OTA Messages
OTA (Online Travel Agency) messaging allows you to communicate with Booking.com and Airbnb guests directly from hejGuide. Messages from these platforms are pulled into your unified inbox automatically, and your replies are sent back through the same channel.
How it works
When a guest on Booking.com or Airbnb sends you a message, the following happens:
- The message is received by hejGuide through the Channel Manager integration.
- It appears in your Messages inbox, linked to the corresponding booking.
- The conversation is labeled with the source (Booking.com or Airbnb) so you can see which platform the guest is using.
When you reply from the hejGuide inbox, your response is sent back through the same platform, so the guest sees it in their Booking.com or Airbnb app.
WARNING
OTA messaging requires an active Channel Manager connection. If you have not set up the Channel Manager yet, see Channel Manager to get started.
Booking.com messages
Booking.com messages appear in your inbox with a Booking.com label. You can:
- Reply -- Type your response and click Send. It is delivered through Booking.com.
- Mark as "No Reply Needed" -- If a message does not require a response (for example, the guest confirming they received your info), click the No Reply Needed button. This tells Booking.com the conversation is resolved, which helps maintain your response score on the platform.
TIP
Booking.com tracks your response time and rate. Replying to messages quickly through hejGuide helps keep your Booking.com performance metrics healthy.
Airbnb messages
Airbnb messages work the same way -- they appear in your inbox with an Airbnb label, and your replies are delivered through the Airbnb platform.
What about automated emails?
When a booking comes in through the Channel Manager (from Booking.com or Airbnb), hejGuide automatically skips certain automated emails to avoid conflicts:
- Payment confirmation emails are not sent, because the OTA handles payment.
- Booking confirmation emails are not sent, because the OTA has already confirmed the booking with the guest.
Other automations (like pre-arrival messages or check-in instructions) still work normally and are sent through the appropriate channel.
Message delivery
OTA messages are synced in near real-time:
- Incoming messages are delivered via webhooks for instant delivery, with a polling fallback every few minutes to catch anything that may have been missed.
- Outgoing messages are queued and sent through the Channel Manager API.
If a message fails to send, you will see an error indicator in the conversation thread. You can retry sending the message.
Related
- Messages Overview -- Introduction to the Messages module
- Inbox Overview -- Navigating and filtering your inbox
- Sending Messages -- How to compose and send messages
- Channel Manager -- Setting up your Channel Manager connection
- Automated Emails -- How automations work alongside OTA messaging