Airbnb: introduction to mapping
Airbnb is distinct from your other channels in that it uses a custom connection. It also has a few other unique characteristics, as explained below.
There are two types of mapping:
Mapping when there are no listings created on Airbnb
When mapping, you can choose to create a new Airbnb ‘listing’ — the channel’s term for room rates — via our platform. But unlike most other channels, you do not need to create your rooms and rates on Airbnb as well as on our platform; the information entered in the room mapping process will be used to create and map the listing on Airbnb.Mapping when there are some active listings created on Airbnb that you want to connect to our platform
If you already have listings created in Airbnb, you can map our platform’s room rates to your Airbnb active listings to centralise your inventory and decrease overbookings.
Bear in mind, however, that the listing content added during the mapping — services, policies, media, descriptions — will overwrite the existing content on Airbnb (and from then on, the content will be managed through our platform). For example, images that exist on Airbnb but not on our platform will be deleted from Airbnb, so new images should be added via our platform.
Availability per listing — every room rate you map to Airbnb will create a listing on Airbnb with separate availability, so to help prevent overbookings, you should only map one room rate per room type. For example, if you have two room rates for a ‘Double room’ called ‘Double standard’ and ‘Double breakfast included’, you must choose one room rate to advertise on Airbnb; if you mapped both, the same room would be offered twice on Airbnb, thereby creating a risk of overbookings.
Discounts — Airbnb offers multiple discounts options, such as a long stay discount, earlybird offer, and last-minute offer. These discounts can be set on Airbnb’s extranet, but unlike other channels, they do not create additional room rates that need to be mapped; instead, they simply modify the price, as long as certain requirements are met.
Airbnb: pre-mapping setup
Before mapping to Airbnb, there are a few things you need to do that are not usually required with most channels — ensure you set up all of the following before you start mapping.
Enable connection to Airbnb — your property’s content (services, policies, and media) can only be sent to Airbnb after it has been enabled in our platform, otherwise the channel may reject your listings, so first follow follow these steps to enable Airbnb:
Go to My Apps > Channel Manager > Channels.
Click on Airbnb > Configure.
Go to the Channel settings tab.
Select Enabled and click on Save.
Set up your policies — next, set up your policies via our platform.
Set up your services — also set up a minimum of five services, otherwise known as amenities and features.
Upload, review, and edit your images — first, you must ensure that your images are in high resolution — we recommend 4200 x 2700 px @ 300dpi — and do not feature any watermarks, logos, or text. You need at least seven photos per Airbnb listing. If you have not done so already, upload your images by following the steps below.
Go to your property name in the top right corner > Property settings > Media.
Use the Upload images button to add images of your property and its rooms to our platform.
Once complete, go to Rooms and rates > Room types > and if necessary, click on a room type to rearrange its images > Configure > Media.
Set your check-in and check-out times — the times set on Airbnb (if already set) must match the times set in our platform. Leave a minimum three-hour period for both the check-in and check-out.
➕ For example, a check-in time of 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM will be rejected by Airbnb, whereas a 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM check-in will be accepted.