Availability Calendars

Everything to do with using your own website to advertise your rental property. Design, usability, hosting, getting listed on the search engines, optimising your site, pay-per-click, etc, etc.
Nightowl
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Availability Calendars

Post by Nightowl »

Sorry all, I know this has been discussed before but I need one for my website and can't find the thread that gave details of calendars that can be put on own websites.

Can anyone remember which thread it was on?

Ta all

Cindy
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Cindy,

I think you might find a couple at rentors.org and rentcalendar.com.

Alan
A-two
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Post by A-two »

Cindy,
I dumped freebie rentors.org calendar to use rentalbot.com, which embeds in website, and automatically updates rentors.org for me, which is linked to various listing sites. It also links to their property management software which schedules payment reminders and tracks bookings. It's not free, but very reasonably priced and worth every cent in my opinion. Has a 60/90 day free trial.
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Post by Hells Bells »

I am currently using this one,which offers a free trial. It is currently undergoing an update, and offers online payment via Paypal if you require it. It is ideal if you are away from home, as you can access all bookings from the web. Not sure what the cost is at the moment as I signed up a while ago. Paul is also very helpful.

http://www.holiday-bookings-online.com/
Nightowl
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Post by Nightowl »

Thankyou all

Actually after I posted that request I remembered in the back of my mind reading someone waxing lyrical about a brilliant utility for managing rentals - I think that must have been you Joanna - and I thought if I could find out what it was called I'd look into it further.

I seem to remember you said it has all sorts of reminders built in, I must give it a go.

ta v much

Cindy
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debk
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Post by debk »

Hey, Knightowl, I can second Joanna's lyrical waxing about rentalbot.

I link to the rentors.org calendar via rentalbot so that I never have to update calendars manually at sites like VRBO. (Rentalbot handles it automatically.) Enjoy.
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Post by A-two »

Cindy,
It was Debk who first recommended Rentalbot, not me! Did you check out the one HelenB is recommending? http://www.holiday-bookings-online.com/
I think this has some great features when judged purely as a calendar. The roll over text gives the rates and any special discount, which is a nice feature. Rentalbot doesn't do that, but I wouldn't trade it because I find the property management sofware at Rentalbot so useful, payment reminders etc. Also, it's twice the price of Rentalbot and doesn't say whether or not the rate table is available in other currencies, although I imagine it must be.

Just wondering about it (like we have time right now to be thinking about restructuring our site...NOT!)
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debk
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Post by debk »

It was Debk who first recommended Rentalbot
Wow. I've no idea who I heard it from. Must have been pre-LMH... but heavens only knows how we found such useful things back then?

(Again, thank you, Paolo!)
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Post by Hells Bells »

Joanna, I didn't pay that much for it. The booking management is there too, but no automatic reminders at the moment. There is an upgrade coming along later in the year, which happens before my renewal is due,so I can evaluate it over the winter before deciding what to do next. There's a link to the new owner console below. There seems to be a facility for reminders on there.

https://owner.booking-system.net/NewConsole/main.htm
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debk
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Post by debk »

Hi, Helen - I just looked at holiday-booking-online on your site. It looks nice.

I couldn't tell -- and I didn't want to test it and accidently book something! :) -- but do you take bookings without talking to people? Or do you just receive an inquiry from this system which you then reply to?

I do like their built-in facility for searching availability across multiple properties. If they eventually add automatic reminders, I think I'll take a serious look. Thanks much for the info!
debk
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Post by Hells Bells »

Hi debk, I get an email enquiry which I can respond to, but if they book and pay the deposit, I still have the option of refusing the booking, and refunding the deposit. As I work long hours, and don't have a great deal of time during the day to answer queries, it keeps it all nice and tidy. I do have an enquiry form which they can use before they book if they want to ask any questions. Most people have done this before they book. I think last winter I only had one automatic booking. I was a bit unsure about it too, as it was for 4 men. They left the place spotless though. If you do want to test it, put test in the address field and I'll delete the booking.
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debk
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Post by debk »

Thank you, Helen. Very helpful!
debk
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