This guide covers the most common availability and sync issues customers run into — from OTA connections dropping to unexpected double bookings and rate plan confusion. Work through the relevant section for your issue before contacting support.
My OTA connection dropped or stopped working
If a previously working Booking.com, Airbnb, or Expedia connection has stopped syncing — or is showing a "pending" status — follow these steps.
1. Check the connection status in Channel Manager
Go to
Channel Manager→OTAs.Find the affected OTA under Active Connections.
If the status shows Pending or Disconnected, click Manage Connection and follow the reconnection steps shown on screen.
For Booking.com: reconnection typically requires re-authenticating from the Booking.com extranet side — go to Account → Connectivity provider and confirm Amenitiz is still listed as your channel manager.
For Airbnb: go to Channel Manager → OTA → Airbnb → Map and verify each room is still linked to its Airbnb listing. Deleted or modified rooms require manual re-linking.
2. Push a manual sync
After reconnecting, rates and availability may not update instantly due to latency. Force a manual push: in Planning → Inventory, use the Bulk Update tool to open rates and set availability for the relevant date range. This triggers a fresh sync to all connected OTAs.
3. New OTA bookings not appearing in Amenitiz
If reservations are arriving on the OTA but not importing into your Amenitiz calendar, the most common causes are:
The rate plan used by the OTA isn't connected. Each rate plan must be explicitly linked to your channel manager connection. Go to
Planning→Inventory→Rate Plansand check that the OTA rate plan is connected. If a new rate plan was recently added, contact support to have it linked — bookings on unlinked rate plans must be entered manually in the meantime.You're on an iCal connection, not XML. iCal connections only sync availability — new OTA bookings are not automatically imported. You must enter them manually in Amenitiz. If you need bookings to import automatically, you need an XML connection (available for Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and Google Hotel). See How to distinguish an XML connection from an iCal connection.
The connection was briefly interrupted. Any bookings made during a connection gap won't backfill automatically. Contact support with the booking reference numbers so they can be imported.
My property shows as unavailable on OTAs despite correct setup
If your calendar looks correct in Amenitiz but the property shows no availability or appears closed on Booking.com, Expedia, or Airbnb, check the following in order:
Check the OTA-specific rate plan, not your standard rate. OTAs use their own rate plan (e.g. "Booking Standard", "Airbnb Rate") which is separate from your website rate. In
Planning→Inventory→Rate Plans, select the OTA rate plan and confirm it is open for the affected dates. Opening your Standard rate does not automatically open derived OTA rates.Check for restrictions. In
Inventory→Rate Restrictions, look for minimum stay rules, Closed to Arrival settings, or stop sell applied to the affected room or rate plan. Any of these will block bookings even if the rate appears open.Check availability is set to at least 1. In
Calendar, confirm the room has available units for the affected dates. If availability is 0 or locked, use the Bulk Update tool to correct it.Check the OTA rate visibility toggle. In
Booking Engine→Pricing, click Edit on the OTA rate plan and confirm the visibility toggle for the relevant OTA is set to Yes.Wait for sync propagation. After making changes, allow up to 15 minutes for updates to reach the OTA. You can also trigger an immediate push via Bulk Update.
I got an unexpected double booking
Unexpected double bookings are almost always caused by one of these four situations. Check them in order to identify the cause.
Cause 1 — Manual reservation didn't close OTA availability
When you create a manual reservation in Amenitiz, the system reduces available inventory — but the update may take a few minutes to propagate to connected OTAs. If a guest books on an OTA during that window, a double booking can occur.
To reduce this risk: after creating a manual reservation, use Bulk Update to immediately close or set availability to 0 for those dates on all OTA rate plans.
Cause 2 — iCal sync delay
iCal connections refresh every few hours — not in real time. A booking made on one platform may not block availability on another for several hours, creating a window for double bookings. To get real-time protection, upgrade to an XML connection where available. See How to distinguish an XML connection from an iCal connection.
Cause 3 — Unmapped or mismatched rate plans
If a rate plan exists on an OTA but is not mapped to the equivalent rate plan in Amenitiz, bookings on that OTA rate won't reduce your Amenitiz inventory — allowing other channels to sell the same room. Check that every active OTA rate plan has a matching connected rate plan in Amenitiz.
Cause 4 — Overbooking safeguard was disabled
If the overbooking protection setting was switched off (intentionally or not), Amenitiz will accept bookings beyond your actual inventory. Check the setting at Booking Engine → Settings → Options → Danger zone. The field should be set to Yes (limit bookings to room count) to re-enable protection.
What to do after a double booking
Contact the affected guest immediately. Explain the situation and offer to rehouse them at a comparable property at your cost.
Cancel the duplicate reservation in Amenitiz and waive any cancellation fees.
Block the dates on all channels using Bulk Update to prevent further bookings while you resolve the situation.
Identify the root cause from the list above and fix it before reopening availability.
Rate plan and pricing sync confusion
Normal rates vs. OTA rates — what updates what?
A common source of confusion is understanding when a change to one rate plan affects another. The key distinction is whether a rate plan is independent or derived:
Rate plan type | How its prices are set | Does changing the parent rate update it? |
Independent (e.g. Standard, Non-refundable) | You set prices directly in the inventory calendar | N/A — it has no parent |
Derived (e.g. Booking Rate = Standard +10%) | Automatically calculated as a % or fixed offset from a parent rate | Yes — changing the parent updates it automatically |
So: if your "Booking Rate" is a derived plan based on your Standard rate, updating Standard prices will update Booking.com prices automatically. If your Booking Rate is an independent plan, you must update it separately.
To check which type a rate plan is: go to Planning → Inventory → Rate Plans, click Edit on the plan, and look at the pricing configuration tab.
Changes made in Amenitiz aren't showing on the OTA
You edited the wrong rate plan. Each OTA uses a specific rate plan in Amenitiz. Changes to your Standard (website) rate don't update OTA rates unless the OTA plan is derived from it. Confirm which rate plan is linked to each OTA in
Booking Engine→Rates.The rate plan isn't linked to the OTA. In the rate plan settings, check that the correct OTA is ticked under Link this pricing to an OTA.
Sync delay. After saving changes, allow up to 15 minutes for the OTA to reflect the update. Use Bulk Update to push the change immediately if needed.
New rate plan not yet connected. A newly created rate plan only starts syncing after Amenitiz support links it to your channel manager connection. Until then, bookings on that rate plan arrive on the OTA but won't import into Amenitiz automatically. Contact support with your new rate plan name to get it connected.
Minimum stay restrictions not being enforced on OTAs
If you have set a minimum stay requirement in Amenitiz but the OTA is still accepting shorter bookings, check the following:
The restriction is set on the wrong rate plan. Restrictions must be applied to the rate plan that is linked to the OTA, not your website rate plan. In
Inventory→Rate Restrictions, confirm the minimum stay is set for the OTA-specific rate plan.Linked vs. independent restrictions. If your OTA rate plan uses linked restrictions (inherited from a parent), the parent plan's minimum stay applies. If it uses independent restrictions, set the minimum stay directly on the OTA rate plan. See How to set specific restrictions for a rate plan.
iCal connections don't sync restrictions. If the OTA is connected via iCal, minimum stay rules are not transmitted — you must set them directly in the OTA's own settings. Only XML connections sync restrictions.
PriceLabs override. If you use PriceLabs, its minimum stay settings will overwrite Amenitiz restrictions on the next sync. Manage minimum stay rules in PriceLabs if the integration is active.
iCal sync overwriting my availability
If your availability keeps resetting unexpectedly — dates you opened are closing again on their own — an external iCal feed may be overwriting your settings.
Go to
Channel Manager→External Calendar Settingsand review all active iCal feeds.Temporarily remove the iCal link that you suspect is causing the issue.
Manually correct availability and inventory in Amenitiz.
Check that the availability on the external platform is also accurate.
Re-add the iCal link once both sides are in sync.
📌 Note — iCal syncs every few hours, not in real time. If you need instant two-way sync, use an XML connection. See How to distinguish an XML connection from an iCal connection.
Also note: iCal only syncs availability. Rates, minimum stay rules, and check-in/check-out restrictions must be set separately on each platform.
I can't create a manual reservation
If the interface freezes, a button is missing, or you receive a validation error when creating a manual reservation, try the following:
Clear your browser cache and cookies, then reload the page. Most interface freezing or missing button issues are caused by stale cached data.
Try a different browser. Some interface elements don't render correctly in older browser versions. Chrome and Firefox are recommended.
Check that availability is open for those dates. If the room is fully booked, the system will block manual reservation creation by default (this is the overbooking protection). To override, you can temporarily disable overbooking protection in
Booking Engine→Settings→Options→ Danger zone, create the reservation, then re-enable the protection.Past-date reservations are blocked by default. Amenitiz prevents the creation of reservations for dates that have already passed. This is a system limitation — manual entry is not possible for past dates. If you need to record a past stay for reporting purposes, contact support.
On mobile. If the 'Next' button is missing on the mobile app, switch to desktop — some reservation creation steps are not fully supported on mobile.
OTA messages and booking confirmations not appearing in Amenitiz
If OTA guest messages, booking confirmations, or check-in instructions are not appearing in your Amenitiz inbox, this is almost always a messaging integration configuration issue.
Booking.com messages not syncing
In Booking.com extranet, go to Property → Messaging preferences.
Confirm that the messaging channel manager integration is enabled and that Amenitiz is set as your messaging provider.
If the setting is correct but messages are still not syncing, contact Amenitiz support — the messaging connection may need to be refreshed on the backend.
Airbnb messages not syncing
Go to
Channel Manager→OTA→Airbnb→Manage Connection.Check that the messaging sync option is enabled for each connected accommodation.
Note that some message types (e.g. pre-booking enquiries) may not sync depending on your Airbnb plan.
Automatic messages not sending
If automated welcome messages or check-in instructions are not being sent through OTA integrations, check that automatic messaging is enabled in Settings → Messages → Automated messages and that each message template is linked to the correct property and channel.
Known system limitations
Some behaviours in Amenitiz are intentional system constraints rather than bugs. These come up frequently — knowing about them in advance avoids confusion:
Past-date reservations cannot be created. Manual reservation entry is only possible for present and future dates. Contact support if you need to record a past stay.
Rate plans must be closed before disconnecting an OTA. If you disconnect an OTA without first closing its rate plan, availability may remain open on that OTA until the next sync cycle — during which bookings can still come in. Always close the OTA rate plan in Bulk Update before disconnecting.
Overbooking protection is global, not per room type. You cannot disable overbooking protection for a single room category — the setting applies to all categories at once. See the overbooking section above for the safer workaround.
iCal does not sync rates or restrictions. Only availability is transmitted via iCal. If you need rates, minimum stay, or closed-to-arrival rules to sync, you must use an XML connection.
New rate plans require support to be linked. A newly created rate plan on an OTA will not automatically link to Amenitiz. Contact support to have it added to your channel manager connection, and enter any bookings on that rate plan manually in the meantime.
Still not resolved? What to prepare for Support
If you've worked through the relevant section above and the issue persists, contact our team with the following details — it will significantly speed up resolution:
The OTA or channel where the issue is occurring
The affected room name(s) and date range
The name of the rate plan involved
A screenshot of the issue (on the OTA side and in Amenitiz if possible)
For double bookings: the reservation references from both channels and the timestamps