Airbnb Instant Book is a setting that hosts can opt into when managing each of their active Airbnb listings. Once turned on, the Instant Book feature allows guests to reserve your space without waiting for your individual approval. This is good for guests who appreciate convenience and who face time-sensitive travel plans. And it’s good for hosts who appreciate more bookings.
It’s always been the case that you could add a few (but only a few) conditions to the instant booking process, such as a requirement that the potential guest has at least one positive review, or a restriction on the amount of time prior to check-in that the potential guest can reserve (the latter feature is called “Advanced Notice”).
Airbnb Instant Book Calendar Sync – The Big Picture
Dive Into Details:
“Guests Agree To Your Rules”
Now you can add your own sort of “Terms & Conditions” to which your guests must agree before booking your property. This gives hosts like you a way to better screen potential guests and weeds out those who aren’t a right match for their Airbnb. This is a way for Instant Bookees to feel comfortable while welcoming eligible Instant Bookers.
“You Choose The Timing”
That whole “Advanced Notice” thing is now old news. With the recent Instant Book improvements, hosts can specify so much more than time limits before the start of a reservation – they can require that their guests stay a minimum number of nights, enforce seasonal booking conditions, allow themselves a certain amount of time to breathe between bookings, and even cap the check-in time for same-day instant booking requests.
This allows hosting to become a little bit more automated while being a lot more tailored. If this idea of an Airbnb hosting experience tailored to your needs has your ears perked up, you’ll want to take a look at what we can do for you, too.
“Calendar Sync Is Fine-Tuned”
Many hosts worry about running into the issue of double bookings and having to disappoint guests by canceling to fix the mistake. While Airbnb has worked to prevent this in the past by allowing iCloud & Google Calendar (and the like) sync to your account, they have now enhanced this feature to include the sync of your calendars on HomeAway & VRBO, as well.
And just as easily as hosts can import external calendars, they can export them as well. That means you can sync your listing availability across the board.
To put a face to the name so to speak, here are a few screenshots of the updated calendar features as they appear on your account:
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So, for the News in a few words… Airbnb is helping hosts’ guest requirements and listing specifics align with guests’ convenience.