syncing calendars for three different rental scenarios

[Patrick2753]

Hello, we are new to airbnb. We have a cabin and cottage near one another and would like to list them as separate properties, but also a package deal. We haven't yet published those listings until we get answers to our two questions so far:

1) do we set up listings in the ordinary way of one for each property and then a third for the package deal?

and then 2) how would we sync the calendars for the essentially three listings?

many thanks in advance for your insights

[Bob297 · Accepted solution]

@Patrick2753 
Make three listings

Two separate

1 combined

The go to "pricing and availability."

down to "calendar sync."

Choose link calendars

if one of the separate gets booked, the combined one won't be available
If the combined gets booked, the two separate ones are not available

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Patrick2753 to be clear you need two calendar links

separate 1 to combined and

separate 2 to combined

Don't link separate 1 to separate 2 or it won't work properly.

[Patrick2753]

@Bob297 , thank you ever so much for this insight. If I might ask one follow-up which, I know, may be outside of your experience. We also have the two separate listings on VRBO. Would you have any idea how to sync the properties on the two platforms? VRBO unfortunately does not offer the same functionality as AirBnb for being able to list the properties separately and as a package.

again, thank you for taking the time to help us orient ourselves to AirBnB

Patrick in Asheville, NC

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Patrick2753 whilst it may go wrong (all technology does at times) if you share each properties calendar with its equivalent on VRBO then a VRBO booking will book the single property Airbnb calendar which will then block the combined calendar (I think)

Oh by the way - If you block a single property (rather than it books) it will NOT block the combined listing. So if you want a rest from hosting you have to manually block all 3 Airbnb calendars. This is actually a handy feature as you may want to force only the combined listing to be available in high season (or just the 2 individual properties) if either of these scenarios make you more money.

[Patrick2753]

now that makes perfect sense. Thank you so much! Would it make a difference in which "direction" I share the calendars--i.e. exporting VRBO calendars to airbnb or vice-a-versa?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Patrick2753 From memory I think you need to do both

[Patrick2753]

smashing. thank you. I will give it a go!

[Bob297]

@Patrick275 @Mike-And-Jane0 

I agree with the follow-up of Mike & Jane 
I used to do it this way too.
Nowadays, I use five portals en have three properties
That made things complicated and sometimes the portals did not connect properly.
Therefore I have a property management system now.
I register my prices in this PMS, which sends them to the portals. Each portal can have its own markup.
It handles "the package" and communicates the occupation between the portals.
I have used it for over a year, and it has not let me down yet.
It will take a couple of days to get it working, but it saves me a lot of time.

[Kim4002]

hi @Bob297 , please could you let me know what hosting package you recommend. is it expensive and are you based in the uk

[Bob297]

@Kim4002 

Hi Kim,
I'm situated in the Netherlands and use smoobu.com
You can test it
Prices are on their website and depend on the number of properties