ONBOARDING GUIDE FOR HOTELS JOINING AIRBNB

Getting started

First, make sure the commercial agreements are in place:

1. Does your hotel have an existing commercial agreement with Airbnb? If not, contact Airbnb directly at inbounds@airbnb.com to get this completed.
   
2. Do you have an existing agreement in place with HTI to sell your property via SynXis? If not, contact the HTI sales team for a quote - sales@htihospitality.tech.  A customer success agent will be in contact with you to configure your property on Sabre SynXis.
   
3. Does your commercial agreement with HTI and Sabre Hospitality Solutions (SynXis) include Channel+ (Channel Connect) transactions? If not, contact HTI to get a quote. Discuss the Airbnb opportunity with HTI, and if it is a fit for your hotel, the customer success agent will work with the Sabre Implementations Team to activate the Airbnb channel.
   

1. Once the client completed the property build on Airbnb, they need to send a notification to HTI requesting an Airbnb connection through SynXis. (Sometimes an Airbnb contact will notify Sabre directly. It just means that Sabre will make the initial contact with HTI instead of vice versa.)
   
2. HTI will determine whether the client has a Channel+ quote in place to activate this connection.
3. Once the quote is in place, HTI will submit the request to their Sabre Hospitality Solutions Account Manager.
4. A Sabre implementation manager will be assigned and contact HTI to get the process started.
5. The Sabre SynXis implementation team will submit an activation request to their Online Distribution team (ODS team). They will contact whoever is added as the HTI customer success agent specified on this case. Therefore, the only people the Sabre ODS team will liase with is the HTI contact on the case and the relevant contact person/team at Airbnb's side.
   
6. The HTI agent will be required to communicate with the client if any information is needed from them.

What does this integration entail?

OFFER SUMMARY

Business Model: B2C

Rate: Retail Commissionable Rates (sell)

Target Hotel Market (s): Global

Booking Audience Market (s): Global

List of websites on which hotel will display: www.airbnb.com

Founded in 2008, Airbnb exists to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere, providing healthy travel that is local, authentic, diverse, inclusive and sustainable. Airbnb uniquely leverages technology to economically empower millions of people around the world to unlock and monetize their spaces, passions and talents to become hospitality entrepreneurs. Airbnb’s accommodation marketplace provides access to 6+ million unique places to stay in 100,000+ cities and 191 countries and regions. With Experiences, Airbnb offers unprecedented access to 2 Airbnb Participation local communities and interests through 40,000+ unique, handcrafted activities run by hosts across 1,000+ markets around the world. Airbnb’s people-to-people platform benefits all its stakeholders, including hosts, guests, employees and the communities in which it operates.

RATE STRATEGY

Airbnb rates are net or commissionable.

BOOKING FEE

Airbnb negotiates a contracted mark-up/margin directly with the Hotel or Hotel Company.

A per booking fee to HTI applies for all reservations booked through the SynXis Channel Connect. Ensure that you contacted HTI for a Channel+ quote.

FRONT OFFICE/ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES

Mark the rate as negotiated in Nebula CRS. Rates should always be suppressed from the guest when offering net rates. Guest is responsible for any incidentals. A credit card is not provided on reservations booking through Airbnb. The hotel will invoice Airbnb upon check-out for room and tax. 

FEATURE SUPPORT/LIMITATIONS

The below features refer to the SynXis > Airbnb connection.

Restrictions
Close Out	✓
Min Lead Days	NOT SUPPORTED
Max Lead Days	NOT SUPPORTED
Min Lead Time	NOT SUPPORTED
Max Lead Time	NOT SUPPORTED
Lead Book Date	✓
No Arrival	✓
No Departure	✓
Min Stay Arrival	✓
Max Stay Arrival	✓
Min Stay Thru	NOT SUPPORTED
Max Stay Thru	NOT SUPPORTED
FPLOS (No Arrival by LOS)	✓ 1-8 Night Supported
Sell Limit	✓ This feature works differently depending on whether the hotel has enabled Predicted Inventory in the SynXis CR: When the hotel is using the default model, the sell limit is not considered when calculating the inventory count that is pushed to Airbnb; however, a close message is sent when the sell limit is reached. When a hotel is using predicted inventory, the sell limit value is sent to Airbnb as the inventory value when it is applied at the room level. When the sell limit is reached, a close message is sent
Sell Threshold	✓ This feature works differently depending on whether the hotel has enabled Predicted Inventory in the SynXis CR: When the hotel is using the default model, the sell threshold is not considered when calculating the inventory count that is pushed to Airbnb; however, a close message is sent when the sell threshold is reached. Negative thresholds are not supported. When a hotel is using predicted inventory, the sell threshold value is subtracted from the physical inventory count to calculate the predicted inventory count that is sent to Airbnb. A close is sent when the calculated inventory is depleted.

Pricing
Derived Rates	✓
Day of Week Offsets	✓
Length of Stay Offsets	✓ 1-8 Night Supported with LOS Pricing
Occupancy Offsets	✓ 1-5 Occupants are Supported
Promotional Pricing	Partially Supported - For Promotions with no min LOS requirement, promotional pricing will be supported. Hotels on daily rates will need to use another rate plan with derived pricing and min LOS setting.
Rate Overrides	✓
Child Ages	NOT SUPPORTED
Occupancy Based Pricing	NOT SUPPORTED

Revenue Management
Absolute BAR	NOT SUPPORTED
BAR by LOS	✓ 1-8 Night Supported
BAR by Stay Date	✓
Rate Hurdles	✓ 1-8 Night Supported with LOS Pricing

Other
Dynamic Packaging	NOT SUPPORTED
Product Allocation	✓

CONTENT

Airbnb obtains images and content from the hotel directly. If updates are required, contact hotelonboarding@airbnb.com. 

WHAT TO EXPECT

Timeline Expectations

While we anticipate hotels to go live quickly (once the commercial agreement between Airbnb and the hotel is in place), timelines can be influenced by:

- Airbnb approval & prioritization.

- Hotels’ ability to provide the Product Data Sheet quickly

- Number of hotels/products included in the implementation project

- Resourcing/bandwidth of the Airbnb team.

Cutover

Following notification that your property is live, you should review your listing and verify content, rates and availability. Please report any issues to the HTI Customer Success Team htisupport@htihospitality.tech who in turn will escalate it, if necessary, with the Sabre  Customer Care Desk at SHSCustomerCare@sabre.com. 

AIRBNB PRODUCT DATASHEET

Airbnb requires additional mapping data to complete the implementation. Your Implementation Manager will provide you with a datasheet that must be completed. This will then be verified and submitted to AIRBNB on your behalf. Any maintenance request such as new rate plans, promotions, or room types that are added to Airbnb will require the updates be made in SynXis CR by HTI. Thereafter, send the request to HTI who in turn will submit it to the Sabre Hospitality Solutions OTA Update Services Team via the Customer Portal or via email to SHSOTAServices@sabre.com who will work with Airbnb to complete the request on your behalf as channel mapping will also need to be maintained for any new room/rate.

Configuring your property on Airbnb

About Airbnb

Founded in 2008, Airbnb is a global travel community that offers magical end-to-end trips, including where you stay, what you do and the people you meet. Airbnb’s accommodation marketplace offers access to millions of places to stay in more than 191 countries.

Airbnb welcomes boutique hotels and professional hospitality providers who offer unique spaces and personal hospitality to the Airbnb community.

Together, Airbnb’s hosts and guests have redefined the way people travel. Connected by a shared passion for unique accommodation, incredible hospitality and experiences, boutique hotels and professional hospitality providers have come to trust the added value they get from using our platform. We are committed to long-term success for boutique hotels, hospitality professionals and entrepreneurs. 

Why connecting to Airbnb?

Now a platform designed for hotels and traditional hospitality. New product and technological features, specifically designed for Hotels and traditional hospitality businesses, were launched in April 2019. Airbnb is now a platform that meets the expectations of professional hospitality businesses.

High Demand: Hotels, Boutique Hotels, B&Bs and Hostels have unique merchandising on Airbnb and the opportunity to tap into Airbnb’s global user base. Transaction/Payment processing cost: Airbnb does not charge any credit card processing fee as we’re the merchant of record for all transactions that happen on the Airbnb platform. We cover all of the credit card fees for payments, as well as the liability of chargebacks and invalid credit cards. Payment is made on the day of check-in.

Airbnb Contacts

The host can contact the customer service for any needs using this link: https://www.airbnb.it/help/contact_us 

Airbnb Service Fee

1. If you are new to Airbnb, you will need to create an Airbnb host account and follow the instructions as provided in the Net New Property section.
   

Net New Property

Any new property needs to open a case with the SHS Synxis Team.

1. Synxis Team will then reach out to property with an email that includes an Airbnb link for hotels to request sign up to Airbnb.
   
2. Within 48 hours the property will be receiving an activation link to begin creating their Airbnb profile via email:
   

a. Open email link for Account set up.

b. Host will need to sign Airbnb Hotel Terms of Service

c. Host will have to complete property address and information

d. Then they will have to Select Software Partner and create Room Types

e. Once room types are complete you will proceed to a checklist with all the content and information that needs to be provided to complete the Airbnb listing

f. You can always review if everything is complete or which steps are missing in the Set Up Tab:

1. Please add information into Property details, Photos, Spaces and amenities, policies, regulations, pricing tabs.
   
2. Step 1. Fill it out at property level amenities and information
   
3. Step 2: add amenities for each room listings.
   
4. Picture requirement is Minimum size 820 x 312px
   

h. Set up Payment Information

Please note we do not have Virtual Credit Cards as an option. Add Direct Billing

1. If the profile is not complete yet there will be a notification on the listing stating what is missing.
   
2. Once everything is complete: Click on Finish button
   

1. Start in Manage RAte Plans, make sure all the rate plans you would like are available. Must be at least 1 created
   
2. Then go to Manage Connection
   

1. Please specify if it is Occupancy based or Room Based
   
2. Select which Channel to authorize in the drop-down
   
3. Select if you want to enforce length-of-stay restrictions by date or stay-through.
   
4. Click on Authorize Connection
   

1. Upon clicking on the Authorize connection, the host can send over Property ID, User ID, Rate Plan ID, Room Type IDs to ODS team at Synxis. 
   

Configuring the Airbnb connection in Nebula CRS & Sabre SynXis

The client needs to configure the following in Nebula CRS:

- Travel Agent or Tour Operator profile 

- Negotiated rate

HTI will use the above information to do the following configuration in SynXis.

If the client has direct access to their properties on SynXis, then they can do the configuration themselves. HTI will do the mapping between Nebula CRS and SynXis only.

RATE LOADING PROCEDURES

The following segments are designed to walk you through loading Airbnb rate into the SynXis Central Reservation (CR).

Add the Airbnb rate on SynXis and map it back to Nebula CRS with the applicable PMS codes.

1. This can be either a chain rate being allocated to the hotel.
   
2. A rate unique to that hotel
   
3. A derived rate on hotel level with the applicable PMS codes.
   

You may enter your Rate Type Details and Name (and other items such as descriptions) following the same guidelines as you would with any rate:

1. You must select ‘Active’. If the check box is unselected, the rate is un-bookable.
   
2. Set your ‘Category’ assignment as defined by your hotel as categories are used only in the SynXis CR.
   
3. Select ‘Public’ as the Type. You SHOULD NOT select ‘Negotiated’
   
4. Unique Rate Code. 20 character maximum limitation. Spacing & special characters not accepted.
   
5. Rate Name.
   
6. Short & Long Descriptions follow standard rules for IDS channels. (You MUST include meal plan information in the description of the rate)
   

1. All other attributes are optional and should be selected as applicable.
   

1. Note: Do NOT check suppress for retail rates.
   

Assign Your Rooms

Select the room types you wish to associate with the Airbnb rate.

Make Your Channel Assignments

Choose the ‘Airbnb’ channel. If this is a new rate type specifically for Airbnb, it will be the ONLY channel assigned for your rooms.

DO NOT select the ‘Confidential’ option.

NOTE: If the ‘Hotel Uses BAR’ option is enabled on the Hotel Maintenance page and rates for this channel are derived from BAR, the hotel MUST also assign the BAR rates to the Airbnb channel for rates to display properly. If the hotel does not wish to distribute the BAR rates to Airbnb, the rates should remain unmapped.

Set Your Policies

Select the policies you want to associate with the Airbnb channel - on Hotel Level.

NOTE: Guarantee and cancellation policies are stored separately in Airbnb. If these policies change or need to be added/maintained, a new data template should be submitted.

NOTE: No credit card will be supplied with reservations via AIRBNB. Therefore, reservations processed through SynXis CR must be guaranteed to Direct Bill. If a Direct Bill Guarantee policy doesn’t exist, one must be created before it can be assigned. Please see below for procedures to add this.

PROCEDURES FOR ADDING DIRECT BILL POLICY

The following segments are designed to walk you through adding a Direct Bill Guarantee policy for Airbnb rates into the SynXis CR.

Navigate to the ‘Guarantee Policies’ page:

1. Setup > Property > Policies > Guarantee Policies
   

Enter the Policy Settings

Your ‘Policy Level’ should be ‘Guarantee’.

You may enter your Code and Descriptions following the same guidelines as you would with any policy:

1. Unique Policy Code.
   
2. The Default check box SHOULD NOT be checked unless this policy should be used by default for all rates.
   
3. Default Guarantee & Policy Affirmation Descriptions follow standard rules for IDS channels.
   

Assign Guarantee/Deposit policy codes

Choose “Direct Bill” as the ONLY selection.

LINK THE AIRBNB TRAVEL AGENT PROFILE TO THIS CHANNEL

You would need to link a profile as the “Default Travel Agent Profile”. 

 

1. Firstly, you can locate the relevant IATA number under Administration->Chain->Commissionable Accounts.  Some of the larger OTAs maintain multiple IATA numbers, so it will be up to the hotel to determine which one they want to use in their downstream reporting. 
   

The IATA number must be the same as used in Nebula CRS / eRes as the agent code.  

1. There is also the ability to create a new commissionable account ID if the OTA doesn’t have one or they want to use their own internal code.  You just need to make sure the account is created before adding it as the default, since we do require that the commissionable account exist in our IATA table or the chain’s commissionable account list. 
   

1. Once you have the Travel Industry ID, they need to add it under Setup -> Channels -> Channel Connect -> Setup (again, access to this option needs to be granted) - Paste the ID into the “Default Travel Agent” box.
   

 

 

 

You need to decide what you want to achieve with this activation, as the “No Travel Agency number provided” option will only send the defined Commissionable Account Number in case the reservation does not already contains such ID. In our experience the function “Default Travel Agent” is used by customers because they would want to ensure the TA profile is for tracking purposes in eRes and therefore  we believe it needs to be considered whether in the PMS should “ALWAYS”  need to get the same information (IATA Number) for consistency purposes.

FAQ / TROUBLESHOOTING

Issues should be reported to the HTI Customer Success Agents who, after investigation, will escalate it to Sabre Hospitality Customer Care Team at

SHSCustomerCare@sabre.com.

The hotel or product is closed out in Nebula CRS, yet rooms are available on Airbnb. Why?

There are a number of possible causes for why a property would show availability on Airbnb despite

restrictions in Nebula CRS:

1. The integration did not upload the restrictions and aren’t applied correctly in the SynXis CR. The HTI team will manually trigger a new upload and confirm the SynXis CR was updated accordingly.
   
2. There are discrepancies in the mapping between Nebula CRS and SynXis CR OR between SynXis CR and Airbnb. If the room/rate codes are not mapped properly between the systems, messages sent to close out the products are not applied due to errors. Also, perhaps a room or rate was removed from the SynXis CR, but a new Data Spreadsheet was not submitted to Airbnb in order for it to be removed on the Airbnb side or vice versa. In this case, the associated products would still be available on the Airbnb side. Contact relevant parties, i.e. Airbnb or SynXis CR to verify the products and mapping, and update them, as needed.
   
3. There is an interruption or delays in the connectivity. If the connection is down, close messages will not be received by Airbnb. Based on the load on our system and the amount of messages queued up to be sent to Airbnb, there occasionally are delays in messages being sent and applied. A case should be opened with Customer Care to identify whether this is the case.
   

Incorrect rates are displaying on Airbnb. Why?

There are a number of possible causes for why rates would display incorrectly on Airbnb:

1. The configuration within Nebula CRS is incorrect. Double check that possible rate changes was published. Also contact the HTI team to ensure the mapping is still valid and to manually upload the new rate amounts to SynXis CR.
   
2. The configuration within the SynXis CR is incorrect. Double check the possible derived formula and offsets to ensure that the rate that is calculated and pushed to Airbnb is correct.
   
3. There are discrepancies in the mapping between Airbnb and the SynXis CR. If the room/rate codes are not mapped properly between the systems, messages sent to update rates are not applied due to errors. Contact relevant parties, i.e. Airbnb or SynXis CR to verify the products and mapping, and update them, as needed.
   
4. There is an interruption or delays in the connectivity. If the connection is down, rate updates will not be received by Airbnb. Based on the load on our system and the number of messages queued up to be sent to Airbnb, there are on rare occasionally delays in messages being sent and applied. A case should be opened with Customer Care to identify whether this is the case.
   

TRACKING

Hotels can track the production via the Channel Production Report. Main source is Channel Connect, Sub Source is Airbnb (Channel ID is 5927; Channel Code is AIRBNB). Ask the HTI team to set up a weekly / monthly schedule where this report can be emailed automatically to your preferred contact person.