OTA channels (Airbnb, Booking.com) — iCal sync
This article complements Accommodation rental and stays. It covers iCal calendar sync between BUKMI and booking portals (OTAs) such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
Plan: channel sync is part of the accommodation module — available on every plan (Free, Starter, Growth, Pro).
This is not the same as Calendars (Google / Outlook / Apple), which reflect your staff schedule. Here you sync room occupancy with OTAs to reduce double bookings between BUKMI and Airbnb / Booking.com.
What iCal sync does (and does not)
Section titled “What iCal sync does (and does not)”| Yes | No |
|---|---|
| Export busy dates from BUKMI to OTAs (confirmed direct bookings + manual blocks) | Full OTA reservations in the Bookings list (iCal has no guest details) |
| Import busy dates from OTAs into BUKMI (as external blocks) | Sync of rates, min stay, guest counts |
| Blocks dates in the availability engine and occupancy calendar | Real-time updates (OTAs refresh iCal with 15 min – 24 h lag) |
iCal is busy/free exchange, not a full channel manager.
Where to configure
Section titled “Where to configure”- Accommodations → select a unit (room, apartment, cabin).
- Open Channels (nav: Occupancy · Edit · Channels).
- Configure per unit — 1 OTA listing = 1 BUKMI unit.
With multiple OTAs (Airbnb + Booking.com), add a separate import URL per provider, but paste the same BUKMI export URL into each portal.
Export from BUKMI to OTAs
Section titled “Export from BUKMI to OTAs”What goes into the calendar file
Section titled “What goes into the calendar file”- Confirmed bookings (direct / staff) — no guest PII (anonymous “Occupied — bukmi” label).
- Manual blocked dates from the accommodation service availability tab.
- Turnover days — extends the exported range after check-out so OTAs do not sell nights during the cleaning gap.
Not exported: Pending bookings (e.g. during online payment). They still block dates in BUKMI, but OTAs may show those nights as available until payment confirms the booking.
General steps
Section titled “General steps”- In Channels, copy the export calendar URL.
- In the OTA extranet (Airbnb / Booking.com), find Import calendar / Calendar sync / Export availability.
- Paste the BUKMI URL as an external calendar source.
- Ensure export is enabled (toggle in BUKMI).
Link security
Section titled “Link security”The URL contains a secret token. If it leaks, use Generate new link — the old URL stops working; paste the new URL into all OTAs again.
Import from OTAs into BUKMI
Section titled “Import from OTAs into BUKMI”General steps
Section titled “General steps”- In Airbnb / Booking.com, copy the listing’s calendar export (iCal) URL.
- In BUKMI → Channels → pick the provider (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, or Other).
- Paste the URL, enable import, and Save.
- Optionally click Sync now (otherwise import runs automatically about every 30 minutes).
What appears in BUKMI
Section titled “What appears in BUKMI”- OTA dates become external blocks — visible on the occupancy calendar (External channel colour) and under External blocks on the Channels page.
- They do not create a row in Bookings — iCal does not include guest or price data.
You still manage OTA stays in the OTA extranet (or manually block/cancel in BUKMI).
Sync conflicts
Section titled “Sync conflicts”The Sync conflicts section shows overlap between:
- a BUKMI booking (confirmed or pending) and
- an imported OTA block.
Because of iCal lag on both sides, brief overlaps can happen. BUKMI does not auto-resolve them — check both channels and cancel or block dates where the reservation is wrong.
Common cases:
- A guest booked on Airbnb before import reached BUKMI — wait for the next import or block dates manually.
- A pending direct booking is not exported to OTAs — double-booking risk until payment confirms.
Airbnb — tips
Section titled “Airbnb — tips”In the Airbnb hosting calendar (exact menu labels may vary):
- Calendar → Availability settings / sync options.
- Import calendar — paste the BUKMI export URL.
- Copy Airbnb’s Export calendar link → paste in BUKMI as Airbnb import.
Airbnb typically refreshes imports every few minutes to several hours.
Booking.com — tips
Section titled “Booking.com — tips”In the Booking.com Extranet (property → calendar / sync):
- Add calendar import — BUKMI export URL.
- Copy Booking.com’s iCal export for the room → paste in BUKMI as Booking.com import.
Booking.com also updates iCal with delay — do not expect real-time sync.
Frequency and infrastructure
Section titled “Frequency and infrastructure”- BUKMI imports enabled channels every 30 minutes (background job queue).
- Export — OTAs poll your URL; BUKMI may briefly cache the response.
- The server needs task scheduling (
schedule:run) and a queue worker (e.g. Horizon in production).
Can I connect the same room to Airbnb and Booking.com?
Yes — one BUKMI export to both portals + separate import URLs from each portal in BUKMI.
Does sync set prices on Booking.com?
No. Set rates and stay rules in OTAs and in BUKMI pricing separately.
Does turnover block OTAs?
Yes — when exporting confirmed stays, BUKMI adds turnover days after check-out so channels do not sell cleaning nights.
Starter / Free — do I get Channels?
No — the accommodation module (including Channels) requires the accommodation rental feature on the business plan — available from Free upward.
Related articles
Section titled “Related articles”- Accommodation rental and stays — units, pricing, blocks, occupancy calendar.
- Calendars — Google / Outlook / Apple (staff schedule, not OTAs).
- Business and settings — timezone (check-in/out dates and iCal).