How to Reply to Reviews in Other Languages
Updated October 14, 2026
A tourist leaves a review in French, a couple in Spanish, a guest in German. You roughly get the meaning, but replying in their language, without it sounding off, is another matter.
It is worth the effort. Your reply is public: it speaks to the customer and to the next foreign travellers who read your listing before booking. Here is how to do it well, simply.
Why reply in the language of the review
A visitor who reads a reply in their own language feels expected and understood. It is a signal of hospitality, especially for hotels, restaurants, and any business that lives on passing tourists.
It is also about readability for future customers. Someone searching for you from Paris or Madrid lands on a thread of reviews and replies in their language, and pictures themselves there right away, instead of stumbling over an exchange they cannot follow.
A simple method
First, make sure you grasp the real meaning, not just the words. A review can be ironic, nuanced, or point to a specific detail. Then reply in the customer’s language, keep it short and warm, and pick up the point they raised to show you actually read it.
Mind the register across cultures: English is fine with a direct, friendly tone, German leans formal, Japanese even more so. When in doubt, stay polite and plain, and sign with the business name or a first name.
Hotel, five-star review in French: "Séjour parfait, le personnel était aux petits soins."
Reply to avoid
Thank you for your review, see you soon!
Reply in the customer’s language
Merci beaucoup pour vos mots. Nous sommes ravis que l’équipe ait rendu votre séjour agréable, et nous espérons vous accueillir à nouveau bientôt.
The traps of machine translation
A machine translator helps you understand, but a reply pasted as-is often sounds robotic, even clumsy. Polite formulas, humour, and the level of familiarity travel badly from one language to another.
The rule: start from a first version, but always re-read it before posting. Cut what sounds too literal, adjust the tone, check proper names. Two minutes of proofreading is the difference between a sincere reply and one that reeks of a machine.
How Otiview helps
For each Google review, Otiview suggests an AI-written reply, directly in the language of the review. No more juggling a translator and your listing: the first version is already drafted in the right language.
You re-read it, adjust if needed, then publish to Google in one click. Nothing is posted automatically: you always keep the last word. It is especially handy in tourist areas, where reviews come in several languages across the season.
Do
- Grasp the real meaning of the review before replying
- Reply in the customer’s language, short and warm
- Match the register to the culture (formal or direct by language)
- Re-read any translated version before posting
Avoid
- Pasting a machine translation without re-reading it
- Replying in English to a review written in another language
- Using the same reply for everyone
- Forgetting to address the specific point the customer raised
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need to reply in the language of the review?+
Ideally yes, especially with international customers. The reply is public: answering in the customer’s language honours them and reassures future travellers reading in that same language.
What if I do not speak that language?+
You can start from a reply drafted in the right language, then re-read and adjust it. Keep it short and polite: a simple, sincere reply beats a long, clumsy one.
Is machine translation enough?+
To understand the review, often yes. To reply, no: always re-read, because tone and polite formulas travel badly between languages. An un-reviewed reply quickly sounds robotic.
Does Otiview post the reply on its own?+
No. Otiview suggests a reply in the language of the review, you re-read it and publish in one click. The final call is always yours.
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Free tools
Reply to your foreign customers in their language
Otiview suggests an AI reply in the language of each Google review, which you re-read and publish in one click. Free 7-day trial, no card.
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