Booking systems
Channel Manager for Holiday Lets and Glamping Explained
A plain guide to what a channel manager does, how it prevents double bookings, and when you can manage without one.
You’ve just added a second listing site, and now you’re nervous about the same night being sold twice. That’s the main reason owners start looking for a channel manager for holiday lets.
A channel manager is software that connects your calendar to each listing site, so a booking on one blocks those dates on all the others. If you have one or two units on a couple of sites, free iCal calendar sync may be enough. Once you have more units or more channels, a channel manager is usually worth paying for.
What a channel manager for holiday lets is
A channel manager is a tool that sends your availability, prices and bookings to every listing site you use, and brings new bookings back in. You change something once and it updates everywhere.
Each listing site is a “channel”. Say you list a shepherd’s hut with a hot tub on Airbnb, Booking.com and Canopy & Stars. Without a channel manager, you log into three dashboards to block a weekend, change a midweek rate or add a minimum stay. With one, you do it in one place.
It helps to know what a channel manager is not. It doesn’t take payments or message guests on its own. Those jobs belong to a property management system (PMS) or booking system, which is why many tools bundle the two together.
How a channel manager stops double bookings
It stops double bookings by updating every channel as soon as one of them gets a booking. The calendars stay in step, so the second guest can’t pick dates that are already gone.
Most channel managers connect to each platform through a direct link approved by that platform. When a booking comes in, the tool pushes the new availability to the others, usually within minutes. It can also carry rates, minimum stays and other rules, not just blocked dates.
That’s the difference from iCal. With iCal, each platform checks a calendar link on its own timetable, often every few hours. Imagine a guest books your Friday on one site while the other site still shows it free. A second guest books the same Friday in that gap, and you’re the one writing the apology email.
When a channel manager is needed and when iCal is enough
You can often manage with iCal if you have one to three units on two or three channels and bookings don’t arrive in bursts. You need a channel manager when double bookings become likely or the admin eats your week.
Here’s a rough guide.
| Your situation | Likely fit |
|---|---|
| One pod or hut on two sites | iCal sync is usually enough |
| Three or four units on three sites | iCal with careful checking, or a channel manager |
| Five or more units, or four or more channels | A channel manager |
| Different rates or minimum stays per site | A channel manager |
| Busy peak season with frequent last-minute bookings | A channel manager |
Channel manager options for holiday lets
There are four common setups, and the right one depends on whether you already use booking software and how many channels you need.
| Setup | Best for | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|
| iCal calendar links | A small site on a few channels | Not instant, dates only |
| Channel manager built into booking software | Owners who want calendar, bookings and messages in one place | Which channels it connects to |
| Standalone connectivity provider (Rentals United style) | Larger setups, or if your booking system has no channels of its own | An extra tool and bill to link up |
| Booking system on your own website with calendar sync | Taking direct bookings alongside a few listing sites | Which listing sites it syncs with |
Tools such as Lodgify, Smoobu and Hostaway are examples of booking software that include channel management. Standalone connectivity providers sit between your booking system and the listing sites, and they tend to suit bigger portfolios. Which is better comes down to the channels you use, the number of units, and how much you want to run from one screen.
If you already use Lodgify, we can build you a custom website with Lodgify bookings that takes direct bookings while Lodgify handles the channels.
How it connects to Canopy & Stars and CoolStays
A channel manager connects to each listing site either through a direct link or through an iCal calendar, depending on what that site supports. Not every listing site connects to every tool.
For glamping, that matters. Canopy & Stars, CoolStays, Airbnb and Booking.com are the sites most owners want covered. Our own website calendars can sync with Airbnb, Booking.com, Canopy & Stars, CoolStays and others. Before you pay for any channel manager, ask each listing site how it prefers to connect, and check the tool’s channel list for the sites you use.
Smaller listing sites are the ones most likely to be missing. If one of your best sources of bookings isn’t supported, you’re back to updating it by hand, and that’s where double bookings sneak in.
What to check before choosing one
Check that the tool covers your channels, handles your rates and takes bookings from your own website. Then test it before peak season.
The own-website point is the one owners forget. A booking on your site should block the same dates on Airbnb and the rest, and the reverse. Otherwise the channel manager protects your listings from each other but leaves your direct bookings exposed.
Where your own website fits in
Your own website is the one channel you don’t pay commission on, and it should sit inside the same calendar as everything else. Guests who find you on a listing site often search for your own site afterwards, hoping for a better deal.
That makes direct bookings worth protecting. A website with a booking calendar, a short enquiry form and your rates on one page gives those guests somewhere to go. For Millie the Hut, a shepherd’s hut near Presteigne, that kind of page brought 42 direct bookings in its first year, saving the owners over £3,000 in commission.
FAQs
How much does a channel manager for a holiday let cost?
It depends on the provider and how they charge. Some charge a monthly fee per property, some take a small percentage of bookings, and some are bundled into booking software. Providers publish their own pricing, so compare the full monthly cost for your number of units and channels before you sign up.
What is the difference between a channel manager and a property management system?
A channel manager keeps availability, rates and bookings in step across listing sites. A property management system (PMS) runs the day to day, such as the booking diary, guest messages and payments. Many tools combine both, so you often get a channel manager built into booking software.
Do glamping sites need a channel manager?
A single pod or hut on two listing sites can often manage with iCal calendar sync. A channel manager makes more sense once you have several units, three or more channels, or you want to set different rates per channel from one place. The deciding factor is how much a double booking would cost you.
Is iCal sync instant?
No. iCal works by each platform checking your calendar link on its own schedule, which can be every few hours. A booking made in between can slip through. A channel manager uses a direct connection to each platform, so changes usually reach the other channels much faster.
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