How do you keep calendars on track?

[Elisa]

Hello everyone 😊,

I hope you’re having a great week!

Managing a hosting calendar can sometimes feel like a full-time job. With bookings, check-ins, check-outs, cancellations, and personal commitments, staying organized is essential. 

A quick calendar check each day can make a big difference and give both hosts and guests peace of mind. Whether you use a digital calendar, a spreadsheet, or a simple notebook, finding a system that works for you is key.

How do you keep calendars on track?

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Warmly,
Elisa 🌻

[Lorna170]

@Elisa    I work from a desktop computer -- never from an app.  We only have one listing that is currently on multiple sites where calendar synchronization is paramount.  Other properties have a single calendar.  My morning/mid-day/late evening routine is to log in to all working websites and manually synch the calendars.  Any changes are double checked between systems, verified on my master spreadsheet and master calendar.  

Because no single OTA platform produces a shareable calendar that is all-encompassing and readable, I keep my own master digital calendar and detailed spreadsheets.  

Been doing this for 20+ years for multiple properties, multiple OTAs and many [annoying] programming changes.

[Elisa]

Hi @Lorna170 😊, 

20+ years of manual calendar management across multiple OTAs, it's truly impressive!

Have you ever been tempted to try a channel manager to automate the synchronisation, or do you prefer to keep full manual control?

[Lorna170]

@Elisa  No to a channel manager.  Why pay good money for something that I am capable of handling myself?  For those who book one night, book same day, or have multiple properties on multiple platforms and a "heads in beds" outlook, a channel manager is certainly the way to go.  But not for me.  This is my business, my income, my reputation and my responsibility.

[Elisa]

Hi @Lorna170 😊, 

It makes sense! Thank you for sharing your perspective here.

[Faraaz3]

How often do you review your Airbnb calendar? Keeping your availability up to date can help prevent scheduling conflicts and cancellations. Add your routine below, then check out these tips for managing your calendar: https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/manage-your-calendar-654 

[Elisa]

Hi @Faraaz3 😊, 

Thank you for sharing this article here!

Did you learn from it about the calendar?

[Rachel3439]

Like other commenters we manage our calendar ourselves. I check the Airbnb calendar daily. I synch it with our Apple family calendar so I can see when it’s booked (almost always is). I add “flip” days to our Apple calendar as well to ensure we don’t schedule other things. Finally I set reminders to send out welcome messages which now show up on Apple calendar. 

[Elisa]

Hi @Rachel3439 😊, 

thank you for commenting here!

What a seamless system.

How long did it take you to fine-tune this system before it felt truly effortless?

[The-Petalstone-House0]

I downloaded the bookings calendar from our PMS into an Excel that I customized for my own use. I added additional columns where I can see everything - Guest Names - guest profile - group size - adults & kids - number of nights - where it was booked - who is doing the cleaning - guest profile - welcome basket - reviews - open nights - etc. Even tho' we have a PMS - it does not have all this information in one place.  We also have automated responses for check in and check out and provided detailed instruction to all our guests - so the check in and check out process is pretty smooth and does not take up a lot of our time. 

[Elisa]

Hi @The-Petalstone-House0 😊, 

thank you so much for joining this conversation!

How many listings are you managing across your PMS, and did you build the Excel template yourself or did you get help with it?