Hostaway Connection User Guide

How to Connect Hostaway to Lake.com

Integrating your Hostaway account with Lake.com allows you to import and manage your vacation rental listings seamlessly. Follow these steps to connect:

Step 1: Sign Up and Verify Your Lake.com Account

• Visit Lake.com and sign up with your email.
• After verifying your email, you’ll land on a confirmation page: “Congratulations, your account’s been created.”
• Indicate that you are a Host.

Step 2: Choose Listing Import Option

• You’ll be asked whether you want to create a listing from scratch or import an existing listing.
• Select the option to Import Listing.

Step 3: Connect Hostaway

• Click Connect with Hostaway.
• If you signed up and are returning to Lake.com, access the connections in the “Me” menu in the top right-hand corner and click “Connections”.

• You’ll be prompted to enter your Hostaway API key.
• Retrieve your API key from the Settings section in your Hostaway account.
• Copy your Hostaway API Key and paste it into Lake.com
• Once you’ve entered the API key and click Connect.

Step 4: Confirm Connection

• A confirmation message will appear: Connection Successful.
• Listings from Hostaway will automatically begin syncing to Lake.com.
• The first sync may take up to an hour, depending on the number of properties you have, particularly if you have dozens of photos that need to be imported. Grab a coffee!

Step 5: View Imported Listings

• Listings may take a few seconds to appear—refresh your screen if needed.
• Your property (e.g., “Charming Apartment in the City”) will now be visible on your Lake.com Listings page.

Step 6: Manage Listings

• Listing updates should be made in Hostaway. Changes will sync to Lake.com automatically.
• After the first sync, information will be updated on Lake.com on an automatic schedule:
  • Static content, including property titles, descriptions, amenities, and photos, will be updated every 6 hours.
  • Dynamic content, such as calendar availability and pricing, will update every 5 minutes. This means that if you have a dynamic tool implemented, such as Beyond, PriceLabs, or Wheelhouse, you’ll have these pricing changes updated on Lake.com, too.
• You can view how your property appears to guests on Lake.com.
• To temporarily hide a listing while maintaining the connection, toggle the status to Unlisted.

Step 7: Promote Your Listings

Share Your Lake.com Listing on Social Media

Once your listing is live, use your Lake.com property link to promote it across Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn. Include beautiful photos, seasonal offers, or a unique selling point (like lakefront access or a hot tub) to capture attention. Social shares drive direct traffic and build awareness.

Highlight Seasonal Specials or Updates

Keep your listing fresh by updating photos or highlighting seasonal experiences—like paddleboarding in summer or cozy fireside evenings in winter. Updates made in Hostaway automatically sync to Lake.com, so your listing stays current and relevant for browsers.

Feature Your Lake.com Listing on Your Website or Email

If you have a personal website or newsletter, link directly to your Lake.com listing. This builds trust with your audience and helps drive direct bookings through a familiar channel.

What Data Gets Synchronized Between Lake.com and Hostaway

The data that will get synchronized between Lake and Hostaway includes:

• First name, last name, profile picture, email address, and phone number
• Listing information such as name, address, and description (access and modify)
• Listing calendar (access and modify)
• Reservations (access and modify)
• Guest’s first name and profile picture (access)

Benefits of Integrating Hostaway with Lake.com

Connecting Hostaway with Lake.com offers numerous benefits for vacation rental property managers, including the ability to streamline operations, enhance guest experiences, and optimize property management processes.

Centralized Management 

By integrating Lake.com with Hostaway, property managers can manage their listings, reservations, and guest communications from a single platform. Hostaway’s Channel Manager synchronizes calendars across multiple platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo, reducing the risk of double bookings and ensuring real-time availability updates​ .

Automation and Efficiency

Hostaway provides powerful automation tools that can significantly reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks. For example, it can automate guest messaging, reservations, cleaning schedules, and payment processing. This ensures a smoother operation and allows property managers to focus on delivering excellent guest experiences rather than managing daily administrative tasks.

Enhanced Reporting and Analytics

Hostaway offers detailed reporting and analytics features that help property managers make data-driven decisions. Managers can optimize pricing strategies and improve operational efficiency by analyzing occupancy rates, revenue, and guest feedback.

Scalability

Hostaway is designed to scale with your business. Whether you manage a few properties or an extensive portfolio, the platform can handle increasing demand without compromising performance. This scalability is crucial for property managers looking to expand their operations without adding complexity.

Seamless Guest Experience

The integration also enhances the guest experience by ensuring consistent communication and easy access to essential information. Automated messaging through Hostaway ensures that guests receive timely and relevant information throughout their stay, which can lead to higher satisfaction and better reviews.

Troubleshooting a Connection Between Hostaway

To troubleshoot access issues between Lake.com and Hostaway, you can follow these steps:

1. Check Connection Status

• Verify Integration: Ensure that the integration between Lake.com and Hostaway has been correctly set up. You can check the Channel Manager on Hostaway to see if Lake.com is listed as a connected channel. If not, you may need to reconnect the accounts​.
• Authentication: Double-check that all authentication details (API keys, usernames, passwords) are correctly entered. Incorrect credentials can cause access issues.

2. Review API and Permissions

• API Permissions: Ensure that the API permissions are correctly configured on both Lake.com and Hostaway. Both platforms need to have the right level of access to exchange data. Permissions may include access to reservations, listings, calendars, and messaging systems​.
• API Connection Logs: Check the API connection logs for any errors. This can often provide clues if there’s a specific issue with transferring data between the two systems.

3. Test the Connection

• Manual Sync Test: Try manually syncing data between the two platforms. For instance, update a property listing on Lake.com and see if the change reflects in Hostaway.
• Check Data Sync: Look for any discrepancies in the data that is being synced (e.g., reservations, calendar availability). If specific data isn’t syncing, this may indicate a specific issue with the integration.

4. Network and Browser Issues

• Clear Cache: Sometimes, browser cache issues can prevent proper access or display of integration pages. Clear your browser cache and cookies and try reaccessing the integration.
• Firewall/Network Settings: Ensure your network or firewall settings aren’t blocking the API connections between Lake.com and Hostaway. Some network settings might prevent the necessary communication.

5. Reconnect

• Reconnect the Integration: If other troubleshooting steps fail, try disconnecting and reconnecting the integration. This can often reset any issues caused by a faulty initial connection setup.

6. Contact Support

• Hostaway Support: If the issue persists, contact Hostaway’s customer support team. They offer support via email, live chat, or phone and can provide insights into any ongoing issues or system outages​.
• Lake.com Support: Similarly, contact Lake.com’s support to see if there are any known issues or to request assistance with the integration process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the Hostaway dashboard?

The Hostaway dashboard is your central hub for managing vacation rental operations. It provides:

• A unified calendar for all connected channels.
• Tools for managing rates, availability, and reservations.
• Access to automation tools, including messaging and task assignments.
• Analytics for revenue, occupancy, and performance trends.

What is the detailed mapping guide for Hostaway property data fields when publishing to Lake.com?

When connecting Hostaway with Lake.com, you’ll need to map data fields to ensure accuracy. This includes:

• Property basics: title, description, photos, and amenities.
• Units: room configurations, maximum occupancy, and bed types.
• Rates: nightly base rate, discounts, and dynamic pricing rules.
• Availability: calendar sync for instant updates.

What is the recommended procedure to disconnect Lake.com from Hostaway while safeguarding current bookings?

Before disconnecting, confirm all existing reservations are synced and secured in both systems. Then:

1. Pause the integration in Hostaway.
2. Export your current calendar and rates for backup.
3. Notify Lake.com support if you have active guests checking in soon.
4. Remove the channel from Hostaway’s integration settings.
   

What performance benefits result from Hostaway and Lake.com real-time calendar syncing?

Real-time calendar syncing ensures your property data is always up to date. Benefits include:

• Automatic updates to prevent double bookings.
• Immediate reflection of price changes and discounts.
• Faster guest confirmations improve conversion rates.
• Greater visibility and trust with travelers searching on Lake.com.
  This integration helps property managers save time while maximizing occupancy and revenue.

Learn More About Hostaway

Hostaway is an all-in-one vacation rental software for property managers who want to increase bookings with less hassle. Designed to automate and optimize all aspects of operations, Hostaway centralizes your business in one place for effortless end-to-end property management.

Learn more about Hostaway