Guide to Importing iCal Data from Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO into iPRO

In the short-term rental industry, synchronising availability across multiple sales channels is crucial for avoiding double bookings and maintaining accurate calendars. Here’s a guide on how to import iCal data from Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO into iPRO, including examples of the data received from each platform.

Step-by-Step Guide to Import iCal Data into iPRO

1. Obtain the iCal URL from Each Platform:

   • Airbnb: Navigate to your listings and find the iCal URL under the "Availability" settings.
   • Booking.com: Access the calendar sync section in the property settings to get the iCal URL.
   • VRBO: Go to the reservation settings to find the iCal export link.

2. Add the iCal URL to iPRO:

   • Log in to your iPRO account.
   • Navigate to the property calendar section.
   • Add the iCal URL from each platform into iPRO to start the synchronisation process.

3. Configure Sync Settings in iPRO:

   • Set the synchronization frequency (iPRO imports data every 6 hours).
   • Ensure the imported data is treated as blockouts for accurate availability management.

Example Data from Each Platform

Airbnb iCal Example

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BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Airbnb Inc//Hosting Calendar 1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Airbnb Calendar
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:12345@airbnb.com
DTSTAMP:20240612T120000Z
DTSTART:20240701T140000Z
DTEND:20240705T110000Z
SUMMARY:Reserved
DESCRIPTION:Booking via Airbnb
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:67890@airbnb.com
DTSTAMP:20240612T120000Z
DTSTART:20240710T140000Z
DTEND:20240715T110000Z
SUMMARY:Reserved
DESCRIPTION:Booking via Airbnb
END:VEVENT

END:VCALENDAR

How That Displays in iPRO Property Calendar

The iPRO calendar will display bookings imported via iCal as greyed out. When you click on these dates, a summary box will appear, providing the information imported from Airbnb.

Example Summary Box:

• Summary: Reserved
• Description: Reservation URL: https://www.airbnb.com/hosting/reservations/details/xxxxxx Phone Number (Last 4 digits 2959)

This example illustrates that the data provided by Airbnb includes just the Title 'Reserved' and the reservation URL: summary and the iCal link. The dates are marked as 'Busy'.

Booking.com iCal Example

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BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Booking.com//Booking Calendar 1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Booking.com Calendar
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:abcd1234@booking.com
DTSTAMP:20240612T120000Z
DTSTART:20240701T140000Z
DTEND:20240705T110000Z
SUMMARY:Reserved
DESCRIPTION:Booking via Booking.com
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:efgh5678@booking.com
DTSTAMP:20240612T120000Z
DTSTART:20240710T140000Z
DTEND:20240715T110000Z
SUMMARY:Reserved
DESCRIPTION:Booking via Booking.com
END:VEVENT

END:VCALENDAR

How That Displays in iPRO Property Calendar

The iPRO calendar will display bookings imported via iCal as greyed out. When you click on these dates, a summary box will appear, providing the information imported from Airbnb.

Example Summary Box:

• Summary: CLOSED - Not Available
• Description: Staying for 342 nights at 65 - Villa Amelia (generated by iPRO based on dates and property)

This example illustrates that the data provided by Booking.com includes just the summary and the iCal link. The dates are marked as 'Busy'.

VRBO iCal Data

VRBO iCal Example

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BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//VRBO//Booking Calendar 1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:VRBO Calendar
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:xyza1234@vrbo.com
DTSTAMP:20240612T120000Z
DTSTART:20240701T140000Z
DTEND:20240705T110000Z
SUMMARY:Reserved
DESCRIPTION:Booking via VRBO
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:wxyz5678@vrbo.com
DTSTAMP:20240612T120000Z
DTSTART:20240710T140000Z
DTEND:20240715T110000Z
SUMMARY:Reserved
DESCRIPTION:Booking via VRBO
END:VEVENT

END:VCALENDAR

How VRBO Displays in the iPRO Property Calendar

The iPRO calendar will display bookings imported via iCal as greyed out. When you click on these dates, a summary box will appear, providing the information imported from VRBO.

Example Summary Box:

• Summary: Reserved - Chloe
• Description: Staying for 2 nights at 40488 - Royal Tudor Manor (generated by iPRO based on dates and property)

This example illustrates that the data provided by VRBO includes just the summary and the iCal link. The dates are marked as 'Busy'.