Context and Challenge
Guesty helps property managers handle bookings across multiple platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. One of their core features is integration with these platforms, especially Booking.com.
Guesty previously had an integration with Booking.com, but over time, it became less effective. As Booking.com continued to update its API and enhance its business flows, the existing integration did not keep pace. This mismatch eventually led to performance challenges, connection issues, and a growing number of user concerns.
Support teams were overwhelmed with tickets from users who couldn’t link their accounts or sync data. The integration was also hard to scale, making it difficult to add new features or onboard more users.
So, the main challenges of Guesty’s integration with Booking.com included:
- Poor performance and slow syncs
- Frequent errors due to changing Booking.com logic
- Difficult onboarding experience for users
- High number of support tickets
- Lack of scalability and adaptability
Client’s Objectives
Guesty approached Forbytes to redesign the Booking.com integration with clear goals in mind:
- Improve integration performance. Make syncing faster and more efficient to reduce delays and errors.
- Ensure stability. Make the system reliable despite changes in Booking.com’s APIs and logic.
- Enhance user experience. Help users connect accounts more easily and reduce the need for support.
- Prepare for scalability. Make it easier to add features and onboard new customers.
How We Approached the Project
To solve these issues, our engineers at Forbytes worked closely with the Guesty team. We followed a structured process:
- Analyzed support tickets. We studied recurring user issues to understand where the integration failed most often.
- Prioritized fixes. Forbytes engineers focused first on problems that affected the most users, especially in account linking and data syncing.
- Rebuilt sync flows. We optimized how calendar and reservation data were exchanged. Sync times dropped from up to 60 minutes to just 5 minutes.
- Added workarounds for Booking.com bugs. Forbytes built fixes that handled errors on Booking’s side, so Guesty users didn’t experience issues.
- Improved error messaging. Instead of showing users vague error codes, we translated them into human-friendly explanations with clear next steps.
- Built a stable foundation. We rewrote large parts of the integration code to be clean, flexible, and easier to maintain.
Integration Overview
Forbytes executed a complete re-engineering of the Booking.com integration for Guesty. Our team analyzed hundreds of support tickets, identified recurring user pain points, and redesigned the integration from the ground up.
Here’s what we delivered for Guesty:
- Two Booking.com onboarding flows. We created a clear, guided flow for connecting listings between Booking.com and Guesty.
Users can either link existing Booking.com listings to Guesty or publish the listings created on Guesty to Booking.com.
To link their existing Booking.com listings to Guesty, users should select Guesty as their connectivity provider in the Booking.com Extranet, create a corresponding listing in Guesty, and then link the two. Guesty will import the data from Booking.com and keep it synced in real time.
Image source: guesty.com
To publish their Guesty listings to Booking.com, users select a listing in Guesty, complete the publishing flow via the Booking.com integration page, and set up listing details, policies, and rate plans. Guesty will push the data to Booking.com and maintain full synchronization.
Image source: guesty.com
- Real-time sync. Guesty now shares data (reservations, availability, etc.) with Booking.com in real time.
- Smart field mapping. Our system automatically checks and corrects fields like room type or amenities to avoid rejections.
- Rate plan mapping. We built a bridge between Guesty’s pricing engine and Booking.com’s rate structure.
- Availability validation. A two-way check ensures calendars are accurate and rules (like minimum stays) are applied correctly.
- Message filtering. Our team aligned Guesty’s automated guest messages with Booking.com’s rules to avoid policy violations.
- Custom analytics tracking. We updated the reporting system to reflect Booking.com’s unique handling of cancellations and changes.
- Guest data handling. We followed Booking.com’s privacy rules while still offering personalized guest communication.
- Error handling improvements. Forbytes built an internal tool that turns technical API errors into helpful, easy-to-understand messages.
Detailed Execution Timeline
The Booking.com integration upgrade was delivered over several stages:
- Initial analysis and planning
- Sync flow optimization
- Onboarding flow rebuilding
- Rate plan and calendar management
- Error handling system
- Testing and QA
- Deployment and continuous monitoring
Results and Impact
The new integration had a significant effect on Guesty’s operations:
- Performance boost. Sync times dropped drastically — calendar updates now happen in minutes.
- User satisfaction. Fewer errors and better onboarding flow reduced support tickets.
- System stability. Even when Booking.com changes its APIs, the integration remains solid.
- Scalability. The clean, modular code makes it easier to add new features and connect new users.
Technology Stack
Cloud storage: S3,
Database: MongoDB
Cloud: AWS
Other tools: Redis, RabbitMQ, Kafka
Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned
Success factors:
- Deep understanding of Booking.com developer tools and API logic
- Close collaboration with Guesty’s product and support teams
- Commitment to clean, maintainable code
- Regular updates to stay in sync with Booking.com’s evolving requirements
Challenges overcome:
- Booking.com frequent API updates
- Complicated mapping between Guesty and Booking listing structures
- Improving poor user experience due to outdated code
- Handling sensitive guest data while following Booking.com privacy rules
- Reducing integration-related support load
