direct bookings

Question

I plan to use booking.com, airbnb, flipkey, vrbo. Instant booking

Is there any significant or subtle differences between the overall process related to instant booking with the listing sites vs. doing so with the hosted website? That might not be obvious?

Not related to quotes, inquiries etc

will you have API interface with vrbo? because if no, then you need to know there is a sync delay. I do not see much difference between booking and airbnb , with vrbo I have to run channel bridge after booking.

good question. I am still in setup mode and trying to grasp all the kinks in working with both OTAs and direct booking.

I am hoping to use the latest functionality provided by ownerrez, but that is one of many details I am trying to fathom.

If you have 5+ properties you can use HomeAway API, and we recommend it for that exact reason -- much more automated that way.

7 properties and 2 comboes (looks like 9)

I understand ABB & HA have a mutual instant booking function to avoid double booking

So the best practice at this moment is:

HA/VRBO api?

Booking.com api (I think)?

and for flipkey + AirBnB what?

where does channel bridge fit in now?

API for HomeAway/booking.com/TripAdvisor.

For Airbnb, iCal sync and channel bridge. You won't need channel bridge for HomeAway because it's API but you will still need it for Airbnb.

I would not worry about Tripadvisor. If you get a booking once in a blue moon, it will be a minor miracle. There isn't "mutual" IB function between ABB and HA. I dunno where did you get that idea. each has its own IB, nothing mutual about it.
Better have one calendar (such as OR) as your MASTER. everything will sync to/from that calendar but I would suggest avoid syncing to each other (like ABB to VRBO and vrbo to Airbnb).

Where you have API, sync will be instant. Where you do not have API, it will be just to/from ical calendar sync. Frankly, I think you are overthinking it. The only 2 that can penalize your for double booking /cancellation are Tripadvisor (but chances of any booking are slim) and Booking.com.

So we already established that b.com has API, so that is instant. I would suggest NOt doing IB on TripAdvisor. Everything else will just sync to/from OR master calendar.

I have IB on my own site, ABB, VRBO, Booking. So far no issues. And I do not even have API with vrbo because I only have 3 properties.

Airbnb- VRBO sync

For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtcZ7YRMce0

I will not watch youtube, sorry. If you mean mutual ical syncs, that is there but not instant either. You can use it in a pinch but why. It is redundant if you use OR as master calendar.