Learn the basics of reservation management in Hostaway, including reservation types, statuses, and the main actions available from the reservation workflow.
Reservations Tab
In the Reservations tab, you can view the main table containing all reservations.
You can customize the table to suit your needs using two main features that are easily accessible: Filters and the gear icon.
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Filters allow you to narrow down reservations based on different parameters such as dates, listings, tags, channels, status, and more.
- The gear icon, located in the upper-right corner of the table, allows you to choose which columns are displayed and also reorder them according to your preferences.
Reservation Statuses
- New: The reservation is confirmed.
- Modified: A confirmed reservation that has been modified (such as dates, rates, or number of guests).
- Confirmed: A filter category that groups both "New" and "Modified" reservation statuses.
- Canceled: A reservation that has been canceled by the host, the guest, or directly via the booking channel.
- Pending: Airbnb only - The guest has requested a booking and entered their payment details on Airbnb, and is now waiting for your approval.
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Awaiting Payment: The reservation details have been captured, but the transaction is not yet finalized. This applies to:
- Airbnb: The guest's reservation is approved, but Airbnb is waiting for a valid payment method from the guest.
- Booking Website (Booking Engine): The guest has completed Step 1 of the checkout (entering guest/reservation details). The reservation is created in Hostaway under this status, and the calendar is temporarily blocked to prevent double-bookings while the guest completes Step 2 (payment).
- Public API, channel Direct, and Partners: contact the API using party for use details.
- Declined: Booking requests that were rejected by the host.
- Inquiries: A question or request from a guest who has not yet made a booking.
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Expired: Booking requests or temporary reservations that were not completed or accepted within the allowed timeframe. This includes:
- Airbnb & Vrbo: Booking requests that were not accepted by the host within the channel's designated time limit (usually 24 hours).
- Booking Website & Google VR: Temporary reservations created during Step 1 of checkout that did not receive a successful payment within 30 minutes.
- Public API, channel Direct, and Partners: contact the API using party for use details.
Understanding Expired Reservations & Calendar Blocks
The behavior of an Expired reservation—and whether it continues to block your calendar—depends entirely on the booking channel:
1. Booking Website & Google VR (Direct Channels)
- Automatic Expiration: If a guest does not successfully complete the payment (Step 2) within 30 minutes, the reservation status automatically updates to Expired.
- Calendar Block: The temporary calendar block is automatically released, making the dates available for other guests to book immediately.
- Payment Actions: Once expired, all payment action buttons (such as adding payment methods or manual charging) are disabled, and guests can no longer complete payments via the Guest Portal or payment links.
2. Airbnb & Vrbo
- Channel Rules: When an Airbnb or Vrbo reservation goes into "Awaiting Payment" or "Expired" status, the channel's API instructs Hostaway to keep the calendar blocked.
- Calendar Block: The calendar dates will remain blocked in Hostaway to align with the OTA's requirements.
- Manual Resolution: If the booking will not proceed and you need to free up the calendar immediately, you can contact Hostaway Support to manually remove the blocked reservation from your dashboard.
⚠️ Note on Legacy Booking Website Behavior
Previously, when a booking attempt on the Booking Website failed due to payment issues, the temporary reservation was deleted entirely from the backend. This meant hosts would sometimes receive an initial booking notification, but could not find the reservation in their dashboard.
This behavior has been updated. Failed checkout attempts are no longer deleted. Instead, they will remain visible in your Hostaway dashboard under the Expired status for better record-keeping, transparency, and reporting.
Managing Reservations
Using the Filter feature under Reservations, you can simultaneously filter for more than one reservation status.
Note that you:
- Cannot delete a reservation - Read more here
If a reservation has been canceled/modified by the channel but not in Hostaway, contact our Support Team with the guest name, check-in date, and Hostaway reservation ID.
How to Modify Reservations
There are several ways to modify a reservation from Hostaway. You can change a reservation from the calendar or the specific reservation. Some platforms, such as Airbnb, require you to go to their platforms to make any reservation changes. Please watch the video below to learn how to modify reservations.
Modify Check-Out Dates for Booking.com Reservations
Users can update a guest's check-out date directly from the reservation details page without leaving our platform. Here's how it works:
- Adjust the check-out date in Hostaway
- We estimate the new price and send it to Booking.com
- Once approved by Booking.com, the guest is notified
- The reservation is updated automatically on Hostaway with the final price
⚠️ Important Conditions: a check-out date can only be changed if:
- The guest has already checked in
- The reservation is not cancelled
- The booking is not overbooked
- The property does not use payments by Booking.com or online payments
- The check-out date hasn't been modified in the last 24 hours
This feature streamlines reservation management, giving users more flexibility and control—all from our platform.
Reservation Payment Status
In the video below, we will show you how to view and track the payment status of reservations in the Hostaway platform. Knowing the payment status of each reservation will help you stay on top of your finances and ensure a seamless experience for your guests. We'll cover everything you need to know to quickly find and interpret payment statuses so you can efficiently manage the financial details of each booking.
Inquiries - Airbnb
- Inquiry: A question from a guest who is not ready to book yet. You can pre-approve the guest in the Reservation details
- Inquiry Pre-approved: This inquiry is pre-approved. It means the dates are reserved for the guest, and the guest has 24 hours to confirm the booking
- Inquiry Timed-out: If an inquiry is not answered within 24 hours, it will time out automatically
- Inquiry Not Possible: This is rare but is used when a guest makes an inquiry that is later deleted. For example, a fraudulent guest account might get deleted after the inquiry was made, and this status is a result of it. Or these dates can't be booked
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Inquiry Denied: This is a guest who wanted to book, and the host denied it. Airbnb only releases email and phone numbers once a reservation is approved/Accepted by both parties
Inquiries. Booking Engine and Google Vacation Rentals
Please read this article about how to approve inquiries and pending reservations on Hostaway coming from both the Booking Engine and Google Vacation Rentals.
Inquiries. Vrbo
Please read this article about how to manage inquiries coming from Vrbo.
Difference between Pre-Approval and Approval
- Pre-Approve: A guest has contacted the host about specific dates, and the host has responded by inviting them to book the dates. If there is an inquiry coming from the guest, but without any credit card yet entered, this guest can be pre-approved by the host. If the guest accepts the pre-approval request within 24 hours, their reservation will be confirmed
- Approve: If there is a reservation request wherein the guest has already provided their credit card details, and the guest is ready to book without further questions, this can be approved by the host
Partner Reservations
Reservations that are received from partners, i.e., ICND, use of the public API, are recorded under the new channel "Partners".
Financial fields and formulas
This section is under the main reservation details and is visible to admin-level users only. It includes the relevant financial fields and formulas that apply to the reservation, allowing for a quick dive into the numbers per reservation. This brings the power and flexibility of Financial Reporting to the reservation page, where it is more easily accessible and can help with troubleshooting as well.
Read more about Financial Reporting.
Custom fields
Some property managers want to have additional fields in their reservations. You can add any fields you wish and use them in Message Automation.
Mobile App
It is possible to edit reservations in the Mobile App. For that, go to a reservation and on the top-right of the screen, click on the three dots.
The editing options and limitations are similar to the existing ones in the dashboard. This is especially useful for adding host notes, modifying the number of guests, check-in/out dates (for some channels), and phone numbers.
You can also check and update the following via the Mobile App:
- Door codes
- Reservation Cancellation
- Accept inquiries from the Booking Engine through the Inbox