Changes to the holiday letting industry

How the holiday letting business has changed in recent years

Operations Manager, Mary Harlow, talks changes over the years. 

Coastal residences, period houses and traditional, thatched chocolate box cottages will always be at a premium, but these days they are often rivalled for successful holiday letting by cutting edge, modern properties with designer features or access to leisure facilities. The demand these days is for more upmarket, quality, self-catering holiday homes than it was 20 years ago, with holiday lets providing either the same or better amenities than a guest has at home. The most recent additions to our portfolio have plenty of space, comfort and facilities, and can come in many shapes or forms, from a converted barn or village school to a large penthouse apartment with panoramic water views. It is fast becoming the norm to have a bathroom for each bedroom, a designer kitchen, ‘zip and link’ (double or twin) beds, the latest technology such as digital TV, DVD player, Sky and internet access, a wood-burner or open fire, and full central heating. Extras such as a games-room, gym, swimming pool, hot tub or jacuzzi bath are not unusual today.

The trend in recent years has been a move towards more short break holidays. This has been made easier by the advent of the internet, and visitors being able to book last minute on-line. It is also a medium where we have seen a huge revolution in the marketing of holiday homes. It is however a cut-throat industry and the competition to stay at the top of the search engine pages is immense, so our IT department work on this continuously.