ThinkReservations has a special link for each unit in ThinkReservations that shares the availability of that unit to a third party. There is no charge to use this one-way connection. You do not need to have the channel manager module to use iCal links.
What's an iCal link?
This link is called an iCal, or iCalendar link. When the unit is unavailable due to a blackout or reservation, the date is marked as "occupied." Only reservations and blackouts mark the room as occupied; a stop sell (no rates) will notmark the room as occupied. There are many services such as Homeaway, VRBO, Flipkey, and GlampingHub that support importing this iCal feed to update the inventory of units on their system. This means that the business doesn't have to manually update their 3rd party calendars from these outside services constantly.
Here is an example/sample iCal link:
NOTE: For services such as Homeaway, VRBO, Flipkey, Glampinghub, etc. ThinkReservations can share availability to them, but not import reservations. The business will still need to manually import reservations made on these services as soon as possible until we offer a full two-way connection such as the ones for Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, etc.
How do I use the iCal Links?
The process is generally very similar. Here is a basic outline:
Log in to the service you wish to use the iCal links with.
Navigate to the calendar page for your first room/unit.
Look for an Import or Import/Export link or button.
Indicate that you wish to import an "Other" iCal calendar.
Paste the corresponding link for that room/unit copied from ThinkReservations.
Repeat for each room/unit.
Add date information to the feed:
With a small change to the URL, the iCal feed can include arrival/departure date information. This allows the feed to see when a room needs to be turned over. To use this functionality, add:
?housekeeping=true to the end of the URL. For example:
Where do you get the iCal links?
In ThinkReservations, navigate to Settings and click on iCal Links under Channel Management. If you are already logged in to ThinkReservations simply click here: iCal Links
ThinkReservations > Settings > iCal Links
Pro Tip: You can test the iCal feed with this 3rd-party tool: https://icscalendar.com/preview/
Disclaimer: The articles providing help or instructions on third-party systems are provided in our effort to assist you.
Please note that these third-party systems are not owned or maintained by ThinkReservations. Changes made by third-party providers may render the instructions inaccurate.
We recommend cross-referencing with official third-party documentation to ensure up-to-date guidance. Thank you for understanding.