user_ratings_total No longer available in google places API. Alternative for getting total number of reviews?

If you would like Google to reinstate the previously undocumented user_ratings_total result key (or something similar), then please go to: https://code.google.com/p/gmaps-api-issues/issues/detail?id=3484 and add your vote for this feature to be officially added.

This issue was "Acknowledged" by Google way back on Jun 3, 2013 and is still open as such (other similar issues like https://code.google.com/p/gmaps-api-issues/issues/detail?id=9824 have been "closed" with status like "WorkingAsIntended").

Hopefully if we get enough up votes then maybe they will see the need and put it back in and make it official (as opposed to undocumented).

(Unfortunately I couldn't post this as a Comment as I just registered; so I'm going to post it as an Answer and hope it is okay.)

I'd try the Google My Business API, see in particular the documentation section Work with Review Data.

You'll need to Request access to the API.

This is fixed now. Reposting a comment from the issue linked to above by @TechLeadAA

The total amount of ratings is now generally available for all Places API clients as part of the Basic SKU:

https://developers.google.com/places/web-service/details#fields https://developers.google.com/places/web-service/place-data-fields#basic

Places API: user_ratings_total

Places SDK for iOS: GMSPlaceFieldUserRatingsTotal

Places SDK for Android: Place.Field.USER_RATINGS_TOTAL