What is an Airbnb channel manager?

An Airbnb channel manager is a tool that connects your property management system directly with Airbnb, one of the leading online marketplaces for lodging and tourism activities. It’s designed to streamline the management of your Airbnb listings by automating essential tasks like updating availability, syncing rates, and consolidating reservations from Airbnb into your property management system.

Why should small accommodation providers use an Airbnb channel manager?

For small accommodation providers, leveraging an Airbnb channel manager can be a game changer when it comes to saving time and making life easier.

The primary role of an Airbnb channel manager is to simplify your hosting journey by automating essential tasks related to managing your Airbnb listings. This includes real-time updates of room availability, syncing prices across different platforms, and unifying all Airbnb reservations into your PMS. 

But that’s not all! Airbnb channel managers take on the critical task of reducing the risk of double bookings. It does this by ensuring the information on room availability across all your linked channels is accurate and up-to-date. This feature alone can save you from considerable inconvenience and potentially negative guest reviews.

The magic of this tool is in its capacity to connect multiple Airbnb listings and other sales channels at once. This means that if you’re managing more than one property, or if you list your property on several online platforms, an Airbnb channel manager can help keep everything organised and running smoothly.

So, in a nutshell, an Airbnb channel manager is a tool designed to not just keep things organised, but also to help expand your reach, boost your efficiency, and enhance the overall management of your listings on Airbnb.

Key features of an Airbnb channel manager software

In a high quality Airbnb channel manager, like Little Hotelier, you can expect to find:

  • Real-time synchronisation: Airbnb channel manager software automatically updates availability and rates across all listings in real-time. This prevents overbooking and ensures your listings are always accurate and up-to-date.
  • Centralised reservations: All bookings from Airbnb are directly imported into your hotel management system, consolidating all your reservation information in one place for easy access and management.
  • Automated processes: The software automates many routine tasks such as managing availability, processing reservations, and communicating with guests, saving you valuable time and reducing the risk of human error.
  • Performance analytics: Comprehensive analytics provide insights into your Airbnb performance, allowing you to track booking trends, understand guest behaviour, and make data-driven decisions.

Key benefits of an Airbnb channel manager

The features above tie directly into the positive results you can drive at your property. The main benefits of an Airbnb channel manager include:

  • Increased visibility: By integrating with Airbnb, your property gains exposure to a worldwide audience, potentially boosting your bookings and revenue.
  • Less time on admin, more time on growth: The automation of routine tasks frees up your time, allowing you to focus on enhancing guest experience and growing your business.
  • Improved accuracy: Real-time updates and automation significantly reduce the risk of errors and double bookings, enhancing your business’s professionalism and reliability.
  • Data-driven decision making: The software’s analytics feature allows you to make informed decisions, adjust your strategies based on performance data, and optimise your Airbnb hosting strategy for success.

Who can connect your small property to Airbnb?

A recent announcement has presented an exciting opportunity for B&Bs and small, boutique hotels to boost their distribution and reach even more travellers than ever.

The home-sharing leader, Airbnb, has launched officially into hotel and B&B offerings, giving travellers much more choice when it comes to choosing their accommodation on the platform. For unique, charming, and quirky properties that provide a quality guest experience, it’s a chance to reach a bigger and more consistent audience.

With a review system that allows the property to also offer feedback on guests, it gives you more control over your reputation.

Airbnb has also been very specific about who they use as technology partners. Little Hotelier is the world’s first all-in-one solution to give its customers the ability to quickly and easily list real-time rate and availability information on Airbnb.

How does the Airbnb integration work?

If you want to take full advantage of Airbnb and manage it alongside your other channels, it’s a good idea to do it through Little Hotelier’s channel manager.

Existing users of Little Hotelier’s channel manager can apply to be listed on Airbnb via our software partnership integration agreement.

Non-customers must be active in a free trial of Little Hotelier with at least one other live online channel to begin an Airbnb application.

Of course, Airbnb has set criteria for which properties will suit their platform and not all will be accepted. If approved, your real-time rate and availability information will be sent out to Airbnb and all reservation data will be delivered back into Little Hotelier.

Although some providers claim they support an Airbnb connection through calendar technologies, these solutions have several limitations including the fact that they are not real-time connections, which can lead to disappointing guest experiences such as accidental double bookings and forced cancellations. They aren’t true integrations in the same way as Little Hotelier.

The best channel manager for Airbnb

We may be biassed, but we think Little Hotelier offers the best Airbnb channel manager experience on the market. It’s designed exclusively for small hoteliers, offering an easy-to-understand, user-friendly interface packed with a suite of powerful features designed to help you overcome your unique challenges.

  • Integrated with Airbnb. Little Hotelier is one of the world’s first all-in-one hotel management systems that integrates directly with Airbnb – we’re one of Airbnb’s integration software partners. This means no hiccups, expert support, and a fast integration so you can get your rooms listed sooner.
  • All-in-one solution. Tired of jumping around from listing platform to listing platform just to update your property details? Little Hotelier does it all in one place, saving you time, reducing errors, and ensuring you can get back to what’s most important: growing your business, not dealing with admin.
  • In-depth analytics. Getting onto Airbnb is one thing, but optimising your listings for your audience is key to securing more bookings and growing your revenue. Little Hotelier offers in-depth analytics on everything from who is staying, what they’re buying, when you’re at your most popular, and maybe most importantly, what your competitors are up to.

Use Little Hotelier today as your chosen Airbnb channel manager to start enjoying world-leading hotel property management for a fixed monthly fee – no commissions required.

By Dean Elphick

Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).