How VRBO and Booking.com messages reach Besty
Unlike Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com don't have a direct API for messaging. Besty receives these messages via proxy email — the OTA sends message notification emails to a connected inbox, which Besty monitors and pulls into the conversation thread.
For this to work, the email address receiving VRBO or Booking.com notifications must be connected to Besty.
Setting up the proxy email connection
Find the email address currently receiving VRBO or Booking.com message notifications for each property. This is often set in the property contact settings within the OTA account.
Update the OTA property contact email to the address connected to your Besty account, or forward notifications to that address.
For VRBO specifically: go to your VRBO account property settings and update the contact email to the one linked to Besty.
Once configured, new messages from VRBO and Booking.com guests will appear in your Besty inbox automatically.
Why aren't VRBO/Booking.com messages showing in Besty?
The OTA account may still be pointing at an old email (e.g., a Re:amaze proxy address) rather than your Besty-connected email.
The message notification email from the OTA may not be reaching the connected inbox — check spam or forwarding rules.
New bookings typically sync automatically; however, subsequent messages within a reservation only appear if the proxy email is correctly configured.
Besty inbox vs. OTA inbox
When VRBO or Booking.com messages are not configured to sync, you'll need to log into those platforms directly to view guest messages. New booking confirmations will still appear in Besty, but ongoing conversation messages will not until the proxy email is set up.