named a third time until it is repaired.

Read your reviews like a report

Your reviews already list what to fix. Treat the last 20 as data.

Collect the last 20 reviews from every booking site, including private feedback.
Tag each complaint with one of Airbnb’s categories: cleanliness, accuracy, check in, communication, location or value.
Count the tags. One category usually collects most of them.
Fix the top two items and tell the team why.
Reply in public to the reviews that raised them, saying what changed.
Check again after 10 stays. The same complaint should have stopped.

For the small things that most often cost a star, see where 5 star villa reviews come from.

Questions owners ask

What is a good Airbnb rating for a villa in Bali?

In AirDNA data for the 12 months to October 2026, 48% of Bali villas with 5 or more bedrooms and at least 5 reviews are rated 4.85 or higher, and 59% are rated 4.8 or higher. A rating of 4.8 sits close to the middle of the reviewed market and is the level Airbnb requires for Superhost. Below 4.7, median revenue in the data drops sharply.

How much does one bad review move the rating?

It depends on how many reviews the villa has. One 3 star review among 20 reviews that are otherwise 5 stars gives an average of 4.9. The same review among 5 gives 4.6. New villas are the most exposed, so the first ten stays deserve the most care.

Will becoming a Superhost double my revenue?

No. Superhost villas in the data earned about twice as much as the rest, but the badge is awarded for things that fill a calendar anyway: fast replies, few cancellations, good reviews and enough stays. The badge follows the work.

Sources and method

AirDNA data for Bali, trailing 12 months to October 2026: 2,910 whole home Airbnb listings with 5 or more bedrooms, at least 180 days available and at least one reserved day. Figures are medians unless stated, rounded. They show patterns across the market, not causes, and they are not a forecast for any one villa.

Written by IndaVillas. We run the commercial side of 5+ bedroom villas in Bali: rate strategy, listings, photography, distribution and guest communication, while the owner’s team runs the house. Market figures on this blog come from our own analysis of AirDNA data. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].