What the FeWo-direkt/Vrbo connection does
FeWo-direkt is the German-market brand name for Vrbo, which is owned by Expedia Group (the same group that previously ran HomeAway before it folded into the Vrbo brand). From Smoobu's side it's a single channel — connecting FeWo-direkt automatically covers Vrbo too, regardless of which brand a guest searches or books through. Over the API, Smoobu exchanges availability, rates, and booking data between your Smoobu account and the Vrbo system.
As with Booking.com, a plain iCal connection isn't enough to use the channel fully — rates, minimum stay, and automated guest messaging through Smoobu all require the API connection. The exact activation timeline and requirements are set by Expedia Group, not Smoobu, so build in some lead time before relying on the new channel.
Step 1 — Check prerequisites
Before requesting the connection in Smoobu, two things should already be in place:
- Vrbo/FeWo-direkt account fully set up: property published and publicly bookable, photos and description added, payout details (bank account) confirmed in the Expedia partner portal. A property still going through Vrbo's own onboarding review can't yet be connected through a channel manager.
- Smoobu prepared as the master system: rates, minimum stay, blocked dates, and property details fully maintained in Smoobu. Whatever is set here gets pushed to Vrbo after connecting — not the other way around.
Step 2 — Request the connection in Smoobu
The request starts in Smoobu, but the actual approval sits with Expedia Group.
- In Smoobu: go to Settings → Channels, select FeWo-direkt/Vrbo, and click Connect.
- Smoobu redirects you to sign in and authorize access from your Vrbo partner account. There you confirm that Smoobu can access your property data as a channel manager.
- Depending on the account, Expedia Group may run an additional review before the connection is fully activated.
Until approval is complete, Smoobu shows the channel as "Pending" (or similar) under Settings → Channels. That's normal — there's nothing extra you can do to speed up Vrbo's review process.
Step 3 — Map the property
- Once approved, Smoobu lists the properties linked to your Vrbo account.
- Map each Vrbo property to the matching Smoobu property. With a single property, this step is usually unambiguous.
- Save. The channel should then show a green "Connected" status.
If you manage several properties under the same Vrbo account, check each mapping individually — an incorrect mapping will push rates and availability to the wrong property.
Step 4 — Reconcile fees and extras
Vrbo lets you set cleaning fees, deposits, and extra guest fees directly in the partner portal. These fields aren't automatically pulled from Smoobu — they need to be maintained separately on Vrbo's side.
- Cleaning fee: check the property's pricing settings in the Vrbo partner portal and confirm the amount matches what's set in Smoobu.
- Deposit: if you handle a security deposit through Smoobu, check whether Vrbo also requires its own deposit setting — this can vary by country and account configuration.
- If a fee shown on Vrbo differs from what Smoobu calculates, the fee entered directly on Vrbo usually takes precedence — the API primarily syncs the nightly rate, not necessarily every add-on fee.
Step 5 — Verify the sync
- Block test: manually block a date in Smoobu and check the Vrbo calendar to confirm the block appears within a few minutes.
- Rate test: change the rate for a date in Smoobu and check the Vrbo listing to confirm the new rate was picked up.
- Wait for a real booking: on the first booking via Vrbo, confirm guest name, email, and special requests arrive fully in Smoobu — a sign the API connection is active and no old iCal connection is still running in parallel.
Troubleshooting common issues
FeWo-direkt/Vrbo doesn't show up as a channel option in Smoobu at all
This usually means Expedia Group hasn't confirmed the connection request yet, or the Vrbo property itself isn't fully approved. Check your property status in the Vrbo partner portal and look for an open task related to the channel manager connection.
Availability doesn't match between Smoobu and Vrbo
The most common cause is a minimum stay conflict between the two systems. Check the Vrbo partner portal for its own minimum stay or lead-time setting that overrides the Smoobu value, and remove the conflicting one.
Rates on Vrbo differ from Smoobu
First check the cleaning fee, deposit, and any discount tiers directly in the Vrbo partner portal — these fields aren't always pulled 1:1 from Smoobu (see Step 4). Only if those match and the base rate still differs is it likely an actual sync issue in the API connection.
A booking landed as a double booking on Vrbo and Smoobu
This usually points to an old iCal connection still running alongside the new API connection. Check Settings → Channels in Smoobu for a leftover iCal entry next to FeWo-direkt/Vrbo (API) and remove it. Then cancel the duplicate booking manually in the Vrbo partner portal itself, not only in Smoobu.
Automated messages aren't reaching Vrbo guests
In Smoobu, go to Automation → Messages and check whether the relevant template is enabled for the FeWo-direkt/Vrbo channel specifically — templates can be turned on or off per channel. Also confirm the booking actually came in through the API connection rather than an older parallel iCal connection without messaging automation.
Note: menu labels in the Smoobu interface and the Vrbo partner portal change occasionally, and the exact requirements for API activation are set by Expedia Group. The process described here reflects the state as of July 16, 2026 — confirm the current menu wording in your own accounts before requesting the connection.