Understanding iCal Sync

iCal is a universal calendar format that enables synchronization of availability across different platforms. It's particularly valuable when direct API connections aren't available for your vacation rental channels.

Key Features and Limitations

• Universal Compatibility. iCal works with most booking platforms and calendar systems, making it a reliable fallback option
• One-Way External Sync. Hostaway iCal links are designed for external channel integration only. Adding a Hostaway iCal link to another Hostaway listing will not synchronize events between them. You should use the cross-listing feature instead.
• Calendar Availability Only. iCal connections synchronize only your calendar's availability
  No Additional Property Data: Rates, listing descriptions, amenities, and other property information will not sync
• Future Reservations Only. Only upcoming reservations will be imported and exported
• All Events Treated as Reservations. Any blocked dates in an imported iCal feed appear as reservations (often labeled "Blocked")
  • If these dates are unblocked on the source platform, the reservation will be canceled in Hostaway
  • Some iCal connections only sync actual bookings, not manually blocked dates
  • For these connections, you'll need to manually block dates in Hostaway if they aren't received from the external channel

Step-by-step guide

iCal Export vs. Import

Before you start, please make sure you have everything needed to connect:

• All listings you have on the channel are also created in Hostaway
• The channel supports reservation import and export by iCal
• You understand how iCal and filtering work

Export reservations

What We Export (Information You Control)

When you generate an iCal link from your Hostaway listing, it can include:

• Guest name
• Reservation dates
• Guest phone number
• Number of guests
• Total price
• Length of stay (nights)
• Booking channel
• Check-in time (24-hour format)
• Check-out time (24-hour format)

How to export reservations using iCal

1. Go to your Hostaway Dashboard > Listings
2. Click on the Get iCal button and copy the URL
   
3. Use the URL with the import external reservations function that your rental channel supports
4. iCal will include Financial Data if the file is generated from a user who has admin access.
   • If you generate the iCal from a user who does not have access to financial data, the iCal will not have that information either
   • iCal information will be generated according to the user's permissions

Import reservations

What We Import (Varies by Channel)

The information received from external channels varies significantly:

• Some channels provide comprehensive booking details
• Others only send minimal information (check-in/out dates and guest name)
• Many channels omit pricing and guest contact details

How to import reservations using iCal

1. Go to your Hostaway Dashboard > Channel Manager > Channels
2. Click on Configure for Custom iCal
3. In the new window, at the top, select the listing you want to map and click on + Add new
4. In the new window, enter the iCal from the channel
5. Enter a channel name
6. Enter a description
7. Ignore phrases in the Summary field.
   • For example, when you send blocked dates due to an Airbnb reservation to a channel, it sometimes will send back, SUMMARY: BLOCKED.
   • When you import this Blocked event, it will create a new "reservation" in Hostaway, and due to this, you have a fake "double booking warning".
   • The filter allows you to add "BLOCKED" as a filter, so all events will be ignored if they contain BLOCKED in the summary field
8. Ignore phrases in the Description field. Same function as above
9. Import empty Summary fields. When you look into your iCal file with an editor like Notepad++, you can review whether your channel is sending reservation events with an empty Summary field. If this is the case, you can allow it to be imported. Some other channels might send these empty events, for example, because it is a holiday on their channel. In that case, it is not a reservation, and you should block empty fields
10. Import empty Description fields: Same function as above
11. Save the new iCal import and verify in Hostaway > Reservation menu if the correct reservations are imported. When you need to adjust it, remove the channel and try again

Custom iCal Reservation Sync Time

• Syncing reservations by iCal is a traditional way that takes generally 30 minutes up to multiple days to complete.
• Custom iCal reservations are imported every 30-60 minutes into the Hostaway software.
• For exporting, it would depend on the channel pick-up time, and we can estimate around 60-180 minutes.
• If you manually accessed the same iCal as used in Hostaway, it takes another 2 hours before the Hostaway software can access it again.

Best Practices

For the most reliable calendar synchronization, we recommend:

• Checking your iCal connections regularly to ensure they're functioning properly
• Understanding which specific data each of your connected platforms shares via iCal
• Using direct API connections whenever possible for more comprehensive data synchronization

Troubleshooting

• There are hundreds of reasons why a setup might not work
• Hostaway support can only investigate your setup when you send over exact, detailed information in case of an error
• If you are planning to submit a request to our support team, please always provide:
  • The iCal export link from your channel
  • If it is a reservation-related topic, provide the full reservation details, including when the reservation was made, what happened, and what you expect to happen.