How to migrate from a direct integration to the Nowistay PMS integration

If you currently use a direct Airbnb or Booking.com integration (not via a PMS, before March 1 2026), we strongly recommend upgrading to the new Nowistay integration. It provides a more powerful, more reliable experience — with no cohost invitation needed.

Why switch to the Nowistay integration?

• Same price : you keep your current AI assistant subscription and you gain lots of new features.
• More reliable messaging — the Nowistay integration never misses a guest message. It is connected directly to the platforms and handles messages in real time.
• Handles all messages from the start — unlike the direct integration, the Nowistay integration can answer all messages, including booking inquiries from the very first message, before a booking is even confirmed.
• No cohost or configuration needed — for both Airbnb and Booking.com, you no longer need to invite a cohost or configure a specific Booking contact. The Nowistay integration handles everything through a simple, guided connection flow using your main account.
• Centralized calendar and pricing — Nowistay becomes your channel manager, centralizing your calendar availabilities and pricing across all your connected platforms. This means fewer double bookings and easier management. Plus it gives the AI more power to manage your calendar.
• Full PMS features : automatic messages, whatsapp guest discussion channel (with AI), smartlocks code automation (Nuki, Ttlock, Igloohome), pricelabs, direct bookings and widget for your website, chatGPT and Claude connectors and more !

Should I migrate?

The switch is highly recommended for all users currently using a direct Airbnb or Booking.com integration.

However, if you use a PMS (Property Management System) that is not yet supported by Nowistay (such as SuperHote, Guesty, Hostaway, or others not listed in our integrations), and you wish to keep using that PMS, then you should continue with your current direct integration setup. The Nowistay integration replaces the need for a separate PMS by acting as your channel manager.

If your PMS is already supported (e.g., Smoobu, Lodgify, Beds24), you can keep or connect via the PMS 3rd party integration instead, no migration needed for those setups.

Things to know before migrating

Connecting Nowistay as your channel manager triggers a few automatic changes on Airbnb. Here is a quick summary:

• Fee model change — Airbnb may switch your entire account to the host-only fee model (15–15.5%). Use Nowistay’s Rate Adjustment feature to increase your Airbnb nightly rate and keep the same net revenue. This has zero impact on bookings since guests always see the total price.
• Calendar managed from Nowistay — prices and availability are now set from the Nowistay calendar. This gives you a single centralized view across all platforms.
• Instant booking — may be activated automatically. You can limit it to experienced guests or try switching back to manual approval.
• iCal links removed — Nowistay’s real-time API sync replaces iCal, which is more reliable.
• Some Airbnb settings become read-only — Smart Pricing, promotions, and stay rules should now be managed in Nowistay.
• All listings affected — changes apply to your entire Airbnb account, even unmapped listings. Connect all your properties to Nowistay to benefit from centralized management.

None of these changes affect your revenue or guest experience negatively. For a detailed explanation of each change and step-by-step solutions, read our complete guide: What changes when you connect Nowistay as your channel manager.

How to migrate

The migration process is simple and takes only a few minutes:

1. Go to your property list in nowistay.
2. Click on the property you want to migrate.
3. Open the AI Assistant configuration.
4. In the synchronization section, click “Change synchronization method”.
5. Select “I don’t have a PMS” then click “Activate Nowistay Integration”.
6. Follow the guided steps to connect your Airbnb and/or Booking.com account through Nowistay.

Once connected, your assistant will automatically start using the new integration. Your existing settings, welcome guide, and assistant configuration will be preserved.

Watch how it do it

What happens to my current setup?

• Your assistant configuration (personality, welcome guide, rules) remains unchanged.
• Your bookings and calendar data will be synced through the new integration.
• If you previously had a cohost on Airbnb for the direct integration (or on booking.com), you can remove it after the migration is complete — it is no longer needed.

Connect a property for the first time

See this help article if you want to connect an Airbnb listing for the first time using the new integration.