Booking sites
Setting up your booking-site accounts
How to open your own accounts on the five big booking sites — and, if a previous manager already listed you, your two options for moving each listing over.
- Five big booking sites
- Transfer or start fresh
- Direct signup links
Two things first:
- You open each account yourself. Every site needs the owner's own ID, bank account, and acceptance of their terms — that's their rule, not ours. Once your account exists, Staymulate fills in your listing details for you.
- If a previous manager already listed you: some sites let you transfer the listing (Booking.com, Agoda, MakeMyTrip); Airbnb and Vrbo don't — you close and recreate. See "leaving a management company" below.
Sign up, site by site
Booking.com Partner Transfer supported
Largest international source for boutique stays. No monthly fee; ~15% per booking. Verification takes ~3–5 days.
Register at join.booking.com →
MakeMyTrip + Goibibo (Connect by MMT) Partial transfer
Largest Indian-domestic source; one signup covers both. No monthly fee; commission per booking. ~5–10 days to verify.
Register at makemytrip.com/hotels →
Airbnb No transfer — recreate only
Largest global short-stay source. No monthly fee; host service fee per booking. Airbnb's rules don't allow moving a listing between accounts.
Register at airbnb.com/host →
Vrbo (formerly HomeAway) No transfer — recreate only
Strong for vacation rentals + groups (Expedia Group). Per-booking fee or annual subscription. No listing transfer between parties.
Register at vrbo.com/list →
Leaving a management company?
If a previous manager already listed your property, you have exactly two options per site — there's no third path. The sync tool doesn't change this; the booking site's own policy does.
Option 1 — Transfer (Booking.com, Agoda, MakeMyTrip only)
The previous manager starts an ownership-change with the site; you give your ID + bank details; the site moves the listing — with its review history and ranking — to your account. Needs the manager's cooperation. Typically 7–14 days; Staymulate reconnects your calendar sync afterwards.
Option 2 — Close + recreate (the only path for Airbnb + Vrbo)
The manager closes their listing; you open a fresh one under your own account. Photos and descriptions re-upload (Staymulate adds them). You lose the old review history — permanent on Airbnb; Vrbo may honour a review-transfer request. Plan a 60–90 day push to rebuild reviews; search ranking starts fresh and climbs over the first months.
The Airbnb case specifically
Airbnb is the most painful case — often the biggest earner, and no transfer path. If your listing under a previous manager has a strong review history (say 4.5+ stars × 50+), closing it means losing that asset. Some owners keep the manager on as a "co-host" to preserve the reviews + URL, but that leaves the manager as the legal host with payouts going to their account. Most choose a clean break: close, open fresh, and run a ~90-day review push (post-stay nudges, quick replies, strong early bookings). Most properties rebuild a strong star average within about 3–6 months.
What Staymulate does
- Notes your choice per site during setup
- Adds your name, photos, rates and calendar once your accounts exist
- Keeps every site in sync (~15 min, both ways) so calendars match and double-bookings drop
- Helps win reviews back over ~90 days on start-fresh listings
What you do
- Open your own account on each site (links above)
- Give your ID + bank account to each site (we can't do this for you)
- For transfers: get the previous manager to start the ownership-change
- Give the previous manager formal notice + a transition date
A "we'll move everything seamlessly" pitch would be a lie — the booking sites have rules we don't control. We tell you the truth so the choice is yours, eyes open. See also the run-it-yourself vs a chain guide for the broader transition.