Netflix has produced a TV series about Vacation Rental properties called ‘Stay Here’. It focuses on those little (and not so little) things that make a holiday cottage stand out from the crowd. 

By all means, binge-watch the whole TV series in one, but in case you are a little pushed for time (or don’t have a Netflix subscription), here are 8 top tips identified by web design experts Lodgify to take into account. 

Some of the ideas are so juicy that I’m almost tempted to keep them all to myself. But that’s the standard I apply before sharing content: if it’s too good to share – it still gets shared on My Favourite Holiday Cottages! 

Which of The Takeaways works for you? Please share it in the comments section! And if Netflix were to film your cottage - what Top Tip would they take from it?

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Are you acquiring a holiday cottage? Do you already own a second home which you are thinking of letting out for holiday lets, or even moving out and letting your own home for 2-3 months in the summer? Read these handy tips from Evolve. They will help you meet and exceed guest expectations (More repeat bookings - fewer complaints). If you are an old hand at holiday lettings and would like to share some of your guidelines, please add your contribution in the comments section below.

 

My Favourite Holiday Cottages features dozens and dozens of holiday cottages with pools. Naturally, when considering booking a holiday in a property with its own swimming pool, summer is the main consideration. However, here are some of our favourite holiday cottages with indoor pools, perfect for swimming on holiday in the UK during the autumn, winter, and spring.

Here are eight lovely holiday cottages with heated indoor pools for you to view from the Highlands of Scotland to the Cornish coast. The selection covers a range of sites, from clifftop holiday parks to historic country estates – and many have access to jacuzzis, saunas and other brilliant leisure facilities. 

Visit our pages featuring cottages with a swimming pool to view more holiday cottages with all kinds of indoor and outdoor pools.

 

Fairways West, North Devon – Sleeps 8

Fairways West in North Devon. It has a golf course, tennis courts, a jacuzzi, and an

Whether you are planning a family holiday or an adventure with a group of friends, we have a selection of large holiday cottages in Devon to choose from. Suitable for all occasions, book one of these large and luxurious Devon cottages for a glorious summer holiday, a weekend country house party with friends, a special reunion, a celebration or simply because you have fallen in love with it! Here are a few of our favourites, from the lush river estuaries of South Devon to the rugged North coast and mysterious landscapes of Exmoor National Park.

 

Blue Horizon, Woolacombe – Sleeps 8    Airy holiday cottage overlooking sand, dunes and Atlantic waves

Watch Atlantic Waves crashing ashore from the Deck at Blue Horizon in Woolacombe in North Devon

This architect-designed luxury holiday home is so close to the beach you can fall asleep to the sound of the ocean and check the tide in the morning. Perfect for a break on the spectacular North

Many of us will likely have gotten used to enjoying a good swim while on holiday, whether from the beach or in a holiday cottage with a private pool in its sun-drenched garden. 

Come the onset of shorter days with the arrival of autumn and winter; there’s no reason to assume that all thoughts of swimming on holiday must be put aside until next summer. There are plenty of holiday cottages with private indoor pools all over the UK.

Why not plan a weekend break with friends or another family to chase away the winter blues by booking a large holiday cottage with a private indoor pool?

We’ve selected our favourite top ten holiday homes that offer exclusive use of an indoor heated pool for large groups of 10 or more guests. Many are in areas nicely suited for walking holidays, making the prospect of a weekend away a healthy one—and who cares about the weather?

From remote corners of the UK in the Highlands of Scotland and The Gower

News From The Homefront for Holiday Cottage Owners: August 2018

Well, as I write, it's the height of summer and what a glorious summer it is proving to be. Let's hope that the sun will linger long into a golden autumn. Links to seven helpful articles are set out below, but for owners with a property listed on My Favourite Holiday Cottages, please note these updates:

1. Add your prices: Don't forget that you can now add your property prices to your listing. These can be indicative or exact prices. Being able to see your prices means that bookers will feel confident about submitting an enquiry when they can see that they can afford the dates they have in mind.

2. SuperControl Users: We have better integrated the site with SuperControl so that when you add the link to your booking calendar, your prices will automatically appear. If you use SuperControl (an excellent online booking software) and haven't added it to your listings, 

Fingers crossed, it will never happen, but given that accidents in the home account for well over half of admissions to A&E, sooner or later, someone will injure themselves in your holiday cottage.

This raises three issues: 

First and foremost, what part can you play in caring for your guest and minimising their worries by stepping in to look after them? A little TLC can work wonders. Mitigation: What can you do to make your home safer - or make guests aware of possible risks? For instance, that kids' trampoline in the garden, or the 'character' staircase perhaps... Addressing the whole liability issue: handy dos and don'ts: You should be insured, but is there anything you are doing - or not doing - that would invalidate your policy in the event of a claim? Read the small print!

Don't hope it will never happen. Read this article, and take appropriate action; if it does, at least you'll be prepared, and the problem will be much reduced!

There are a surprising number of weeks (or weekends) in the low season that, with a bit of care and attention, can be filled with guests. It is almost half a year from the onset of autumn to the arrival of Easter. 

Granted, the returns aren't as great as in the summer, but if your holiday cottage is costing you money even when empty, welcoming more guests keeps your cottage warm, dry and cosy, contributing to the bottom line.

Read these six tips from Guesty.com on things you can do to make your cottage stand out from the crowd to people planning a low season break in self-catering accommodation.

Feel free to contribute your own suggestions for attracting more low-season bookings in the comments section below.

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Right now is a very good time to review how you describe your holiday cottage online. With most weeks booked until well into the autumn, you should focus on filling bookings for next year. As well as reviewing prices, what can you say that will have more guests reaching for that 'Contact Us' button?

While we all hope the popularity of self-catering holidays continues to grow, tread cautiously. In 2022, with travel restrictions likely to have been eased, the temptation to holiday abroad may well prove irresistible to many. With so many more holiday cottages available, bookings may be harder to come by. So, when people do find your advert, make sure it is as convincing as it can possibly be. Make the best use of the summer months, following the recommendations in these two articles on the best way to describe your holiday home. Above all - move from merely listing their contents to describing their benefits to guests. Turn good content into truly eye-catching