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Vrbo: From Vrbo iCal to Vrbo API

Gonçalo
  • Updated

How to transition from Vrbo iCal to Vrbo API?

When you start using your Hostaway account you might not have your Vrbo API connection set right away and might need to set instead a Vrbo iCal connection while you wait for the Vrbo team to initiate your implementation project and activate at that point your Vrbo API connection.

 

What should you do when being contacted by Vrbo to activate the API connection?

  1. Make sure to go through all the steps explaining how to connect to the Vrbo API

  2. Manually import existing Vrbo Reservations to Hostaway

    1. If you already had listings and reservations (past and future), Hostaway will not import them, and as soon as you remove the iCal connection those Vrbo reservations will no longer block the calendar

    2. If you used another Channel Manager before you will need to import reservations (manually or CSV) with the channel Vrbo. If you do not do that, Vrbo will not be able to open the properties

    3. You can get confirmation on this with your Vrbo Implementation Manager and they will tell you if you need to add any reservations in Hostaway to map them to Vrbo

    4. Reservations made after the API integration is live should be made through the API, so there is no need to import them

  3. Remove the Vrbo iCal from Hostaway for your listings. You should go to Hostaway Dashboard > Channel Manager > Listing Mapping and in front of the listing click on the "On" symbol for the Vrbo iCal and click Deactivate

  4. To confirm the sync is working, you can (after confirming the Vrbo iCal is Off) block a date in the Hostaway calendar, wait a few minutes, and then confirm that the date was blocked on the Vrbo calendar

  5. Confirm all listing settings in Vrbo are correct as well as calendar pricing

 

Revert Vrbo API connection to use iCal

  • To revert your Vrbo listings to use the iCal connection instead of the Vrbo API, you will need to disconnect your listings from the Vrbo API and then connect them to Vrbo via the iCal integration. This will allow Vrbo to handle the payment processing directly, avoiding any additional fees from using a third-party payment processor like Stripe

  • Once your listings are connected via iCal, Vrbo will manage the payment collection and you will no longer be responsible for the payment processing

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