Start with what you need
Three ways to put every booking in one place
All three options start from the same thing: the iCal export link that Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and many other platforms give you for each listing. The link is a private calendar feed, usually ending in .ics. It is not your public listing address.
| Option | A good fit when |
|---|---|
| Google or Apple Calendar subscription | You want your own bookings beside your personal calendar, and a delay of several hours is acceptable. |
| A calendar built for hosts | You host 1–8 properties and want occupancy at a glance, plus direct bookings that block your other platforms. |
| A channel manager | You manage many listings, change prices often, or need updates faster than iCal allows. |
Whichever you choose, a combined view does not by itself connect Airbnb to Booking.com. To stop one platform taking a booking for nights sold on another, the platforms also need each other’s calendars. The Airbnb and Booking.com sync guide explains which link goes where.
Free, and already on your phone
Subscribe in Google Calendar or Apple Calendar
- Copy the iCal export link for each listing. The setup guide shows where Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo keep it.
- On a computer, open Google Calendar. Next to Other calendars, select Add (+), then From URL.
- Paste one link and select Add calendar. Repeat for every listing, and give each calendar its own colour.
The calendars then appear in the Google Calendar app on your phone too. It costs nothing, and it is a good way to see your own reservations next to the rest of your day.
What to expect
Google Calendar refreshes subscribed calendars on its own schedule, which can take several hours, and you cannot force a refresh. On a Mac, Apple Calendar lets you choose how often a subscription refreshes.
Each link is a separate calendar showing the platform’s own labels. Airbnb’s feed also lists nights you blocked yourself as “Airbnb (Not available)”, so blocked nights and real stays sit side by side. There is no view of which properties are free tonight or how full your month is.
Subscribed calendars are read-only. Nothing you add there reaches Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo.
Built around your properties
Use a free calendar made for hosts
HomestayCalendar uses the same iCal links but organises them by property, for 1–8 properties. It is free, and no credit card is needed.
- Create a free account and add each property in Settings → Properties.
- Paste each platform’s link into the matching field: Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, or another iCal calendar.
- Open the calendar. Every property appears in one month or week view, with tonight’s occupancy, upcoming arrivals and the next night every property is free.
Bookings taken by phone, message or email can go in the same calendar as direct bookings, and you can block nights for maintenance or your own stay. Each property has an export link that Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo can import, so those platforms see the nights you have taken. Imported feeds are checked in the background every 10 minutes, and you can turn on new booking alerts on your phone.
It is still iCal. Each platform reads your export link on its own schedule, and prices and guest messages stay on each platform. Check availability on the platform before accepting a last-minute stay.
When dates are not enough
Use a channel manager for prices and faster updates
A channel manager is a paid service that connects to booking platforms, often through their official connections rather than iCal. That can keep availability, prices and minimum stays in step across platforms much faster than calendar links.
It usually costs a monthly fee per listing, and setup takes longer. It is worth comparing if you manage many listings, change prices often, or receive many same-day bookings. Before signing up, check which platforms each provider connects to directly and which still use iCal.
A quick decision
Which one should you choose?
- One listing, and you just want to see it: a Google or Apple Calendar subscription is enough.
- Up to 8 properties, plus direct guests: a host calendar such as HomestayCalendar shows occupancy across properties and shares your direct bookings with your platforms.
- Many listings, or prices that change daily:compare channel managers.
You can start with the free options and change later. The iCal links stay the same, so nothing you set up is wasted.