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Airbnb Connectivity Details

Airbnb–Channel Manager Interface (Channel Properties)

1. General​

  • The new interface replaces the previous iCal deployment.
  • The iCal export for Airbnb can still be used, but only one of the two options (interface or iCal) can be active at a time.

2. Supported Functions by Airbnb​

CategorySupported functions
Availability & pricesAvailability, prices
Stay durationMinimum stay (MinLOS & MinLOS through), Maximum stay (MaxLOS & MaxLOS through)
LocksCheck-in and check-out lock
Surcharges & feesPrices for additional adults, final cleaning
ContentsDescriptions, images, policies (city tax, final cleaning)
ReservationsReservation pickup

3. Policies: City Tax and Final Cleaning​

  • New Interface Logic: The setting "Amount in addition to the room price, separated and not shown as part of the booking" will no longer be transmitted to Channel Manager. → Channel Manager only receives the amount that Airbnb pays out to the accommodation.
  • Booking Note: Guest & operator see on the booking confirmation that the final cleaning must be paid on site.
  • If Airbnb should collect the final cleaning fee: Change the policy to "Amount in addition to the room price, shown as part of the booking". → Then Airbnb will consider the fee again and transmit it to Channel Manager.
  • Important Notes:
    • Only the standard cleaning fee is transmitted.
    • No support for "Short Term Cleaning Fee" (1–2 nights).
    • Higher fee than standard fee → Error in transmission.

4. Content Transfer (Full Sync vs. Limited Sync)​

  • Full Sync: Transmits images, descriptions, rates, and availability to Airbnb.
  • Limited Sync: No longer available since mid-September 2025.

5. Text Mapping: Channel Manager ↔ Airbnb​

Channel Manager fieldAirbnb fieldNotes
Property Marketing DescriptionSummaryCombined with Room Description, HTML removed, max. 500 characters
Room DescriptionSummaryCombined with Property Marketing Description, max. 500 characters
Space, Access, Interaction, Neighborhood Overview, House Rules, Notes, DescriptionNot updatedRemain unchanged on Airbnb

Additionally:

  • Updates are language-specific (only supported languages on Airbnb).
  • “Summary” is generated from Property Marketing + Room Description.

6. Types of Updates​

Currently, the following update types are sent to Airbnb:

  1. Static Update
  2. Descriptions Update
  3. Images Update
  4. Price Settings Update
  5. Listing Rooms Update
  6. Availability Rules Update
  7. LOS Pricing Update
  8. Booking Settings Update
  9. Calendar Update

6.1 Static Update​

  • Triggered by changes to hotel content.
  • Sends:
    • Sync status (Full sync)
    • Display name (hotelName + roomName, max. 50 characters, emojis removed)

Example: CHNL_AIRBNB Kornblume • for 2 - 6 persons Ü ж → Chnl_Airbnb Kornblume For 2 - 6 Persons Ü Ж

6.2 Descriptions Update​

  • Triggered by changes to hotel content.
  • Sends:
    • Display name
    • Transfer description
    • Marketing and room description
    • In all languages supported by hotel & Airbnb.

6.3 Images Update​

  • Triggered by changes to hotel content.
  • Sends:
    • Room images (if ≥ 7 available)
    • Otherwise: marketing, description & hotel images (max. 99 images)

Note: Airbnb does not always display all images correctly (platform limitation).

6.4 Listing Rooms Update​

  • Transfers bed types.
  • Only when hotel content changes.

6.5 Price Settings Update​

  • Triggered by rate changes.
  • Sets:
    • Deposit
    • Cleaning fee (depending on payment option)

Cleaning fee options:

  1. Included in total price
  2. Paid on site → Only this is explicitly sent

Laundry fee:

  • Same online status as cleaning fee
  • Option 1 → changeable in the Airbnb portal
  • Option 2 → not changeable

6.6 Availability Rules Update​

  • Triggered by rate changes.
  • Transfers booking offset:

Rule Options

Last Minute

0–24, 48, 72, 168 hours

Early Bookers

0–365 days (in 30-day steps)

6.7 Booking Settings Update​

  • Set only during Mappings.
  • Used for setting cancellation policies.

6.8 Calendar Update​

  • Only during Mappings.
  • Deletes old data with LOS collisions.
  • Sets availability to 100 to avoid overlaps.

6.9 LOS Pricing Update​

  • Transfers prices and availabilities.
  • Activates LOS entries if none are present.
  • Prices are rounded as whole numbers before sending.
  • Updates forced at the latest after 10 minutes.

7. Reservations​

  • Airbnb conducts a Pre-Checkout Call before each booking.
  • After successful validation, the reservation is confirmed and sent to Channel Manager.

Types of notifications:

  • Confirmation
  • Change
  • Cancellation

→ Fetch every 30 seconds via automated process.

8. Special Cases​

8.1 Reservation changes display​

  • Booking can switch between listings of the same host.
  • If different hotels are affected:
    • Old reservation is canceled
    • New reservation created in the new hotel

8.2 Potential overbooking​

Causes:

  1. Long validation time at Airbnb → Reservation exists but not yet processed
  2. No response to Pre-Checkout Call → Airbnb still confirms booking

In both cases:

  • Reservation is visible at Airbnb but not yet in the hotel manager.
  • Hoteliers usually manually block availability.