Get your guesthouse on AutoStays

Go to Properties → your property → 📸 Property Photos. Upload 3-12 photos of your property — exterior, common areas, pool, garden, reception. The first photo becomes your hero image on listings and search results.

Supports JPEG, PNG, WebP. Max 5MB each. Use natural light, landscape orientation, minimum 1200×800px.

Under each room in the Rooms section, click Photos to expand and upload up to 8 photos per room. Show the bed, bathroom, view, and any unique features. Guests see these when choosing which room to book — both on your listing page and in the booking widget.

Name, description, and capacity by layout (boardroom, classroom, theatre). Set pricing: hourly, half-day, and/or full-day rates.

Toggle what's available: projector, whiteboard, video conferencing, microphone, WiFi, parking, catering, etc. Corporate clients filter by these when searching.

Upload up to 8 photos of the conference room. Show the setup, equipment, natural light, and any breakaway areas.

Write a warm, natural description of your place. What makes it special? What's the vibe? The AI uses this exact tone when chatting with guests.

Check-in/out times, smoking policy, pet policy, cancellation terms, parking, WiFi password. Guests ask these questions constantly — give the AI the answers.

Choose how your AI sounds: Warm and welcoming, Professional and polished, Luxury concierge, or Friendly local guide.

Give your AI a name (e.g. "Rose", "Thandi"). This appears in WhatsApp conversations.

Add common questions and answers. "Do you have a pool?" → "Yes, our heated pool is open from 7am to 9pm."

Upload 3-12 photos (JPEG, PNG, WebP). The first photo becomes your hero image on your discovery page. Natural light, landscape orientation, minimum 1200 x 800px.

Use the Facebook account linked to your business. Don't have a Facebook Business account? No worries — you can create one during the process, or set one up beforehand at business.facebook.com.

If you don't have a WhatsApp Business API account yet, Meta will create one for you automatically.

Enter your guesthouse's WhatsApp Business phone number and verify it with an SMS code.

Allow AutoStays to send and receive messages on your behalf. That's it — your AI agent is now live on your number!

Already have a PayFast account? Log in at payfast.co.za/login → go to Settings → Integration → copy your Merchant ID, Merchant Key, and Passphrase.

Don't have a PayFast account?

1. Register at payfast.co.za/registration
2. Choose "Business" account type
3. You'll need: SA ID or company registration, bank account details, proof of address
4. Verification takes 1-3 business days
5. Once approved, go to Settings → Integration to get your credentials

PayFast fees: ~3.5% + R2 per transaction. Payouts to your bank within 2 business days.

Already have a Yoco account? Log in at portal.yoco.co.za → go to Online Payments → API Keys → copy your Secret Key (starts with sk_live_).

Don't have a Yoco account?

1. Register at yoco.co.za/signup
2. You'll need: SA ID, bank account, business details
3. Approval is usually instant for basic accounts
4. Go to Online Payments → API Keys for your Secret Key

Yoco fees: 2.95% per online transaction. Daily payouts to your bank account.

Already have an Ozow merchant account? Log in at merchant.ozow.com → go to Integration Settings → copy your Site Code, API Key, and Private Key.

Don't have an Ozow account?

1. Apply at ozow.com/merchant-registration
2. You'll need: company registration (CK or CIPC), bank confirmation letter, SA ID
3. Verification takes 3-5 business days
4. Once approved, get your credentials from the merchant dashboard

Ozow fees: ~1.5% per transaction (cheaper than card payments). Guests pay directly from their bank — no card needed.

1. Click "Connect Booking.com"
2. Enter your Hotel ID — find it in your Booking.com extranet under Property → General Info, or in your Booking.com URL
3. Click "Connect & Map Rooms"
4. AutoStays automatically maps your rooms and starts syncing. Existing Booking.com reservations are pulled in immediately.

1. Click "Connect Airbnb"
2. You'll be redirected to Airbnb to log in and grant permission
3. Select your listing(s) and approve
4. You're redirected back to AutoStays — sync starts automatically

For Lekkerslaap, Expedia, and other OTAs that support iCal, you can still use calendar sync:

1. Copy the iCal export URL from your OTA (Calendar → Export)
2. In AutoStays: Channel Manager → iCal Feeds → Add Feed → paste the URL
3. Copy the AutoStays iCal URL for each room and paste it into your OTA's "Import Calendar" setting

iCal sync checks for changes every few hours. The Booking.com and Airbnb connections above are real-time (instant sync).

Guests message your number → AI answers questions, checks availability, sends quotes, creates bookings. You get notified of every new booking.

Your property is live on autostays.co.za/explore — guests can search, browse, and book directly. They also find you at autostays.co.za/autostays/your-slug with a full booking widget (dates → rooms → pay). No WhatsApp needed.

If you connected Booking.com or Airbnb, your availability syncs in real-time. OTA bookings flow into your dashboard automatically. When guests book directly, OTA calendars update instantly.

If you added conference rooms, they're live on the Conference Rooms tab. Corporate clients can browse, book, and pay. They'll also see your accommodation for delegate stays.

Every morning at 7am, you get a WhatsApp/Telegram summary: today's arrivals, departures, revenue, and to-do list.

Your main hub — occupancy, revenue, bookings, calendar, invoices, payroll, and more. Switch between Travelling (guest view) and Hosting (owner view) anytime using the toggle in the nav.