Early-Check in Automation

I built an early check-In automation system that integrates Hostaway and Turno to automatically notify guests, update cleaning statuses in real-time, and streamline operations—saving hours each week.

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Inspiration

Managing early check-ins for Airbnb and short-term rentals was eating up countless hours each week—manually tracking cleaning status in Hostaway, pinging guests, and juggling time zones. I knew there had to be a way to slice through that busywork and deliver a seamless guest experience.

What it does

This system listens for Turno “unit cleaned” webhooks, pulls reservation details from Hostaway, updates a central Google Sheet, and automatically sends personalized early check-in SMS and email messages. Guests get invited to arrive early as soon as their unit is ready—no manual intervention required.

How I built it

  • Make.com: Orchestrated the entire workflow in one scenario
  • Turno Webhook: Triggered when cleaning is complete
  • Hostaway API Module: Retrieved guest name, reservation dates, and property ID
  • Google Sheets Module: Logged status and earliest arrival time for reporting
  • Router & Filters: Directed “ready” vs. “not ready” flows; retried on transient errors
  • Twilio SMS & SendGrid Email: Sent templated messages with dynamic placeholders

Challenges I ran into

  • Time-Zone Handling: Cleaning times vs. local guest time required careful date conversions
  • API Authentication: Managing expiring Turno keys in Make.com and gracefully retrying on 401 errors
  • Data Mapping: Syncing Hostaway’s internal unit IDs with Turno’s project codes in Google Sheets

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

  • Reduced manual check-in coordination by over 90%, saving hosts ~5 hours/week
  • Achieved 100% on-time notifications with zero missed or duplicate messages
  • Built a fully modular scenario so it can be cloned and deployed for any new property in under 10 minutes

What I learned

  • Best practices for robust error handling and retry logic in Make.com
  • How to structure multi-step API integrations with routers, filters, and aggregate modules
  • The importance of clear mapping tables when syncing disparate systems

What's next for Early-Check in Automation

  • Add multi-language support and A/B test message templates
  • Integrate guest feedback surveys post-arrival
  • Expand into calendar-based dynamic pricing alerts and Slack notifications for operations teams

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