What will you learn in this article?
In this article, you will learn:
What a Vrbo Request to Book is.
The difference between managing it from the Vrbo portal or from an integrated PMS like Avantio.
What happens if a request is cancelled as Cancelled by owner.
How to use accommodation rules to properly handle a request you can't accept.
Which best practices to follow to protect your listing and avoid penalties.
Before you start
On Vrbo, the Request to Book option works differently depending on how the booking is managed:
Directly from the Vrbo portal.
Through an integrated PMS, like Avantio.
Important:
This difference does not depend on Avantio or any specific PMS, but on the options Vrbo offers through its API for all integrated PMS. In other words, any PMS connected to Vrbo works with the same API limitations for this process.
Avantio, as an integrated PMS, allows you to manage the connection with Vrbo and provides the benefits of integration, but the behavior of Request to Book is determined by the options Vrbo enables through its API.
Managing Request to Book from the Vrbo portal
When you manage a Request to Book directly from the Vrbo portal, you have more options to respond to the traveler's request.
The options are:
Confirm the request
Cancel
Decline or reject the request
The Declined option is especially important because it allows you to reject a request without it being treated as a cancellation of an already confirmed booking. Therefore, when a request can't be accepted, this is usually the best option within the Vrbo portal.
Managing Request to Book from an integrated PMS, like Avantio
When a Request to Book is managed from an integrated PMS via API, the process is different.
Due to Vrbo API limitations, the request may enter the PMS as a generated booking. In this scenario, the options available from the PMS are usually more limited:
Confirm
Cancel
The Declined option, available on the Vrbo portal, is not available in the same way through the API for integrated PMS.
Therefore, if you can't accept the request, the available action may be to cancel. This difference is a limitation of the Vrbo API process and applies to all integrated PMS, not just Avantio.
Penalties and effects on the listing
It's important to distinguish between a cancellation made by the traveler and a cancellation made by the owner or Property Manager:
Cancelled by traveller: If the cancellation is recorded as Cancelled by traveller, it means the traveler made the cancellation. Within the first 24 hours, this should not result in a penalty for the listing.
Cancelled by owner: If the cancellation is recorded as Cancelled by owner, it means the cancellation is attributed to the owner or Property Manager.
In this case, there may be consequences for the listing. The consequence is not a direct financial penalty. The usual consequence is operational within Vrbo: The listing may be deactivated for 7 days by the portal.
During this period, the listing may no longer be visible or available to receive bookings. The listing will be automatically reactivated after 7 days; you don't need to do anything.
Additionally, this deactivation can negatively affect the listing's ranking on Vrbo, as the listing loses visibility, activity, and conversion opportunities.
Important:
It's important to avoid, whenever possible, having a request end up recorded as Cancelled by owner.
Best practices: Use rules to avoid penalties
To reduce the risk of penalties, it's essential that the accommodation's rules and restrictions are properly set up and visible to the traveler.
These rules not only inform the traveler: they also help protect the Property Manager when a request can't be accepted. If the traveler doesn't meet a previously published condition, the Property Manager can refer to that rule to explain why the request can't be accepted.
For example:
No children allowed.
No pets allowed.
No parties or events allowed.
There is a minimum age to book.
Maximum occupancy is strict.
In these cases, if the request has come through an integrated PMS and there is no Declined option via API, the best practice is to contact the guest and clearly and politely explain that the request can't be accepted because it doesn't meet the published accommodation rules.
This allows you to ask the guest to cancel the booking from their side, especially if it's within the first 24 hours. This way, the cancellation can be recorded as Cancelled by traveller and not as Cancelled by owner, avoiding a temporary deactivation or loss of ranking for the listing.
Recommendations if you use Instant Book
For accommodations with special restrictions, it's important to carefully consider whether to enable Instant Book.
Instant Book can improve conversion, but reduces the ability to review each request beforehand.
If you enable Instant Book, it's essential that the availability, rates, restrictions, and accommodation rules are properly set up and visible to the traveler.
This is especially important for properties with specific conditions, such as villas, premium accommodations, or properties where children, pets, or events are not allowed.
If the rules are not well set up or not visible enough, the Property Manager may be more exposed to having to cancel bookings that don't meet their conditions.
Summary
The main difference is not in Avantio or the PMS used, but in the process offered by Vrbo:
From the Vrbo portal, the Request to Book can be managed with options like
confirm, cancel, or decline:
From an integrated PMS via API, like Avantio, Vrbo offers a more limited process, usually with options to confirm or cancel.
This limitation applies to all integrated PMS.
A cancellation recorded as Cancelled by owner can cause the listing to be deactivated for 7 days.
That deactivation can negatively affect the listing's ranking on Vrbo.
To avoid penalties, it's key to have clear, visible, and well-configured rules.
If the guest doesn't meet the published rules, it's best to explain this and ask them to cancel from their side, especially within the first 24 hours.
Whenever possible, you should avoid a cancellation recorded as
Cancelled by owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't I see the Declined option in Avantio?
Why don't I see the Declined option in Avantio?
Because the Declined option is not available in the same way through the API that Vrbo provides for PMS.
Is the limitation due to Avantio?
Is the limitation due to Avantio?
No. This difference depends on the options Vrbo offers through its API. It applies to all integrated PMS, not just Avantio.
Why does the Request to Book come in as a booking?
Why does the Request to Book come in as a booking?
Because, through the Vrbo API process for integrated PMS, the request may enter the PMS as a generated booking.
What should I do if I can't accept the request?
What should I do if I can't accept the request?
Check if the guest is violating a published accommodation rule. Then, contact them and ask them to cancel from their side, especially within the first 24 hours.
What does Cancelled by traveller mean?
What does Cancelled by traveller mean?
It means the cancellation has been recorded as made by the owner or Property Manager. This type of cancellation can affect the listing.
Is Instant Book recommended for accommodations with many restrictions?
Is Instant Book recommended for accommodations with many restrictions?
It depends. Instant Book can improve conversion, but reduces the ability to review requests beforehand. If the accommodation has many specific conditions, it's essential that the rules, restrictions, rates, and availability are properly set up before enabling it. This will allow us to have more control over cancelled bookings without penalties, as we can ask the guest to cancel.