Migration guide
Switch from Mews to FrontDesk
Export the reservation report from Mews to Excel; FrontDesk understands Mews terms like Space, Space category and Adult count.
1. Export from Mews
- In Mews, open the reservation report from the Reports section.
- Set the date filter to arrivals from today onwards and limit it to active states (confirmed/optional); leave out cancelled reservations.
- Export to Excel.
- Multi-property Mews setups (portfolio or chain): run the export per property so each file goes into the matching FrontDesk property.
Menu names change between Mews versions and plans; if yours differ, look for the reservation list or report with an export button. We have no commercial relationship with Mews.
2. Import into FrontDesk
Upload the file in Import. FrontDesk detects the Mews format from the headers and pre-fills the mapping below; you can still change any column before confirming.
customercustomersSplit into first and last name automatically ("Smith, Anna" or "Anna Smith"), used when the file has no separate first-name column.
first namelast nameemailtelephonephonespacespace categoryarrivalstartdepartureendadult countadultschild countchildrennotestotal amounttotal costtotalHeaders are matched without regard to capitals or extra spaces; where several are listed, the first one found is used.
Specific to Mews
- • Mews calls rooms "spaces": the preset maps Space (the room) first and Space category only as a fallback. Your FrontDesk room names should match the Mews space names.
- • When the file has a single Customer column, the name is split into first and last name automatically.
How the import behaves
- Create your rooms in FrontDesk first. The room column must match a FrontDesk room name exactly (case does not matter); a row whose room is not found is skipped and listed with the reason.
- Arrival and departure are required, as is a guest name (first, last or full). Dates with a time ("03/10/2026 14:00") and local day/month orders are converted automatically.
- Guests are de-duplicated by email, then by first + last name, so a repeat guest keeps a single profile.
- A row that overlaps an existing booking on the same room is refused, so importing the same file twice does not create duplicates.
- Formats: .xlsx, .xls or .csv, first sheet, one reservation per row, headers in the first row.
- Nothing is written until you confirm: you see the detected preset, the column mapping (editable) and a preview of the first rows.
What does not migrate
The import brings guests and reservations. Everything else stays in Mews or is set up again:
- Rate plans and seasons: the stay total comes across when the export has a price column (mapped to Stay total, read as an amount in your property currency), but rate plans, seasons and payment history do not. Rebuild rates in FrontDesk for new bookings.
- Payments, deposits and stored card tokens: tokens belong to the old PMS's payment provider and cannot be moved. Deposits already taken stay in your old payment account; note them on the reservation.
- Folios, invoices and historical charges: FrontDesk starts its own invoice series. Keep the old PMS export (or its invoice PDFs) for accounting and tax retention.
- Reservation status and source: every imported row becomes a confirmed reservation with source "Import Excel". Rows whose status column says cancelled or no-show are dropped automatically; checked-out past stays should be filtered out before upload, or they come in as confirmed.
- Guest ID documents, nationality and date of birth: only name, email and phone are imported for the guest profile.
- Channel manager mappings and OTA connections: reconnect in FrontDesk through Channex (two-way, a separate subscription) or iCal feeds, and map room types again.
- Rooms, room types, rate plans, restrictions, users, housekeeping history and reports: set these up in FrontDesk; the import only creates guests and reservations.
And if you ever leave FrontDesk: Settings → Data export downloads your reservations, guests, invoices and payments as Excel or CSV, for one property or the whole group, on every plan. No ticket, no fee, no waiting.
How long it takes
Small property (up to ~20 rooms)
30–60 minutes
Create rooms, export future reservations, import (cancelled rows are skipped). Most of the time goes into rooms and rates, not the file.
Mid-size hotel (20–150 rooms)
Half a day
Same steps; export by month or quarter so any refused rows are easy to fix, and reconnect channels on the switch-over day.
Large hotel or group
About a day per property
The import runs on the property you have open, so do one property at a time: start with a pilot property, check the planner against the old PMS, then repeat. Channel reconnection and staff logins take longer than the import itself.
Estimates for the whole switch, not measurements: the file import itself takes minutes.
Still deciding? See pricing and features side by side.
FrontDesk vs MewsFrequently asked questions
Can FrontDesk import Mews data through the API?
No. The import is file-based (Excel or CSV). FrontDesk has its own REST API for reservations and guests, but it does not pull data from Mews.
What happens to guest profiles and history in Mews?
Guests on the imported reservations get a FrontDesk profile with name, email and phone. Stay history, documents and preferences stay in Mews; export them for your records before you close the account.
Can I test the import before I commit?
Yes. The 14-day trial needs no credit card and includes the import: create a couple of rooms, upload a real export and look at the result in the planner. The demo at /demo shows a sample hotel with no sign-up at all.
Try the import with your own Mews file
The demo runs on a sample hotel with no forms or sales calls; the 14-day trial needs no credit card.