When you connect multiple booking channels to Hospitable, keeping your calendars and reservations in sync is critical to avoiding double bookings and ensuring a smooth guest experience. This article explains how reservation sync works, what to expect, and how to troubleshoot common issues.
How sync works
Hospitable syncs reservations in two ways, depending on how your channel is connected:
API integrations (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo): These are direct, two-way connections. When a reservation is created, modified, or cancelled on the channel, the change is pushed to Hospitable in near real-time (typically within a few minutes). Similarly, when you block dates or make changes in Hospitable, those updates are sent to the connected channels.
iCal connections: iCal is a one-way or two-way calendar feed that is refreshed on a schedule. Sync can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the platform's refresh interval. iCal only syncs blocked/available dates — it does not transfer guest details, pricing, or reservation metadata.
What gets synced
For API-connected channels:
New reservations (guest name, dates, pricing, contact info)
Reservation modifications (date changes, price adjustments)
Cancellations
Availability/blocked dates
Rates and pricing rules (depending on the channel)
For iCal-connected channels:
Blocked and available dates only
No guest details, pricing, or reservation metadata
Sync timing expectations
API connections: Changes typically sync within 1–15 minutes. Occasionally, during high-traffic periods, syncs may take up to 30 minutes.
iCal connections: Depending on the platform, the feed may be refreshed every 30 minutes to 4 hours. Hospitable fetches external feeds at regular intervals, but the exact timing depends on the external platform.
Important: Because of sync delays (especially with iCal), there is always a small window during which a double booking can occur. The best way to minimize this risk is to use API integrations wherever possible.
How to check sync status
Go to the property in Hospitable.
Open the Calendar tab.
Review the reservations and blocked dates. Each reservation shows which channel it originated from.
For API-connected channels, check the channel status under Channels to see if the connection is active and when the last sync occurred.
For iCal connections, check the last-imported timestamp on the iCal connection.
Common sync issues and how to resolve them
A new reservation does not appear in Hospitable:
For API channels: Check the channel connection status. If it shows disconnected or errored, reconnect the channel. The reservation should sync after reconnection.
For iCal channels: Wait for the next feed refresh. If it still does not appear after several hours, remove and re-add the iCal URL.
A cancellation did not sync:
Confirm the cancellation was fully processed on the original platform (some channels have a pending cancellation state).
For API channels, the cancellation should sync within minutes. If it does not, try disconnecting and reconnecting.
For iCal channels, wait for the next feed refresh.
Dates are blocked in Hospitable but available on a channel:
Check that the channel is still connected.
Verify you are looking at the correct property and listing.
For API channels, a disconnect/reconnect usually forces a full resync.
For iCal channels, ensure the correct Hospitable iCal export URL is imported into the channel.
A reservation appears on two channels (double booking):
This is most common with iCal connections due to refresh delays.
Cancel the reservation on the channel that received it later (the one that should have been blocked).
To prevent future double bookings, switch to API integrations where possible and avoid accepting instant bookings on iCal-connected channels.
Best practices for reliable syncing
Use API integrations instead of iCal whenever possible.
After connecting a new channel, manually verify that all existing reservations and blocked dates appear correctly in both Hospitable and the channel.
Periodically check your channel connection status in Hospitable to catch any disconnections early.
Avoid making changes directly in a channel's extranet if the same setting is managed by Hospitable — this can cause conflicts.
If you use a dynamic pricing tool, make sure it is integrated with Hospitable so rate changes flow through a single system.