If you are using the Pro version, you can share room availability information with vacation rental websites that support the iCal format (one-way connection). However, a few iCal channels additionally also support automatic “booking retrieval” (two-way connection).

iCal is a file format that represents the calendar for a certain room. Bookings and restrictions appear as blocked dates in the calendar, and thus indicate which dates the room is available

  1. Go to Settings -> Channels -> iCal and click “Connect”.
  2. Find the room for which you want to share availability information and click Generate export URL.
  3. Copy the URL displayed and share it with any number of iCal channels. The channels may then call the URL regularly, and Sirvoy will respond with the availability for that room.
  4. For iCal channels that support two-way connections,
    • Copy the valid iCal URL from the iCal channel and paste it into the “Enter iCal URL here” field for each unit.
    • Under “Select room type” choose an associated room type you want bookings to be imported to. Sirvoy will automatically recognize and accept supported iCal formats.
    • Click “Add import URL.” Incompatible iCal formats will generate an error message.
Please be aware of the following:
  • With only one Sirvoy account, you can connect to several different listings. (Applies to all iCal channels.)
  • Prices set in Sirvoy are NOT sent to iCal channels – only availability is. This means that you have to set your prices in your iCal channel account.
  • For all iCal channels, Sirvoy shares availability information one year ahead of the current date.
  • When detecting a likely cancellation, Sirvoy will cancel the booking automatically and send you an email to inform you about it.
  • Modifications on bookings such as changes of unit or date, made by you or a guest, will come through to Sirvoy. The modification should always be made on the channel’s side. Please note that if a change of unit is made in Sirvoy instead of on the iCal channel, this will trigger the booking to be automatically canceled in Sirvoy.
  • If you set up a restriction in Sirvoy in order to block a unit on an iCal channel, you need to tick the box “Stays not allowed (including check-in)” as well. Ticking only “Check-in not allowed” will not block the unit on the channel. The restriction “Bookable days” is not compatible with iCal. Also, limiting how far in advance or how close to check-in bookings can be made has to be set on the channel.
  • The settings for the export calendar URL link in VRBO and HomeAway are recommended to be set to “non tentative”, as booking requests will be visible in Sirvoy elseway. If tentative bookings are imported to Sirvoy it may also cause conflict status in the booking in the HomeAway calendar.
  • Sirvoy will receive very few details about the booking via iCal. Room price, occupancy, guest name(s) or any related credit card information are NOT sent from the channel. The field >guest name< will appear as “No Name”.
  • The occupancy in these bookings will be set to 1 person by default. If the room is used in multiple room types in Sirvoy, you can control the room type that bookings should be imported to on the iCal mapping page. In case you want to import bookings to a different room type, the previous mapping needs to be deleted first. To make such a change, copy the import iCal URL and then delete the import. Then add the import iCal URL back and from the dropdown menu, select the room type you wish to use in the connection. Please note that such change of mapping will not update already existing bookings, but affect only future ones.
  • The room price in the booking will be set to whatever is configured in Sirvoy for the connected room type, with occupancy 1, including any price changes.
Note: Sirvoy has no control over how often the channel calls the URL to check the availability. Some channels will check less frequently, possibly once a day. Most channels also restrict how often Sirvoy can check for new bookings, typically once every hour. In other words, you should expect some delays when using the iCal format. Consider also that these delays may cause overbookings.