With UK staycation numbers rising, holiday cottages are an ever-popular way of holidaying somewhere special without there being strangers in the room next door. However, it’s not just space and privacy that people are looking for when they choose a holiday cottage over a hotel. Here, Paula Alexander, Founder and Managing Director at Holiday Cottage Compare, describes how holiday cottage owners can make their properties stand out and be memorable, helping to ensure their customers return time and time again.
I can remember the first holiday cottage I stayed at and the last one – which was earlier this month. Other than that, there are very few that stand out in my mind when I’m asked to recommend places to go or reminiscing about excellent places to stay.
What makes these places memorable isn’t necessarily what you would expect. It’s not the pool, the size of the bedrooms or the view from the hot tub – it’s the little points of difference that make a stay there go from good to special.
Something for the kids
I remember arriving at a recent holiday cottage after a particularly long drive. The kids ran inside and we were faced with having to unpack everything from the car as quickly as we could, to make sure the kids weren’t running riot or getting bored. And the torrential rain didn’t help!
Imagine how happy we were when on our second trip back to the cottage from the car, we could see the kids playing nicely together with a dolls house. It kept them entertained for the entire time it took for us to unpack. Of course, a dolls house won’t necessarily work for everyone, but even something like a rope swing or a climbing frame in the garden can make the start of a holiday go from stressful to relaxed in seconds.
At another cottage we visited, the host had provided lots to keep the kids entertained. We’ve never had such a peaceful BBQ, cooking and chatting over a glass of wine, whilst the kids played with a football. Something that small and inexpensive can really make all the difference. At the same cottage, there were also spare wellies for the kids, fishing nets, buckets and spades and even a paddling pool. We didn’t actually need to leave the cottage if we didn’t want and the children remember it because they were made so welcome.
A personalised welcome
With all holiday cottage bookings, the owner will know in advance exactly who is coming. So, if it’s two adults and two kids under five, whilst a welcome hamper full of eggs, biscuits and wine will always be appreciated, there’s a great opportunity to make it more personal. Add in a personalised note and something like a colouring book and pencils for the kids to make the welcome feel real and special.
Extras that fit with your audience
How many UK holidays involve at least one morning or evening relaxing in front of the fire with a book? I always take a few with me, but one of my favourite ever holiday cottages made my own books pale into insignificance alongside the choice available there.
What was great was that the books there seemed like they were put there with me in mind, rather than a random collection just left behind by previous visitors.
So it’s worth considering what the profile of your average visitor is and tailoring your collection accordingly. If your cottage is relatively upmarket and extremely well furnished , make sure your book collection reflects that and remains ‘on brand’. Perhaps include a couple of standout coffee table books on the area, with great photography.
Similarly, if you have lots of children visiting, it’s worth investing in something new and different for them to read at bedtime. You can’t go wrong with anything by Julia Donaldson for the younger ones and David Walliams is a firm favourite for the older ones.
The basics – and lots of them
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be used to packing half of your own kitchen basics for a self-catering holiday cottage, especially if you don’t fancy eating out every night. So make sure you save your visitors from a drive to the nearest shop because they have forgotten to pack bin liners! It’s the basics, like bin liners, foil, cling film, salt, pepper, oil and hand soap being readily available that makes it feel like your host has gone the extra mile to make your stay as enjoyable and comfortable as possible. And do the tomato test with all your knives! If they’re not sharp enough to easily slice through a tomato, get them sharpened or replaced.
Why not go one step further? How many times have you enjoyed the shower gel from a hotel, or been delighted to see a chocolate on a pillow? Fresh flowers? People staying in holiday cottages will remember that same level of attention too. After all, who goes on holiday to experience any less luxury than they already have at home?
Paula Alexander founded Holiday Cottage Compare to make it quicker and easier for holidaymakers to find their perfect holiday cottage, whatever their requirements. From searching for a cottage anywhere during, for example, July, August and September to opting for somewhere with a thatched roof and hot tub that accepts three dogs, Holiday Cottage Compare uses the industry’s most flexible search functionality and widest range of filters to present the holidaymaker with their perfect cottage, drawn from a range of over 10,000 holiday rentals throughout the UK.
