Stop Double Bookings: 3 Ways to Sync Your Availability

Double bookings cost you money, damage your reputation, and waste precious time on damage control. For small tourism businesses juggling Airbnb, Booking.com, and your own website, keeping availability synchronised is critical but often overwhelming.

The Real Cost of Poor Synchronisation

Before diving into solutions, consider what one double booking actually costs:

• Refunds or relocating guests to competitor properties

• Negative reviews that impact future bookings

• Hours spent resolving the issue

• Lost trust with guests who may never return

For most small properties, a single double booking can cost $200-500+ in direct losses, not counting the long-term reputation damage.

Your Three Synchronisation Paths

Path 1: iCal Links

Think of iCal as your availability's universal translator. You generate a calendar link from one platform and plug it into others, letting them "read" your bookings.

The reality: iCal is free and simple to set up, making it perfect for properties with fewer than 10 rooms or activities. However, it only shares availability - not pricing or guest details.

Bottom line: If you're on 2-3 booking platforms and have manageable booking volume, iCal gets you 80% of the way there at zero cost.

Path 2: Channel Managers

Channel managers like Cloudbeds connect all your booking channels through real-time, two-way communication. When a guest books on Airbnb, your Booking.com and Expedia listings update instantly—along with rates, restrictions, and minimum stays.

The reality: You'll pay $50-250 monthly depending on your property size, but you gain automated workflows, centralized reporting, and zero manual calendar updates. Cloudbeds connects to 300+ channels and offers comprehensive property management tools in one dashboard.

Cloudbeds meets Tab: Connect Cloudbeds with Tab's Checkout Flow to process payments directly through your website while Cloudbeds handles all your OTA distribution. Your guests book commission-free on your site, payments flow through Tab, and Cloudbeds keeps everything synchronized across all channels—no manual intervention needed.

Bottom line: If you're managing 5+ channels or serious about scaling, channel managers pay for themselves by preventing errors and reclaiming your time.

Path 3: Direct Booking Widgets (Best for Reducing OTA Commissions)

OTA commissions eat 15-25% of every booking. A booking widget on your website lets guests book directly, keeping that revenue in your pocket.

Tab's Checkout Flow is built for exactly this purpose:

• Embed the widget directly on your website

• Sync availability through iCal integration (perfect for properties with named, individual rooms)

• Accept payments with secure card processing

• Display multiple room types or activities with specific pricing

• Maintain real-time availability without double bookings

For Cloudbeds users: The Tab-Cloudbeds integration creates a powerful combination. Use Cloudbeds to manage your property and all OTA channels, then let Tab handle your direct website bookings and payments. You get enterprise-level channel management with commission-free direct booking capability.

Bottom line: Even if you start with just iCal connections, adding Tab's widget to your website creates a direct booking channel that compounds in value as you build your online presence.