Host Domination Booking Engine: Calendar Sync & Reservation System

1. 01Download, install and activate Host Domination Booking Engine from your WordPress dashboard.
2. 02Open the Host Domination Booking Engine menu and create your first booking calendar.
3. 03Enter the calendar or accommodation name, maximum number of guests and minimum number of nights.
4. 04Optionally, set the base price per night, choose EUR or USD and enable the option to display the price in the public calendar.
5. 05To import unavailable dates, paste the iCal or ICS URL provided by Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo or another compatible OTA into the External iCal Link field.
6. 06Save the calendar. If a valid external iCal URL was entered, the plugin performs the initial import immediately.
7. 07In the Created Calendars table, copy the shortcode generated for your calendar. It will use this format:

[hdbe_booking_calendar id=”123″]

1. 08Replace 123 only when writing the shortcode manually. The safest option is to copy the exact shortcode generated by the plugin.
2. 09Create or edit the WordPress page where you want to display the booking engine and paste the generated shortcode.
3. 10Publish or update the page, then verify the calendar, minimum-stay rule, availability and booking request form from the front end.
4. 11To export confirmed website reservations, copy the Website iCal Feed URL generated by the plugin and import it into the compatible external booking platform.
5. 12The Free plugin checks the connected external calendar once a day. Use the Refresh Calendars button whenever you want to run an immediate manual import. PRO provides automatic calendar synchronization every 30 minutes.

Using the shortcode with Gutenberg

Create or edit a WordPress page, add a Shortcode block and paste the exact shortcode generated in the Created Calendars table.

Example:

[hdbe_booking_calendar id=”123″]

Publish or update the page and verify the booking engine from the front end.

Using the shortcode with Elementor

Create or edit a page with Elementor, add the Shortcode widget and paste the exact shortcode generated by Host Domination Booking Engine.

Example:

[hdbe_booking_calendar id=”123″]

Publish or update the page and verify the booking calendar and reservation request form from the front end.

Displaying multiple calendars

When multiple accommodation calendars have been created, you can display all active calendars with a property selector by using:

[hdbe_booking_calendars]

Use the individual generated shortcode when you want to display only one specific accommodation calendar.

Calendar synchronization

To configure two-way iCal calendar synchronization:

1. 13Copy the external iCal or ICS URL from Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo or another compatible OTA or booking platform.
2. 14Paste the URL into the External iCal Link field in Host Domination Booking Engine.
3. 15Save the calendar. The first import is performed immediately.
4. 16Copy the Website iCal Feed URL generated by the plugin.
5. 17Import the generated URL into the external booking platform.
6. 18Confirm website booking requests before expecting them to appear in the exported iCal feed.
7. 19The Free plugin automatically checks the connected external feed approximately every 24 hours.
8. 20Select Refresh Calendars whenever you want to run an immediate manual import.

The 24-hour interval is approximate because WordPress scheduled tasks are normally triggered by website traffic and can be affected by the hosting environment or server configuration.

The external OTA controls how frequently it publishes, reads and updates imported calendars. Some booking platforms refresh iCal feeds automatically at their own intervals, while others may offer or require a manual refresh.

New reservations, cancellations, blocked dates or availability changes may therefore not appear immediately on every connected platform.

Always check the calendar synchronization settings and refresh policy provided by each connected OTA.

Is Host Domination Booking Engine a complete WordPress reservation system?

It provides a direct booking request form, availability calendar, request management, external iCal import and a website iCal export feed.

It is not a complete OTA channel manager/PMS and does not synchronize listing content, messages, reviews or platform pricing through private APIs.

Is the plugin open source and self-hosted?

Yes. Host Domination Booking Engine is licensed under GPLv2 or later and runs directly inside your WordPress website.

The Free version does not require a mandatory Host Domination cloud account or subscription and does not expire.

What is the correct shortcode?

Each calendar generates a shortcode in this format:

[hdbe_booking_calendar id=”123″]

Copy the exact shortcode from the Created Calendars table because the ID is different for each calendar.

Platform/OTA compatibility list

Airbnb , Booking.com , Vrbo , Agoda, Expedia, Tripadvisor, Stripe, Google and Apple are trademarks of their respective owners. Host Domination Booking Engine is an independent WordPress plugin and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by these companies. Compatibility depends on the availability and format of the iCal or ICS feed supplied by each external service.

Can I display multiple accommodation calendars?

The Free version supports up to three accommodation calendars. PRO starts from three calendars and can scale further with compatible expansion options. To display all active calendars with a selector, use:

[hdbe_booking_calendars]

Can I synchronize the calendar with Airbnb?

Yes. Copy the compatible Airbnb iCal export URL into the External iCal Link field. You can also import the Website iCal Feed URL generated by the plugin into Airbnb.

Can I synchronize the calendar with Booking.com?

Yes, when the property account provides compatible iCal import and export functions.

Does the plugin work with Vrbo?

Yes, when a compatible Vrbo iCal or ICS URL is available.

Does it work with Agoda or Expedia?

The plugin can process standard iCal and ICS URLs. Compatibility depends on whether the platform, property account, connectivity provider or connected property management system provides a compatible calendar feed.

Is this a direct API integration with booking platforms?

No. The plugin uses standard iCal and ICS calendar feeds and does not connect through the private APIs of Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Agoda or Expedia.

Is Host Domination Booking Engine a channel manager/PMS?

No. It is a WordPress booking engine and reservation request system with iCal availability synchronization.

Does calendar synchronization happen automatically?

Yes. When a valid external iCal URL is saved, the plugin performs the initial import immediately. The Free version then checks the connected feed once a day through WordPress scheduled tasks, while PRO provides automatic calendar synchronization every 30 minutes.

The interval is approximate because WordPress cron execution normally depends on website traffic, hosting conditions and server configuration.

You can also click Refresh Calendars at any time to run an immediate manual import.

The connected OTA independently controls how frequently it publishes calendar changes and reads the Website iCal Feed URL generated by the plugin. Its refresh may be automatic, periodic or manually triggered depending on the platform.

Does synchronization happen in real time?

No. iCal synchronization is not a real-time system. Updates depend on WordPress cron, website traffic, server configuration and the refresh policy of each external platform.

Can iCal synchronization prevent double bookings?

It can reduce the risk by importing unavailable dates and exporting confirmed website reservations. It cannot guarantee instant synchronization or completely eliminate overlapping reservations.

How many external iCal calendars can I connect?

The Free version supports one external iCal or ICS URL per accommodation calendar.

Host Domination Booking Engine PRO supports up to three external iCal or ICS URLs for each accommodation calendar.

Can I combine multiple iCal calendars into one link?

Yes, with Host Domination Booking Engine PRO.

Multiple feeds connected to the same accommodation calendar are imported and consolidated into one Website iCal Feed URL containing the combined confirmed and unavailable periods.

Can I use the unified iCal link in another system?

Yes, provided that the destination OTA, calendar application, property management system or reservation tool supports standard iCal or ICS imports.

Does a pending website request block the dates?

No. A new website request remains pending until an administrator confirms it. Confirmed requests are included in the unavailable dates and in the website iCal export feed.

Can I set a minimum number of nights?

Yes. The minimum stay can be configured for the calendar and is validated in both the front-end form and the server-side booking request process.

Can I display a nightly price in the Free version?

Yes. You can configure an optional base price per night and display it on available dates in the front-end calendar.

Can I set different prices for individual dates?

Advanced day, month and yearly pricing features are available with Host Domination Booking Engine PRO.

Can I block specific dates or complete months?

Advanced date and month blocking is available with Host Domination Booking Engine PRO.

Can guests pay online?

Stripe online payments are available with Host Domination Booking Engine PRO.

Does Stripe charge transaction fees?

Stripe may apply its own processing fees and service terms. These are independent of Host Domination Booking Engine.

Can I use the plugin with Elementor?

Yes. Add an Elementor Shortcode widget and paste the exact shortcode generated for the calendar.

Is Host Domination Booking Engine lightweight and optimized for speed?

Yes. The plugin uses selective loading for calendar-specific assets so they are not requested unnecessarily on pages without booking calendars. Version 1.4.97 extends this optimization to Flatpickr JavaScript, its Italian locale and the global calendar selector, while retaining shortcode, Gutenberg and Elementor support. Overall website performance also depends on the theme, hosting and other installed plugins.

Can I use the plugin with Gutenberg?

Yes. Add a WordPress Shortcode block and paste the exact shortcode generated for the calendar.

Does the Free version expire?

No. The Free version is not a time-limited trial.

Does the booking form require privacy consent?

Yes. The website administrator must configure a valid Privacy Policy URL in Calendar Settings. Guests must confirm that they have read and accept the linked Privacy Policy before a FREE or PRO booking request can be submitted.

The administrator can also enter an optional Terms and Conditions URL. When it is configured, the same required consent confirms acceptance of both the linked Privacy Policy and the linked Terms and Conditions.

Personal data is stored in the website database. The website owner is responsible for providing an appropriate Privacy Policy and complying with applicable privacy and data-protection requirements, including the GDPR where applicable.

Can booking requests also be received through WhatsApp?

Yes. In Calendar Settings, Email is always enabled and mandatory. You can optionally enable WhatsApp for the selected calendar and enter the destination number in international format, including the country code.

When the guest submits a valid request, the plugin first saves the request in WordPress and sends the normal notification email. It then opens WhatsApp with the property, dates, guest counts and contact details already filled in. The guest must review the message and tap Send. This workflow uses a standard WhatsApp link and does not require the WhatsApp Business API.