Creating a free channel manager for small hosts

[Allan361]

Hi hosts, I’m an engineer and I’m thinking about creating a channel manager tool/app and making it for free for all (i.e. open-source). What functionality would you like to see it have?

Please note: I know there are a lot of channel managers made for property managers, I'm asking specifically for small hosts who only manage your own homes.

[Ann72]

I'm researching channel managers right now @Allan361.  With three listings on just three platforms, I don't need much.  Wishlist would be:

*integrated calendar

*integrated inbox showing listing and platform in preview (Airbnb doesn't even show the listing associated with a guest's message in preview)

*ability to share calendar with my housekeeping and caretaking staff - but the most important detail here is that I would want to choose what information to share with them.  Airbnb does not allow members of teams to have differing permissions, which is just ludicrous.

*integrated pricing across platforms.  A hybrid of manual and dynamic pricing works best for me.

There are an insane number of channel managers out there, but as you say it's possible many were developed for innkeepers, hotel managers, and the like.  I'm looking into HostTools, https://hosttools.com/, whose founder has spent a good amount of time here in the community center getting to know what hosts care about.

[Paul1255]

@Ann72  Can fully recommend host tools Ann, makes Airbnb life so much  easier!

They have just launched multi user management, which will be great for working with housekeepers etc 🙂

[Ann72]

Thank you, @Paul1255!  Your recommendation is fantastic, as I know you manage multiple properties, and will put me across the finish line!

[Doneen0]

@Allan361 I only have one listing, but we would like to list it on several platforms.  Mostly I just need calendar syncing to avoid double bookings.

[Simone1089]

Hi Allan, 

thanks for what you are doing, I'm a big fan of opensource. I'm interested in this. Could you please drop me an email to

**

Thank you!!!
S.

**[E-mail address removed due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]

[Aniq60]

Thank you so much for what you are doing Allan! Interested to know your progess 🙂 

[Helen3]

Presumably you're developing this because you believe there's a gap in the market @Allan361 

what do you see as the gaps in the market that other channel managers /Airbnb aren't providing ??

[Alex221]

This is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for.  I rent out two rooms in my house, each with it's own listing and then a third listing for both rooms. The calendars sync up within AirBnB so if one room gets booked the option for both rooms becomes unavailable right away (or vice versa). But bookings across platforms (AirBnB <-> Booking.com) take too long, are unreliable and have resulted in at least one double-booked room.  It's not worth the cost of $20+ per month per listing to buy a service that does that.  I'm really curious what you've come up with.