Our hosts now have the option to integrate their iCal calendars with Afristay.
This allows you to connect the calendars on other OTA platforms on a per room basis with Afristay, to save you time and prevent constant calendar updating, and avoid double bookings.
Supported Calendars:
Airbnb
Google Calendar
Safarinow
IMPORTING:
Here's how you can do it :
(You can import multiple calendars at the same time)
1) Get your "ical address/URL":
Export your Airbnb:
https://www.airbnb.com/help/
or for Booking.com:
https://partnerhelp.booking.
Safarinow:
2) Once you have your iCal address/URL :
- Login to Afristay
- On the right hand side click on Listings > Availability Calendar.
- Select the room or unit you would like to work on.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the box "Sync iCal Calendar"
- Enter your iCal address/Url and click save.
Note : This needs to be done for every room/unit as every room/unit will have its own calendar.
EXPORTING:
Here's how to do it:
1. Log into your Afristay account
2. On the right-hand side click on Listings > Availability Calendar.
3. Click on the room or unit of your choice (Each room will have its own unique calendar link)
4. Scroll down and click "Copy to Clipboard"
Export from Afristay: Sync iCal calendar (Airbnb / Booking.com etc..)
Copy to clipboard
Paste this link into your listing settings at Airbnb, Booking.com or your Google Calendar to export your Afristay availability.
Instant Booking (Optional) :
Once your calendar is successfully sync'ing with iCal you have the option to activate Instant Booking.
Instant Booking is an amazing option we give our hosts, to save them time and get them more bookings.
This option allows your guest to perform immediate bookings without requiring you to reservation request first. In a nutshell, guests will be able to perform instant bookings on the site saving you time and getting you confirmed bookings much faster! It has been proven that listings on Instant Booking receive up to 400% more bookings!
NB : Should you decide to activate the Instant Booking feature, It is extremely important to keep your rates and availability calendar updated and as accurate as possible. If an instant booking is made by a guest, the host will be required to honor the booking.
Common Questions :
1. How often does the calendar update from my iCal address?
We automatically sync every two hours.
2. Is there a way i can re-sync myself? In case of last minute bookings etc.
Yes, you can click the "Re-sync manually now" button.
3. What is iCal?
iCal is a dynamic computer file format that stores calendar related information like your upcoming bookings, meetings, reminders etc. iCal is used across many platforms to simplify the lives of all using it.
4. Which other booking platforms/OTA's make use of iCal?
Airbnb, Booking.com, Agoda, SafariNow, Expedia etc
5. How will I know if my calendar has been synced correctly?
It will show "Successfully last synced at xxxx time"
6. If i get a confirmed booking on Afristay will it update on my Afristay calendar and my iCal on my Airbnb?
Your confirmed bookings made on Afristay will update on your Afristay Calendar and you would need to export our Afristay link to your other platforms in order for it to sync
7. What services does Afristay use for live rates AND availability?
We use Nightsbridge, eRes & RoomRacoon