@KittySitter I understand more where you are coming from and I think I need to clarify my comment a little!
Right now, for example, we are in a gorgeous Villa in the south of France with a cute doggy and a beautiful pool. Everything about this sit is 5* including the host. Our reviews of this sit will reflect all of this so it will, in that sense, ‘inform and protect’ future sitters. (They will have a great time!) But I do not see my review of hosts, in general, as a reward to them. I speak about our experience- positive and negative and readers can make of that what they will. Our thanks & appreciation to the host is offered privately via flowers and a card we leave for most, as well as happy pets and a clean Home. And for this sit, a Welcome Home meal we will share with our host when she returns.
We too study past reviews carefully, looking out for Red flags, before deciding to apply or not. We ourselves had to write a poor review last year for a sit with a lot of undisclosed building work etc. If I’d read that from a previous sitter I would not have applied. Sometimes its hard to be really honest about negatives if there were also positives but its good to make the effort to transport a realistic experience of a sit.
As a sitter I do expect a review and preferably a 5* super duper one! It feels like a small thing to expect after giving so much love and care into making a great sit. We always give 100%. Its also an opportunity for the host to publicly acknowledge that effort. Reviews are the currency of THS. Both sides expect one and both parties hope for a fair and honest review of their part in the exchange.