Six good reasons to visit The Peak District for a self-catering holiday in winter - and recommended holiday cottages in which to stay.

Imagine your online advert for your holiday cottage is a noticeboard on a busy corridor. Lots of people will pass it. However, if you don't update it regularly, people will stop paying attention because it never changes and, worse still, is outdated. Nothing will kill a potential booker's interest in your cottage faster than out-of-date prices, a lack of recent reviews or an empty availability calendar. 

You have to update it. 

Now imagine that Google is the noticeboard monitor. You may have paid for the right to be on the board, but the more out-of-date your advertisement becomes, the more Google will move it towards the less-seen corners of the noticeboard—even placing other adverts over yours.

Alan Egan at Vacation Soup (a holiday rentals expert for whom we have the highest regard) has published an interesting and helpful article explaining why and how your website will die (if you let it) what you can do to keep it alive and

First impressions count!

Making guests feel expected, welcome and cared for right from the moment they set eyes on your holiday cottage has many benefits:

* Fewer, if any, complaints (any minor transgressions will be overlooked)

* More repeat bookings

* More 5-star reviews and 'word-of-mouth publicity.

A creative floral welcome makes a significant impact on arriving guests

Read this intelligent article on more options to make your guests feel cared for from the moment they arrive.

Subliminal things like ensuring the temperature inside the front door is a few noticeable degrees warmer than on the outside, or the way the house 'smells' as you cross the threshold, are all important. Leaving lights on for 'after dark' arrivals or a handwritten note on a tasteful card all play their part

You know you've not got that welcome quite right if you find guests sending you a list or minor 'niggling' complaints - a

A welcome pack is more than just a handful of teabags, milk and a packet of Digestives. Making guests feel loved, welcome and cared for the moment they arrive is a great way to ensure:

*  No complaints

*  Great reviews

*  Repeat Bookings.

Here are six interesting suggestions for the contents of a welcome pack to greet and totally wow your guests.

To view Lodgify's list of suggestions for your welcome pack, click here.

 

Read these articles for more information on Welcome Packs for Holiday Cottages: 

1. Ways To Ensure Your Holiday Cottage Guests Feel Welcome

2. Ten Ways to Ensure Guests Feel Welcome and Cared For

3. A North Yorkshire Holiday Cottage Welcome

4. What Should You Include In A Holiday Cottage Welcome Pack to Impress Guests?

 

Send Us Your Welcome Pack Photos for Our 'Welcoming Cottages'  Blog

We would love to see and

Avoiding flights, ditching the car and staying on top of recycling are all effective ways to help the environment while on holiday. It’s also worth shopping around for accommodation with eco-credentials such as solar energy and hydroelectric power. The following cottages provide beautiful self-catering accommodation while doing their bit for the environment.

 

Woodville, North Yorkshire – Sleeps 4

Rustic woodland lodge on the North Star Club resort in the Yorkshire Wolds near Pocklington

There is no TV or internet in this cosy countryside cottage, making it the perfect place to get back to basics. Look out for passing wildlife on the veranda, walk in the surrounding woods and fall asleep to the crackle of the wood burner. The award-winning pub, the Star Inn, and the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass are nearby.

 

Tehidy Yurt, Cornwall – Sleeps 4

Eco-friendly yurt near a sandy beach on the North Cornwall coast

Here are a few of our favourite West Country holiday cottages for winter walks in the Westcountry, from the Mendip Hills in Somerset to the Cornish Riviera.

 

Bridesmere, Moretonhampstead – Sleeps 8

This converted barn has a large entrance hall where you can store your coats and muddy boots after a day exploring Dartmoor National Park. A lovely footpath starts in Moretonhampstead and climbs through lush countryside to the Iron Age hill fort of Cranbrook Castle. Stop for a picnic and enjoy the views across Dartmoor before descending back to the village.

 

Hill House Farm Cottage, Cheddar – Sleeps 4

Somerset countryside holiday cottage in the  Mendip Hills 

Hill House Farm Cottage has open fires and a secure garden where you can leave your dog without worrying about an escape. We highly recommend the Cheddar Gorge Walk, a four-mile footpath along the weathered crags and pinnacles of one of England’s most

Six Towns and Villages to Visit on Holidays in the Wye Valley

The Wye Valley covers 126 square miles along the border between England and Wales. Its lush ravines and woodland trails make it a paradise for walking, cycling, canoeing and wild swimming. Here are six of our favourite towns and villages in the region where you can rest and refuel before continuing your outdoor adventures. I

The Wye Valley is an attractive visitor destination for country house parties. Stay with friends or large family gatherings and enjoy opportunities for lovely riverside walks along the River Wye. We’ve included our favourite selection of large Welsh and English country cottages (with one lovely exception) to stay in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean for each town. Click on the cottage name to find out more about it or make a booking enquiry.

 

Llangovan

Llangovan is a wonderful place to savour the Wye Valley’s beautiful scenery and a slower pace of life.

As the winter approaches, you may consider what improvements you want to make to your holiday cottage. If you are planning on doing some serious decorating or replacing hard or soft furnishings, here are five simple and very handy design principles to follow courtesy of The New York Times contributing to the debate on how to furnish a holiday cottage to achieve two aims:

1: To make it look attractive.

2: To do No. 1 in ways that will prove hard wearing and continue to present a great home-from-home appearance despite repeated heavy use by guests.

This handy article suggests five well-worth-remembering design principles to inform your choice of furnishings and overall interior design to ensure your holiday cottage will continue to look attractive for longer.

NB: It may not be a design principle, but after carefully designing the interior of a holiday cottage of which you can be rightly proud and are sure will appeal to guests, don't

Like it or hate it, when used correctly and consistently, social media can be a great way to build awareness of your holiday cottage - and how to find it on the web. With the cost of advertising a cottage on a handful of top holiday property directories continuing to rise, having a social media presence will help drive more traffic to your holiday property’s website.

However, to the uninitiated, using a social media facility such as Facebook or Twitter can be very daunting. This post from Guesty.com lists the leading social media platforms and includes some valuable jargon-busters. 

So, for example, you’ll learn exactly what’ tag’ on Facebook or a #hash-tag on Twitter means, and doYou’llu’ll feel a lot more sure of yourself and understand the different ways to use social media to promote your holiday cottage after working your way through this helpful guide.

 

Click here to read: The Holiday Cottage Manager’s Guide to