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Exterior of a stone-built Dorset cottage overlooking a garden overflowing with shrubs and flowers.

News, Information and Ideas for Managing or Booking UK Holiday Cottages

View articles for holiday cottage owners and bookers. Many of these articles are mentioned in The Holiday Homefront, a monthly newsletter for holiday cottage owners ]published for free. 

Other articles help anyone interested in planning a self-catering holiday, from advice on planning and booking different types of property to information on cottages offering discounts. These are published in a Newsletter for people interested in booking holiday cottages and wanting to know more about booking procedures, discounts, and holiday ideas. To receive a copy, click the Newsletter button at the bottom of the page.

Contents vary but will include the following:

  • Tips on getting it right when finding and booking a particular type of holiday cottage - such as one with 'the right kind of pool' pool, or what to expect to be included in the rental price. 
  • Inspiring articles for people planning UK holidays on our 'favourite holiday cottages' for holidays on a theme or particular location, such as holiday cottages for walkers' best luxury beach holiday cottages in Cornwall.
  • When to discuss (and when not to discuss discounts) and some great deals available at the time of writing.
  • Legal news of interest to all holiday cottage owners and managers. 

  • Welcome to High Summer and the busiest time of the year. We’ve never known summer to have such great booking demand. We get calls and emails daily from people desperate to find somewhere to book in the summer holidays. So, if you have had any last-minute cancellations, do advertise your availability in the Late Availability section on the sites you use to promote your holiday cottage. NB: This is free and is visited often in My Favourite Holiday Cottages.

    Anyway, here’s more advice and top tips for you to digest between changeovers. Remember, click on the title where relevant to access the full article.

    Onwards and Upwards!

    Rick Bond

    My Favourite Holiday Cottages

     

    How to use Pinterest for business

    Suppose you’ve dabbled but never really got to grips with the power of Pinterest or dismissed it because you only use Instagram. In that case, this easy User Guide will not only make you aware of Pinterest’s potential to market

  • Go Slow in the Cotswolds this autumn.

    September and October are lovely times for walking in the Cotswold Hills as nature transitions from Indian summer to Autumn gold - a perfect way to spend a late summer or early autumn weekend when the hubbub of high summer has died down. While there is still availability, book a weekend or midweek rural retreat for two in a Cotswold village with a cosy pub or two on hand to muse over the day's adventures.

    All are within easy reach of Lonon and Midland cities, allowing for arrivals early on Friday evenings, but with that million-miles-away feeling.

    Here you will find some delightful country cottage boltholes with a touch of urban chic and furnished to luxury standards, such as these three bijou beauties (click titles to view more images).

     

    The Sycamore in Arlington

    This delightful Cotswold eco-lodge  For Couples lies in the Gloucestershire Countryside Near Bibury.

  • How to Advertise Your Holiday Home or Airbnb for Free

    A handy checklist from those reliable folks at Schofields Insurance of free and easy ways to market your holiday cottage.

     

    What to Tweet: Content Tips For Experienced Media Managers

    For those of you keen to do better on Twitter – or at least see a tangible return for your efforts this is an insight into Twitter opportunities many of us have yet to exploit. It covers everything from using Twitter Threads to creating a context for your ‘brand’ - without paying for advertising.

     

    What Marketers Say Is the Key to Good Customer Experience

    Everybody knows that a ‘good customer experience’ is a sure way to get new and repeat bookings. But do we all know what it takes to make people feel you’re offering an experience good enough for them to rent your property? You will if you read this!

    This report digs deep into the components that, put together, create a positive experience in

  • Spring Greetings To All Holiday Cottage Owners!  

    May is the month when spring traditionally begins its slow segue into summer. This year, the weather pattern seems to have reversed itself with reports of frost and snow showers! Let us hope this position is soon remedied with more warm and gentle airs prevailing across the UK. In the meantime, one thing you can rely upon is The (all-weather, ever-green) Holiday Homefront, with another helpful bundle of top tips and advice for holiday cottage owners.

    Oh, and for this month, one ticking off! See if you can spot it.

    Remember: To open a link to a longer article, click on the title of an article when it is displayed in turquoise blue.

     

    1.     Plug sockets with USB chargers. 

    Here’s a handy idea to make your holiday cottage more user-friendly and your guests more appreciative. Consider replacing existing plug sockets in key places (e.g., lounges, and

  • Read about our Six Favourite Seaside Piers in the UK. The article includes contact/location information to help with visit planning together with recommended local holiday cottages to stay in when visiting.
  • Descriptions of recommended walks in bluebell woods in the UK.
  • Out of Season Weekend Breaks in Warwickshire.

    For a memorable weekend break in Warwickshire exploring all the best places when the crowds have diminished, My Favourite Holiday Cottages approached Sally and Jonathan, owners at Tredington Mill in Shipston-on-Stour. We asked how they would recommend their guests make the most of their days while staying in one of their two restored mill cottages. Here’s what they came up with, and, to be honest – you’ll need to spend at least two weekends there to get through everything, which means there is plenty for all ages and interests to discover.

    So, where do the Tredington Mill’s owners recommend visiting on a short break outside the peak season in Warwickshire?

    Visitors here tend to like visiting places in the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon. One of our preferences for the best Cotswolds visits is Chastleton House, a National Trust house and gardens (where croquet was invented). When

  • Welcome to the April 2021 Issue of The Holiday Homefront.For further information on the featured articles, click the title or the Read More button.

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    Why you shouldn’t trust some Covid-safe badge schemes 

    For those owners relying on self-accrediting badge schemes to prove This report from Which Magazine makes for a very interesting read.

    Read more

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    And while on this COVID Cleaning subject - another option...

    ‘We’re Good To Go’ participants get global ‘Safe Travels’ stamp

    Visit England and Visit Britain are delighted to announce that businesses in the UK registered to the ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry-standard scheme are now automatically eligible for the World Travel

  • Self-catering holiday cottages offer several advantages over hotels and bed and breakfast establishments, making them ideal for dreamy summer holidays, a season when the latter are likely to be fully booked with other guests

    Here are some reasons why they are a great choice:

    1. Flexibility and Freedom

    One of the greatest benefits of self-catering cottages is the freedom they provide. You can create your own schedule and enjoy your holiday at your own pace. You can come and go as you please, without worrying about strict meal times or hotel policies.

    2. Space and Privacy

    Self-catering cottages often offer more space than hotel rooms, providing you and your family with room to relax and unwind. You'll have separate bedrooms, living areas, and often outdoor spaces like gardens or patios, allowing everyone to have their own space. If you want to dine outside on a warm summer evening, it's nice to know you won’t be sharing your patio with