Import Your Existing Data into Hostel Mate
Switching to a new hostel PMS should not mean starting from scratch. If you already use a property management system and can export your data, our support team can help import it into Hostel Mate, usually in less than 24 hours.
Switching PMS does not have to mean losing your data
This is usually the first question people ask when they are thinking about moving to a new system: What happens to everything I already have?
It is a fair question.
You may already have future reservations on the calendar, guest details in your system, room and bed setup configured, notes attached to bookings, and a team that cannot afford a messy changeover.
That is exactly why we built our onboarding process around migration support.
If your current PMS lets you export your data, we can review the files and help bring the important parts into Hostel Mate, so you are not left rebuilding your operation from scratch.
We import your upcoming bookings and any historical reservation data that makes sense to bring across, so you are not rebuilding the calendar from scratch.
- check-in and check-out dates
- room or bed assignments
- guest names
- pricing and booking totals
A simple migration process, handled with you
- 01
1. You export your data from your current system
This usually includes reservation data, guest details and any other useful reports your current PMS can provide.
- 02
2. You send the files to our support team
Once we have the files, we review them and check what can be imported cleanly.
- 03
3. We map the data to Hostel Mate
We organise the data so it matches the right fields and structure inside your new account.
- 04
4. We import it into Hostel Mate
Once everything is ready, we handle the import for you.
- 05
5. You review the setup before go-live
Before you switch fully, you can check that your reservations and setup look right. It is reviewed, checked and handled properly before you start relying on the system day to day.
Fast support-led onboarding
When the files are ready, our support team can usually complete the import in less than 24 hours.
That speed matters. Most hostels do not have spare time to spend rebuilding future bookings manually or cleaning up avoidable mistakes after launch.
A support-led import gives you a much cleaner start and helps your team focus on getting the property live, not firefighting the move.
An important distinction: your PMS is not the same thing as your booking channels
This is where a lot of migration pages get muddled, so let’s keep it clear.
If you are moving from Cloudbeds or BananaDesk, those are examples of systems you may already use to run your property. Platforms like Booking.com, Airbnb and Hostelworld are different—those are channels where guests make bookings.
That means there are two separate parts to onboarding: Moving your data from your current PMS and Connecting your booking channels. These two things are related, but they are not the same.
When you connect your booking channels, you should not assume that every reservation made before connection will automatically appear in Hostel Mate exactly as you expect.
Some channels can make upcoming reservations available through their connection setup. Some require more care, especially around bookings that already existed before you connected the channel.
The safest way to go live
1. Export your current data: Pull the files you need from your existing PMS.
2. Import the key bookings and guest details into Hostel Mate: This gives you a proper base inside the new system.
3. Review your setup: Check rooms, beds, reservations and availability.
4. Make sure future reservations are accounted for: Especially anything that already existed before channel activation.
5. Connect your channels and go live: Once the important bookings and setup are in place, the switch is much safer.
- reservation exports
- guest data exports
- room or bed setup
- room type information
- rate plan details, where relevant
- your target go-live date
If you are not sure which reports to export, that is fine. We can guide you on what is most useful. The point is to keep the process practical and manageable, not turn it into an admin marathon.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. If your current PMS lets you export your reservation data, our support team can review the files and help import the usable data into Hostel Mate.
Yes. If you can export the right data from Cloudbeds, we can review the files and help bring it into Hostel Mate.
Yes. If the data can be exported in a usable format, we can review it and help import it into Hostel Mate.
In many cases, yes. That depends on what your current system includes in the export and how the data is structured.
Often, yes. Where that information is available in your files, we can review it and see how best to bring it across.
If your export files are ready, our support team can usually handle the import in less than 24 hours.
No. If your data can be exported, we can often help import the important parts so you do not need to rebuild the setup by hand.
That can still work. We can review spreadsheet exports and confirm what can be imported.
Not always in the exact way people assume. Depending on the connection setup, upcoming reservations may be available, but existing bookings should still be checked as part of the migration plan.
If you already have Hostelworld bookings before connection, they should be properly accounted for before you go live.
Make sure your existing reservations are covered, review your setup, confirm future bookings are in place, and only then switch fully live.
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