10 features to guarantee more bookings!

10/9/2021

As a holiday let owner, you naturally want maximum bookings and for people to enjoy staying at your property as much as possible - The best way to achieve both of these things is to show off the features your property naturally has, and offer great additional features that guests will love. It's often the little things make all the difference! Happy guests mean more bookings, and more bookings means a successful business!

1. Location
Probably one of the most important aspects of a holiday let - Location, location, location! You will ideally be close to beaches and major attractions, or if in a rural area, you can try to add additional features like WIFI, a log burner or hot tub to attract visitors to stay at your property. Try to think of something quirky and unique!

2. Views
If you’ve got a great coastal or countryside location, you might be lucky enough to have amazing views. This is a huge advantage in gaining more bookings, properties with views will be the first to get booked up! If your property lacks views, why not try to invest in your interior instead? Creating a beautiful, unique interior design will make your property super desirable.

3. Parking
The old headache of trying to find parking in our small Cornish towns! Having an allocated parking space is definitely a sort after luxury with Cornish holiday lets. If your property doesn't have a parking space, perhaps you could look into a parking permit for a nearby car park? Alternatively, parking spaces occasionally come on the market to buy - But you'll have to be quick, and they can be expensive!

4. Log/Open Fire
This one is for those winter nights! and can increase winter/out of high season bookings. After a day of coastal walks, one of the best things to offer your guests is a cosy, warm and inviting place to chill out in front of a real log burner. Make sure you check if any old blocked up chimneys can be given a new lease of life and converted back into a working log fire!

5. Garden/Outdoor Space
Having some outside space is a great plus, and even a small area will almost always get used - Maybe your guests have brought surfboards or bikes along with them? In the summer season they may like to take advantage of the wonderful Cornish sunshine without having to drive anywhere! If your property has a garden/outside space, make sure it's as optimised as possible. It's also important to make sure there's enough seating for the number of guests staying. A BBQ is also a sought after feature, if you are able to accommodate this.

6. Hot Tub
Extremely popular for couple's getaways! Of course, hot tubs aren't a cheap feature to install, and they do come with extra running costs - But if you are able to add one to your garden space, it’s almost guaranteed to get you more bookings!

7. Pup Friendly
If you’ve got the garden space then congratulations, you are already halfway there to being pup friendly! Allowing pets to join the family rarely causes any problems, and guests are happy to pay a small charge to cover the extra cleaning. It's getting more and more popular to bring the family pet on holiday, and a lot of the time it’s the first thing a guest will be looking for! Adjust rental prices to cover some wear and tear, then you can accommodate the whole family, achieving more bookings!

8. Child Friendly
Making your property child friendly is a great way to drive more bookings - A family will be expecting some extras for the younger ones though, we recommended highchairs and travel cots to be stored somewhere in the property ready for guests. Add some games, books or child friendly toys to get some extra points! Going the extra mile is what makes all the difference, and you will get some great reviews for doing so. Great reviews equal more bookings.

9. WIFI
One of the most asked questions! Is there WIFI? We know it can be tricky in rural areas to provide high speed internet, but it really will affect the volume of bookings you get, as some guests may need to work while on holiday. So shop around and see which provider can provide the fastest/most reliable service. Asking neighbours can help narrow providers down!

10. Going The Extra Mile
The little things can make all the difference, like leaving a generous welcome hamper. If you know it’s a guests anniversary weekend - Leave a bottle of something nice as an extra! It only costs a few pounds, and guests will go out of their way to give great reviews in return, earning you more bookings in the future! Think of reviews as your best advertising tool!