How to avoid double bookings across Airbnb, Booking.com and your website

You have a holiday apartment or a cottage on Airbnb and Booking.com, and you want direct bookings from your own website so you stop paying commission. The worry is always the same, double bookings: what if someone books dates on Booking.com that were already taken on Airbnb?

Fortunately, there is a solution.

How calendar sync prevents double bookings

Airbnb, Booking.com and most platforms let you export and import a property's calendar through a special link (an iCal file). The idea is simple:

• Each platform publishes which dates are taken.
• The others read that link every so often and block those dates.
• Your website does the same: it reads the Airbnb and Booking.com calendars and offers them its own.

So a booking on any of the three ends up blocking those dates on the other two.

What you should know about double bookings

Calendar sync is not instant. Platforms read each other's calendars periodically, usually every few hours. During that time there is a small window in which two people could book the same dates in different places.

In practice it rarely happens, because two bookings for the same dates have to land within a few hours. But it is worth knowing and protecting yourself.

How to keep double bookings to a minimum

• One reference calendar. Always block dates from the same place and let them spread automatically. By contrast, if you block by hand on each platform, sooner or later you forget one.
• Minimum notice. Airbnb and Booking.com let you require a few days' notice. With one or two days, last-minute bookings do not catch the sync halfway.
• Check when a booking arrives for very close dates, especially in high season.
• Connect every platform you are on, not just two. One left out is a gap.
• Check now and then that the links still work. If you change something on a platform, the link sometimes changes.

What about channel managers?

There are paid tools, channel managers, that connect directly to the platforms and update almost instantly. For hotels or people managing many properties they make sense. For one or a few rentals, calendar sync is usually enough and has no monthly fee.

Why your own website is worth it

Every direct booking is a booking with no platform commission, and a guest who can book with you directly next time. The rest is in direct bookings for your holiday rental.

How I do it

The Nueva Página holiday rental website includes its own booking calendar synced with Airbnb and Booking.com, updated every few hours, and the initial setup in your Airbnb and Booking.com accounts is included. From your dashboard you see the website's bookings and block dates. It costs €899 + VAT where applicable as a one-off payment, with no fee for the sync; full details in website for holiday rentals.

What to do if a double booking happens

If two bookings clash despite everything, act as soon as you see it. First, check which arrived first: that is usually the one that stands. Then write straight away to the other guest, explain what happened and offer alternatives, such as other dates or a nearby property.

Bear in mind that platforms may penalise host cancellations, so check their rules before cancelling anything. Airbnb explains in its help centre how to sync your calendar with other websites, and it is worth testing that link now and then. Finally, note what went wrong: a broken link, a manual block or a last-minute booking. That way the next double booking becomes much less likely. More ideas in direct bookings for your holiday rental.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sync with other platforms too?

If the platform lets you export and import the calendar via an iCal link, yes. Nearly all the big ones do.

What if a double booking still happens?

You see it as soon as the second arrives. The usual step is to contact the guest and cancel one, as any rental would. With minimum notice it is very rare.

Do I have to do anything technical?

No. The links are set up once at the start and work on their own from then on.

How much is a website that syncs Airbnb and Booking.com to avoid double bookings?

At Nueva Página, €899 + VAT where applicable as a one-off payment, initial setup included and no fee for the sync. See website for holiday rentals.