November to February is typically a quiet period for holiday cottage rentals. Although many holiday home owners undertake essential maintenance during this period, winter is also a time to take stock of the previous letting season and prepare for the new one.
Although there are fewer people looking to go on holiday during this period, there are still lots of travellers looking to get away.? Here a few ideas to help you maximise the opportunity to attract bookings at your holiday let cottage during the winter.
Offer incentives
Some ideas;
- Offer one day free when they stay for 7 (7 days for the price of 6).
- Don?t ask for a damage deposit ? this reduces the perception of the overall cost. Most cottage owners don?t deduct from damage deposits anyway.
- How can you add value? Include coal and logs for the open fire, a free box of chocolates and bottle of wine, include electricity charges and free wifi. Factor these into the rental rate rather pricing them as extras.
The point of these incentives is to differentiate your property from the rest, show that your rental is value for money and a better offer than competing properties.
Discounts
Try to be as flexible and competitive as possible with your rental rates ? but only if you make a profit. It may be more costly for you to have an empty property than to give a discount. Check out your competitors and try to attract longer winter rentals.
Why should guests visit during winter?
Some travellers have the opinion that many resorts ?shut down? in winter. If your holiday cottage is in a year round destination, showcase the nearby attractions and create a calendar of local winter events. A blog is the ideal platform to do this.
Set the scene, allow potential guests to see themselves lounging by your log burner, walking on the snow caped fells or at dining your local cosy pub.
Christmas and New Year
Although your Christmas and New Year dates are likely to book up, there are still lots of people looking to get away both before and after Christmas. Your rental rates in December, early January are probably a fraction of the cost compared to the festive period, but guests can still sample the festive spirit.
How can you make your property appealing? What special events are on, such as Christmas markets, decorate your cottage with a tree/Xmas decorations and add pictures to your gallery.
Update your photos
Holidaymakers will want to see wintery photos of your holiday cottage (especially your roaring log burner or open fire) and the local area if they?re searching for a winter rental. Update photos on your holiday rental listings to wintery images.
Keep your advertising updated
Don?t forget to update your advertising, re-write descriptions to sell the benefits you provide for winter rentals. Promote your indoor entertainment; a wii, board games for the whole family, a heated hot tub, cooking books and baking utensils for example.
Are there any niche holiday rental sites that you can advertise on that have improved in the last 12 months?
Get winter rental reviews
Third party endorsements from past guests help get bookings. Get reviews from guests who stayed in winter. Showcase what made their stay special. Did they go sledging, build a snowman, enjoy the local markets, your cosy log burner, walks from your doorstep or the winter menu at your local pub.
If you make sure that they could access your property in the snow (a concern for some travellers) ask guests to mention it in the review..
Email marketing
Contact previous guests to let them know about your winter special offers or remind them of their loyalty discount. It?s also a good opportunity let them know about any updates you have done at your cottage. This simple ?nudge? may get bookings from those who know your property well. Happy guests return.
There are still lots of travellers looking to book cottage holidays in the winter. If you have any letting tips please add them in the comments.
Source: http://www.schofields.ltd.uk/blog/2986/letting-a-holiday-cottage-in-winter/
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