One of the objectives most have when using a system like Lodgix is to stop having to update calendar availability on multiple sites.
While it would be great if every listing provider had a two way reservation sync, many do not. And even those that do, many limit full reservation sync to property managers with 5 or more properties. However many listing sites have moved to support the iCalendar format for exporting and importing calendar data. iCalendar data is limited but it will allow Lodgix to be the ONLY area where calendar data needs to be stored.
The Lodgix iCalendar Interface
iCal Export URL. This URL would be entered into listing sites that accept iCal imports. This URL will contain basic Lodgix availability data to block dates, assuring that double bookings cannot occur on the listing site.
iCal Import URL. Lodgix supports multiple iCal import URLs. These URLs will sync the external calendar and block unavailable dates on the Lodgix calendar.
Auto Import. The auto import features allows Lodgix to automatically poll the iCal import URL. Lodgix will poll the import URL every 60 minutes to see if there are any changes in availability. If set to OFF, the import is a manual process.
Manual sync - property. To force a manual import of any new or changed calendar data, the sync button can be used.
Manual sync - all properties. To force a manual import of any new or changed calendar data for all properties, the Import iCal - All Sources button can be used.
Important Notes About iCalendar Data
Importing rules:
iCalendar data can never overwrite Lodgix invoice data.
iCalendar data remains true to the source. For example, if iCalendar data is being imported from a Google Calendar, and changes made to reservations on the Google Calendar (add a date, remove a date, etc.) will update the iCal block on Lodgix, ONLY if the block was originally created by the Google Calendar iCalendar import.
If there are any conflicts that result when iCalendar data is being imported, those conflicts will be noted in the Logs tab within the iCalendar interface.
Viewing Imported iCalendar Data on the Lodgix Calendar Tape
iCalendar data is imported as blocks that are displayed in black. The source of the data is noted at the top of the block.