How To Connect Lake.com and Hostfully
- Log in to Lake.com and ensure you’re in the Host view.
- You can check this by hovering over the “Me” menu in the top right-hand corner and seeing that “Host” is toggled on.
- In the “Me” menu, click on “Integrations.”
- On the Integrations page, scroll down to find Hostfully’s listing and click “Connect.”
- Review the data that will be synchronized between Lake and Hostfully and click “Approve.”
- Enter your API key provided by Hostfully.
- If you need to get your API key, visit Hostfully > Settings > Hostfully API
- Click Create to create a new API key
- Copy the API key and enter it into Lake.com
- Verify that data is synchronized by checking to see if listing information and calendars are accurate on both Lake.com and in the master calendar in Hostfully.
What Data Gets Synchronized Between Lake.com and Hostfully
The data that will get synchronized between Lake and Hostfully includes:
- First name, last name, profile picture, email address, and phone number
- Listing information such as name, address, and description (access and modify)
- Listing calendar (access and modify)
- Reservations (access and modify)
- Guest’s first name and profile picture (access)
- Messages (access and respond)
Benefits of Connecting Lake.com and Hostfully
Connecting Hostfully with Lake.com offers numerous benefits for vacation rental property managers, including the ability to streamline operations, enhance guest experiences, and optimize property management processes.
Centralized Management:
By integrating Lake.com with Hostfully, property managers can manage their listings, reservations, and guest communications from a single platform. Hostfully’s Channel Manager synchronizes calendars across multiple platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo, reducing the risk of double bookings and ensuring real-time availability updates .
Automation and Efficiency
Hostfully provides powerful automation tools that can significantly reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks. For example, you can automate guest messaging, reservations, cleaning schedules, and payment processing. This ensures a smoother operation and allows property managers to focus on delivering excellent guest experiences rather than managing daily administrative tasks.
Enhanced Reporting and Analytics
Hostfully offers detailed reporting and analytics features that help property managers make data-driven decisions. Managers can optimize pricing strategies and improve operational efficiency by analyzing occupancy rates, revenue, and guest feedback.
Scalability
Hostfully is designed to scale with your business. Whether you manage a few properties or an extensive portfolio, the platform can handle increasing demand without compromising performance. This scalability is crucial for property managers looking to expand their operations without adding complexity.
Seamless Guest Experience
The integration also enhances the guest experience by ensuring consistent communication and easy access to essential information. Automated messaging through Hostfully ensures that guests receive timely and relevant information throughout their stay, which can lead to higher satisfaction and better reviews.
Troubleshooting a Connection Between Hostfully
To troubleshoot access issues between Lake.com and Hostfully, you can follow these steps:
1. Check Connection Status
- Verify Integration: Ensure that the integration between Lake.com and Hostfully has been correctly set up. You can check the Channel Manager on Hostfully to see if Lake.com is listed as a connected channel. If not, you may need to reconnect the accounts.
- Authentication: Double-check that all authentication details (API keys, usernames, passwords) are correctly entered. Incorrect credentials can cause access issues.
2. Review API and Permissions
- API Permissions: Ensure that the API permissions are correctly configured on both Lake.com and Hostfully. Both platforms need to have the right level of access to exchange data. Permissions may include access to reservations, listings, calendars, and messaging systems.
- API Connection Logs: Check the API connection logs for any errors. This can often provide clues if there’s a specific issue with transferring data between the two systems.
3. Test the Connection
- Manual Sync Test: Try manually syncing data between the two platforms. For instance, update a property listing on Lake.com and see if the change reflects in Hostfully.
- Check Data Sync: Look for any discrepancies in the data that is being synced (e.g., reservations, calendar availability). If specific data isn’t syncing, it may point to a specific issue with the integration.
4. Network and Browser Issues
- Clear Cache: Sometimes, browser cache issues can prevent proper access or display of integration pages. Clear your browser cache and cookies and try reaccessing the integration.
- Firewall/Network Settings: Ensure your network or firewall settings aren’t blocking the API connections between Lake.com and Hostfully. Some network settings might prevent the necessary communication.
5. Update or Reinstall
- Update Software: Ensure that both Lake.com and Hostfully are running the latest software versions. Outdated software can sometimes lead to compatibility issues.
- Reinstall Integration: If other troubleshooting steps fail, try disconnecting and reconnecting the integration. This can often reset any issues caused by a faulty initial connection setup.
6. Contact Support
- Hostfully Support: If the issue persists, contact Hostfully’s customer support team. They offer support via email, live chat, or phone and can provide insights into any ongoing issues or system outages.
- Lake.com Support: Similarly, contact Lake.com’s support to see if there are any known issues or to request assistance with the integration process.
Learn More About Hostfully
Hostfully is an all-in-one vacation rental software for property managers who want to increase bookings with less hassle. Designed to automate and optimize all aspects of operations, Hostfully centralizes your business in one place for effortless end-to-end property management.