COTTAGE LIFE
Welcome to our Heart of the Lakes Newsletter THE RISE OF STAYCATIONS
DOG FRIENDLY BOOKING SURGE
SHORT BREAK POPULARITY
LAST MINUTE BOOKING INCREASE
COTTAGE LIFE
HELLO! As the year starts to draw to a close and we are already well under way with bookings for 2020 we wanted to say a big thank you for another successful year with Heart of the Lakes. 2019 has been a busy year with over 7,000 arrivals to date across the portfolio of Heart of the Lakes properties and your delightful property has played a very important part in that. Whilst the weather has not always been on our side it hasn’t stopped guests travelling from near and far to enjoy a wonderful break in the heart of the great British countryside. In fact research shows that staycations are on the increase in 2019 and starting to reach new audiences all the time. You’re In Good Hands With Pure Cottages As you may well be aware Heart of the Lakes is now part of the Pure Cottages group where we join four other brands in coming together to deliver greater efficiencies, an international reach, and streamlined marketing - resulting in a bigger and better service for owners and customers alike. It doesn’t change the fact that at Heart of the Lakes we are still run independently by a friendly, local and dedicated team, all with one thing in common: the desire to give owners the bespoke support and service you won’t find anywhere else, and holidaymakers a break that they’re going to remember forever. It might sound like a tall order, but with our wealth of experience and in-depth local knowledge, supported by the large results focused team at the Pure Cottages Group, these aren’t just empty promises.
Paul Liddell CEO
OV E R 7, 0 0 0 a r r iv a l s s o f a r
New National Marketing Hub Now powered by Pure Cottages we have seen our marketing team go from strength to strength with the recruitment of a Sales and Marketing Director – Tracy Archer. Since joining earlier this year she has built a team of thirteen marketing professionals who, collectively, bring experience from our partner companies as well as leading marketing agencies across the country. Based out of Windermere, this marketing hub is expertly placed to take learnings from across the group, drive increasingly more traffic to our booking website and engage with holidaymakers across a mix of digital and print channels. 10% Exclusive Discount Across the Group As a valued owner you are able to enjoy 10% off any booking you make across the Pure cottages group of brands when you book before the end of 2019. Simply select a property that you’d like to stay in and call the relevant office to book.
Kind Regards,
Paul Liddell Paul Liddell - CEO
Pure Cottages Marketing Hub
t his ye a r
COTTAGE LIFE
See Your Property In A National Promotion Here at Heart of the Lakes we work hard to build strong relationships with The Kids Village at their fundraising event - The Ball of Courage. with partners who can be of benefit to our owners and help us to Around 230 guests enjoyed a wonderful time partaking in several reach more and more guests every year. fundraising initiatives on the night itself with the star attraction being the auction. We were lucky enough to be able to offer two properties from We have recently been approached by several companies looking to within the Pure Cottages group which together went for over £3,000. partner with us to deliver bespoke promotions that not only highlights The night itself raised £51,000 for the charity, money that will support our property portfolio but also delivers added value to our partner’s their continuing good work and will go towards the building of a lodge customers too. In offering a property as a competition prize to a partner retreat for the families they support. customer database we have seen enquiries and bookings from that database over the subsequent weeks and months. If you would be interested in taking part in a future promotion and offering a stay at your property then do please get in touch with your We are always happy to support local charities and are often asked to Heart of the Lakes contact and they will be delighted to add you to our offer a property as a competition prize or a treat for someone helped by partner promotions planner. the charity in question. Recently Pure Cottages were honoured to work
Younger Visitors Looking For Lake District Stays
We know how trends in the holiday market can impact on the number of visitors to the Lake District and the number of bookings we take. So we were delighted to read a recent piece of research by Barclays which revealed some interesting facts around the growth of the “Staycation”, which in 2017 stood at 59 million breaks. One such fact was the changing habits of the younger audience - with over half of all 25 - 34 year olds planning to increase the amount of time they spend holidaying in the UK and, along with the 35 - 44 age group, they see the UK as the destination for their main annual holiday. Here in the Lake District, with breath-taking views at every turn, enviable fell walks right from the door and hundreds of activities & experiences across the National Park, we are well placed for satisfying the needs of
these consumers. As the younger audience look for the opportunity to ‘get away from it all’ with a digital detox there really is no better place than the Lakes. With our presence across social media channels we are well placed to engage with the younger audience who are always on the lookout for Instagramable moments. From a jar of freshly picked flowers from the garden and stunning bathrooms, to open fires and local gastronomic delights we know the little touches that can entice the younger audience to book that Lake District experience. We will continue to work closely with you, our owners, to ensure your properties appeal to guests young and old.
COTTAGE LIFE
Rise in Dog Friendly Breaks
Add Wow Factor With A Hot Tub Properties with hot tubs book on average 9 more weeks per year.
We’ve all heard of the saying “a dog is a man’s best friend”, well we can confirm that our booking figures would tend to agree. In the last year we have seen 23% of all guests here at Heart of the Lakes only book a property if they can bring their dog with them. As we approach the quieter months, now is a good time for you to consider if pets, and dogs in particular, could be accommodated in your property. It can certainly help with bookings and open up your property to a wider audience, and as dog friendly is one of the most popular search terms on our booking website, you could be missing out on bookings from around a quarter of our guests. If this is something you think you might be interested in then do please get in touch with your Heart of the Lakes contact who will ensure your property listing is updated appropriately.
23% O F O U R G U E STS BRING DOGS
Fell walking in the Lake District is popular all year round and there is nothing better for easing those tired, aching muscles than a soak in a hot tub! We’ve found that properties with that added wow factor which a hot tub can bring, tend to book up early and achieve higher bookings over the year. A hot tub at a property is seen as a real selling point amongst guests and this enables our owners to charge more of a premium for stays. So, whilst there might be the initial outlay for the hot tub installation, in the long run it does attract a higher yield from each booking and certainly drives higher occupancy levels throughout the whole year. If you’re interested in maximising your income by adding a hot tub to your property then feel free to get in touch to discuss what it could mean for you.
“Everthing was perfect when we arrived - spotlessly clean and well equipped. We have a huge bath, the bedroom is lovely, and I adore the creaky floors, thick walls and ages old doors. So much character, I may refuse to leave on Saturday! ”
COTTAGE LIFE
Short Breaks Drive Increased Revenues
As a holiday letting agent we always have our eye on the market, looking out for any trends and changes to the way guests are booking and the types of holidays that are proving more popular. Recent research has shown that just under two thirds of English holidays are short breaks, and as the staycation market continues to boom that’s over 29 million short breaks a year.
the perception amongst some owners of short breaks is that they do not deliver the same returns and can lead to empty periods. Here at Heart of the Lakes we work hard to ensure that this is not the case offering 3 night breaks at 67% and 4 night breaks at 84% of a 7 night stay. And with increasing customer appetite for flexible arrival days and short breaks in the off season, properties offering short breaks tend to see an increase in bookings and therefore income levels.
Despite this growing trend we still have many owners who are not yet offering short breaks - since January of this year Get in touch with us today if you would like to better we have seen that only 10% of our bookings have been for understand how we can help you market your property to less than 7 days which is being driven by availability. We know our short break customers.
Last Minute Holiday Bookings On The Rise The Lake District is as popular as ever with guests young and old and with 59 million staycations taken back in 2017 there is no sign of that popularity diminishing. In 2018 over 6.6 million visitors stayed in the Lake District which equalled 22.35 million nights in local accommodation.
month but was also the period in which we saw 28% of all holidaymakers booking and arriving in the same month. We understand that this can be unnerving for owners - it can see us biting our nails at times too - however it also means we can start to tailor our guest communications to take advantage of last minute bookings.
We have also noticed through our continual research and experience within the holiday letting business, that whilst Owners who allow us to promote last minute offers for their guests do spend more time researching their holidays online, properties do see an increase in both occupancy levels and they are leaving it much later to book in 2019 and they are income, so do get in touch if this would be of interest to you. looking for last minute offers. September has been a bumper
6 .6 M I L L I O N L A K E D I ST R I C T V I S I TO R S I N 2 01 8
COTTAGE LIFE
Marketing Delivers Great Results
Feel Good News *IMAGE OF MARY REQUIRED
Despite being an experienced holiday letting agency, we are always looking at ways to challenge ourselves to ensure we are delivering the best possible service to our owners, and 2019 has been no different. We’ve invested heavily in our systems and our people to ensure we reach the right potential guests at the right time and through the right channels. Earlier this year we tested some new activity across both online advertising and paid social media and together this activity delivered a spike in bookings. As we continue to test different marketing combinations we are consistently seeing that our campaigns across all media are delivering results. From emails direct to previous guests to social media content highlighting specific activities and attractions, to blog posts on the Heart of the Lakes website, we are continually driving greater efficiencies and driving bookings year round.
We pride ourselves on being a local company with over 40 years knowledge and experience in the Lake District, so we were delighted when we had the opportunity recently to celebrate a very special anniversary with our very own Mary. She has not only been a member of The Heart of the Lakes team for 20 years but she also recently celebrated her 60th birthday with us too. We hope Mary continues to enjoy working with us as she has proven to be an invaluable member of our team.
Strengthening The Quality Within Our Team We wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to Jan Meredith, our recently appointed Portfolio Development Manager for the Pure Cottages Group in the Lake District. Jan has a wealth of industry knowledge having worked in the field for over 8 years, whilst also running her own holiday cottages.
to ensure owner expectations are being met.
Getting out to meet our owners has been Jan’s aim since joining the Heart of the Lakes team in August, and although some of you will have already met her, for those of you that haven’t please don’t be shy, just get in touch with her if there As well as being responsible for our owner communications, is anything you wish to discuss. Jan will be keeping a watchful eye on property performance and helping to push marketing initiatives at every opportunity Please don’t hesitate to contact Jan on 015394 32321 or jan.meredith@purecottages.co.uk
COTTAGE LIFE
Getting Ready For 2020
MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST PAT Testing Internal redecoration De-moulding and stain blocking areas Cleaning of patio and any patio furniture (prior to storage)
We understand that holiday rentals can take their toll on a property and our maintenance team work around the clock to ensure your guests have a seamless stay, reacting to and resolving any minor issues as and when they happen. One thing our maintenance team do advise is an annual property check, at which point any snags can be picked up and the relevant maintenance work undertaken during a convenient guest free period. We asked our Senior Maintenance Co-Ordinator – Graeme Drylie - to pull together a checklist to help owners keep their property in tip top condition year on year. All of the elements listed here are tasks that our very own in-house maintenance team can manage on behalf of our owners. To find out more please contact your local office 015394 32321.
Announcement
Clearing of leaves at ground level and from gutters Drain rodding Inspection and repairs of decking and any fencing where necessary Central heating checks – topping up of boiler pressure and bleeding of radiators, pipe lagging Thermostatic radiator valve installation for greater energy efficiency and reduced heating bills Fixtures and fitting checks renewing silicone, dripping taps, loose toilet seats, clearing waste traps, loose drawers and door handles etc. Lighting checks
Heart of the Lakes have been shortlisted for a British Travel Award – UK Cottage Holiday Company. The awards event takes place on 27th November where the crème de la crème of the tourism industry will assemble. Now in its 11th year the British Travel Awards is the largest and most influential poll of consumer opinion on the performance of leisure, travel and tourism providers. Over 300,000 members of the public voted for their favourite companies and brands in the 13 weeks between July and September, so winners of the awards can take great pride in being voted for by their customers.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm checks – date of expiry and batteries Furniture integrity – wobbly chairs, loose bed frames, wear and tear etc. Appliance installation removal / disposal
CONTACT US If you are interested in finding out more about anything you have read, from installing a hot tub to accepting dogs in your property then please do get in touch. Our owner management team can be reached on 015394 32321, email on info@heartofthelakes.co.uk or pop into our Ambleside office.
Head Office: The Pure Cottages Group, Lakelovers House, 2 Victoria Street, Windermere, LA23 1AB Tel: 015394 88855 | Website: www.purecottages.co.uk