Luxury BnB February 2022

FEBRUARY 2022

£3.99

FOR OWNERS AND MANAGERS OF BNB’S, INNS, BOUTIQUE HOTELS & HOLIDAY LETS NT

EARS £15 / 1 Y AG

M

GETTING STARTED IN GLAMPING WITH SARAH RILEY,

IBE TO PR I CR

DA Y

MAGAZINE

WWW.LUXURYBNBMAG.COM

SUB S

ISSUE #53

A ZINE T

O

DAISY PARK HUTS & CARACOL CAMPING

Expanding your Business with Dorset House B&B

SERVICE DESIGN

UNDERSTANDING THE GUEST JOURNEY

WHAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN...

BEFORE STARTING MY GLAMPING BUSINESS

HOW TO BECOME AN AIRBNB SUPERHOST 001_LBB_Feb22_Cover.indd 1

21/01/2022 16:06

002-003_LBB_Feb22_Contents.indd 30

21/01/2022 16:07

In this issue...

A warm welcome from Juliet Horner Our Editor

If you have any experiences you'd like to share, please email Juliet at editor@luxurybnbmag.com or connect with us on Instagram: @luxury_bnb I hope you all managed to get some well earned rest over the holidays, but with the festive period over, another year of hard work lies ahead.

Due to the pandemic and ever-changing guidelines, the hospitality industry has changed dramatically. One of the biggest changes has been the 'Glamping' boom, so how can you jump on the band wagon? Whether you're brand new to hospitality or more experienced and looking to expand your business empire, check out our feature on how to set up a glamping business (page 32). If you still have some questions about glamping after reading this, Glamping Guru Sarah Riley, spoke with several owners to discover what they wish they had known before setting up their glamping business (page 22).

But what if glamping isn't your thing? Check out our interview with Dorset House B&B (page 8) to read all about how they expanded their business and discover some top tips for drafting up business plans.

Last issue we published a guide to understanding OTAs, but how do you make your business stand out? Learn how to become an Airbnb Superhost with Dasiy Park Huts, who gained their superhost status four months after opening (page 17).

I'd also like to introduce a brand new columnist, Lisa Holloway, who you may recognise from previous TV shows such as Four in a Bed and Channel 5's 'To B&B the Best'. Lisa will be sharing some wonderful anecdotes from her life in the hospitality industry, as well as some exciting recipes that you can try at home (page 20). Welcome to the LBNB family, Lisa!

EDITOR Juliet Horner editor@luxurybnbmag.com 07801 545 540 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Dominic Johnson dominic@miramedia.co.uk 01892 711 144 DESIGN Juliet Horner | Editor editor@luxurybnbmag.com

CONTRIBUTORS Karen Thorne karenjthorne@yahoo.co.uk Yvonne Halling yvonne@yvonnehalling.com David Worthington david@worthington.co.uk

MEDIA SALES Lisa Ebdy | Sales Manager 07799 886 115 lisaebdymedia@outlook.com Kirsty Farrow KirstyF@spacemarketing.co.uk

4

NEWS

6

YVONNE HALLING Expanding your business using the four pillars

8

EXPANDING YOUR BUSINESS Helpful advice from Dorset House B&B on how to expand your business

17

AIRBNB SUPERHOST How to become an Airbnb Superhost with Daisy Park Huts

20 CHEESY SUGAR PLUMS A wintery recipe from Lisa Holloway for you to try at home 22 WHAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN What I wish I had known before setting up my glamping business; An owner's perspective with Sarah Riley 28 BETHNAL & BEC Honesty larders and an update on Felixstowe Ferry - A column for owners, by owners 30 KAREN'S COLUMN 31

PRODUCT NEWS

32 GETTING STARTED IN GLAMPING All you need to know about setting up a glamping business 46 SERVICE DESIGN PART II 48 WHAT IS A WORKATION? Workations explained; What is is and what you need to do 50 PROPERTIES FOR SALE

Bethnal & Bec relax@bethnalandbec.com

50 DIRECTORY

Lucy Agace lucy@gogreensustainability. com Lisa Holloway looholloway@gmail.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. We regret we cannot be liable for the safe custody or return of any solicited or unsolicited material.

Contributors are advised to keep copies of all materials submitted. The opinions and views expressed in Luxury BnB are not necessarily those of Miramedia. Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted by Miramedia in good faith.

Miramedia owns the copyright to all content, including that of any contributors, unless agreed otherwise in writing prior to publication.

002-003_LBB_Feb22_Contents.indd 31

Luxury BnB Magazine | Miramedia 29-31 Monson Road Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1LS www.luxurybnbmag.com All rights reserved © Miramedia 2020 Luxury BnB is published bi-monthly.

Printed by Stephens and George www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk

21/01/2022 16:08

IN BRIEF || NEWS

Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Show returns for 2022 Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) has welcomed the enthusiastic support from the hospitality industry as the event prepares to return to ExCeL London on 21-23 March.

Written by: Montgomery Group HRC was one of the last industry trade shows to take place before the March 2020 lockdown and it will be the first major trade event to gather the hospitality and foodservice community together in 2022.

Event Manager Ronda Annesley commented: “Like hospitality, the events industry has been unable to operate for much of the past two years, and as such we understand many of the challenges and obstacles that our audiences have been facing. We’ve been thrilled with the support shown to the show and with the engagement from top industry speakers and well-known supplier brands as we prepare for March 2022. I can confidently say this will be a storming reunion for the hospitality and foodservice community!”

The show has brought on board exciting new partners for 2022, including EXP101, who have cu-

rated the seminar programme for the Vision Stage and Tried & Supplied who will be bringing the first live edition of the Better Hospitality Conference to HRC. Additionally, the event is renewing a valued partnership with Hospitality Jobs UK, who will be running the Hospitality's Talent Conundrum conference.

Long-standing partners supporting the show in 2022 include the Foodservice Equipment Association (The FEA), the Craft Guild of Chefs, Compass Group and The Staff Canteen, who will once again be hosting The Staff Canteen Live, where some of the UK’s top chefs demonstrate their dishes and visitors can learn from the best in the business.

Visitors to the event are registering in their droves, with buyers such as Richard Slater, Manager of The Boathouse, Christchurch, commenting: “As a company we have always found this event to be a great source of inspiration and ideas. In these times of uncertainty and change, this is more important than ever.”

In registering to attend HRC 2022, visitors will also have access to partner events The Pub Show, IFE, International Food & Drink Event, IFE Manufacturing and London Produce Show, forming the UK’s largest gathering of food, drink and hospitality professionals, with over 30,000 visitors and 1,500 suppliers.

Find out more at hrc.co.uk.

Airbnb landlords in rural areas may need to acquire a licence to offer their homes as short-term holiday lets A proposal being considered by ministers could force second homeowners to gain consent from their local council to manage short-term holiday lets over fears locals are being driven out.

Source: DailyMail.co.uk The Daily Mail Online reported aimed at benefitting tourist des- ensuring that second homeowners these plans are a result of Tory tinations. Referring to the latest are contributing their share to the MPs in popular coastal spots rais- developments, Levelling Up Secre- local services they benefit from." ing concerns over the booming in- tary Michael Gove said: 'The govAn Airbnb Spokesperson told dustry leading to a lack of afforda- ernment backs small businesses, Daily Mail: ''The majority of hosts ble housing in their area. including responsible short-term share space in their own home and In January, the Department for letting, which attracts tourists and nearly a third of hosts say that the Levelling Up announced a tax brings significant investment to additional income is an economic crackdown on second home own- local communities. However, we lifeline.

"We take housing concerns seriers who 'pretend' to let their prop- will not stand by and allow people erties out to holidaymakers. in privileged positions to abuse the ously and have already put forward From April 2023, holiday lets must system by unfairly claiming tax re- proposals to the government for a be rented out for at least 70 days a lief and leaving local people count- national registration system for year to qualify for business rates ing the cost. The action we are hosts. We look forward to supportunder the new rules, which are taking will create a fairer system, ing the upcoming consultation."

4 || Luxury BnB | February 2022

004-005_LBB_Feb22_News.indd 4

www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 11:42

B&Bs have been hit hard and a lot is riding on 2022 – but initial signs are hopeful, says David Weston, Chairman of the sector’s trade body, the Bed & Breakfast Association: In 2020 our sector was hit over that fell to 22% by early Decemseven times harder than the UK ber. The number of our members “needing further financial supeconomy as a whole.

The ONS found that sales were port” rose from 5% in September down 73.3% for tourist accommo- to 15% in December.

Again, it was much worse in Scotdation compared to 9.9% for the land: 78.2% there were “in finanwhole economy.

For 2021, in a survey in December cial difficulty”, and 38.8% said they our members expected their sales were “likely to fail” in 2022 should to be down 9.75% on 2019. Decem- nothing improve.

But since then of course, the ber started badly, with Omicron causing cancellations - 19.5% of news about Omicron has hugeour members had cancellation ly improved, and hospitalisation rates over 15% in the first week of rates are improving, leading to December. Scotland was worst restrictions being lifted across the hit: 27.5% of owners there saw over UK (albeit at differing rates) – so 50% cancellations for the period the hope is now that 2022 will be Jan-Mar 2022 (we pressed Cabi- a good year for domestic tourism, net Secretary Kate Forbes in Jan- especially in rural and coastal areuary for more support for B&Bs in as. After two horrendous years of Scotland (she told me she had no closures and restrictions, B&B and guesthouse owners certainly need plans for further help).

Omicron meant that optimism a good strong Spring, Summer and took a hit: 50% of our members had Autumn of high occupancy. Let’s felt optimistic in September, but hope we get it!

IN BRIEF || NEWS

High hopes - and high stakes - for 2022

Pictured: David Weston, Chairman of the B and B Association.

The Bed & Breakfast Association is the UK trade association for B&Bs, Guest Houses and small independent hotels.

Become a member on their website: www.bandbassociation.org

Supplying the leisure industry for over 50 years Furniture, Bedding, Crib 5 Mattresses, Bathroom, Housewares, Consumables, Appliances, Spare parts and much more...

Shop over 5,000 products online www.arleigh.co.uk

  02476 390100 Luxury b & b - Feb March 2022.indd 1 004-005_LBB_Feb22_News.indd 5

 sales@arleigh.co.uk

 www.arleigh.co.uk 19/01/2022 13:42:08 24/01/2022 11:42

IN PROFILE || HOSTING A COSY CHRISTMAS

with Yvonne Halling

Expanding your Business

Yvonne Halling is the awardwinning founder of Bed and Breakfast Coach. com and creator of the B&B Money Maker Business Transformation program.

In 2001, Yvonne opened her B&B in the Champagne region of France, running her B&B for 17 years. She now offers owners and managers in the B&B industry helpful training and masterclasses.

Join Yvonne's Facebook group at: http://bit.ly/ BandBgroup You can email Yvonne at yvonne@ yvonnehalling. com

The four pillars of hospitality and how 'Scale' will help you to expand your accommodation business

Of the four pillars of a happy, thriving B&B business, the fourth pillar, Scale, is often the most alluring. It can create the illusion of growth and expansion but too often ends up creating chaos and disillusionment.

Why is that?

If we can imagine building a house.

A huge amount of time and work goes on under the ground before the house rises to its full height.

There are plans to draw up, drains to lay, electrical cables to connect, and the concrete foundations to pour. And this is before any walls, windows or the roof can be installed.

If we think of a B&B business in this way, we can better understand what’s necessary for a strong, supported business that can withstand the vagaries of the market or the economy.

In our house-building analogy, the plans could be the Strategy – knowing who you want to welcome and why they would choose you over anyone else, and being clear in our own minds what kind of experience we offer.

The Structure could be the plumbing and cables - keeping the business running smoothly for everyone concerned at the property itself.

FB: Yvonne Halling TW: @yvonne3030 IN: @bedandbreakfastcoach bedandbreakfastcoach.com

w

READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/ yvonne_feb22 14 || Luxury BnB || December 2020 6 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

006-007_LBB_Feb22_Yvonne.indd 14

The part that too many owners miss is the Systems part, which is like the foundations of the house. The systems and processes that actually make the business viable.

Even after many years of working with owners worldwide, I’m still shocked at the lack of understanding about this foundational principle or the attention paid to it. It really is like building your house on sand because there are no solid foundations in place to make sure it doesn’t fall down.

But once guests are coming and money is flowing, it’s easy to think that all is well and we can expand or acquire another business (Scale).

And there are many ways to Scale.

For example, you could add a small weddings business, or write and sell books both online or at your property.

Everyone who serves breakfast can create a cookbook! You could do retreats or larger gatherings, specialising in something that you care about to stay in alignment with your guests.

You could run educational courses yourself, or partner with a local specialist, such as photography, painting, quilting, cooking etc. You may see yourself as a YouTube video

Credit: Yvonne Halling The framework for the fastest & smartest way to start, run and grow a hospitality business anywhere

www.luxurybbmag.co.uk

www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:09

L C

star, demonstrating your expertise, or maybe a writer, publishing your books online.

Many of us have hidden talents and knowledge that we don’t value and sometimes think no-one will pay for.

All it takes is a bit of confidence to put it together and put it out there. Be prepared to fail and learn as you go until you land on something that works.

If acquiring another business is your thing, then as long as you have strong foundations in place for your existing business, and it's working like a welloiled machine for you, you won’t go wrong.

You simply replicate.

But if your current business isn’t properly set up, you could find yourself with a huge headache; bigger is not always better.

Simple and streamlined with all aspects of your business owned by you, including your customer list, is a business that can be added to or repeated.

Go carefully into the night…

Luxury Hotel Collection 006-007_LBB_Feb22_Yvonne.indd 15

Yvonne Halling is an-award-winning coach, consultant and mentor.

For those new to Luxury BnB Magazine, you can join Yvonne's lively international Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ DynamicBedandBreakfastOwnersGroup Or connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonnehalling/ Watch her free training videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ YvonneHallingTransformationalBusinessCoach Visit her website for free resources: https://www.bedandbreakfastcoach.com Or you can email Yvonne at: yvonne@yvonnehalling.com

Since 1924, Sleepeezee continues to work in partnership with world-class hotels to provide the perfect sleep experience for their guests. www.sleepeezee.com/hospitality

Leave The Rest To Us 21/01/2022 16:09

IN PROFILE || DORSET HOUSE

E

Dorset House B&B...

XPANDING YOUR USINESS B

10 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 8

www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:18

IN PROFILE || DORSET HOUSE

How the owner of Dorset House B&B, Lyn Martin, became the owner of a restaurant. Discover helpful advice for business plans and expanding your own hospitality business.

By

www.luxurybnbmag.com

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 9

Juliet Horner February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 9

21/01/2022 16:18

IN PROFILE || DORSET HOUSE

T

he hospitality industry is extremely competitive, so how do you put yourself ahead of everyone else?

Up and down the country, owners and managers are looking for ways to increase revenue whilst simultaneously providing their guests with the ultimate experience.

The standard ones that come to mind include local partnerships, experiences, hampers…

The list goes on.

But Dorset House, a five bedroom B&B in Lyme Regis, have done something a little different when it comes to expanding their hospitality business.

“We always assumed that we would develop a second business to run alongside the B&B,” said Lyn Martin, owner of Dorset House.

“We do have a little gift shop, but we’ve found that only really works over the Christmas period.”

Dorset House have won a number of awards and are very popular with people who are looking to holiday in Lyme Regis.

“We originally looked at trying to replicate Dorset House,” explained Lyn, “but we struggled with what a lot of B&B owners probably struggle with, which is the property prices in a seaside town.”

10 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 10

Dorset House: Lounge Area

"It's very much aligned with our own values. The timing couldn't have been better."

In a bid to keep themselves at the top of their game, Lyn and her husband Jason looked for ways they could introduce another revenue stream to their business.

“We needed the mental stimulation,” laughed Lyn. In the end, Lyn took inspiration from what they do best at Dorset House. “We’re very much a food based B&B,” she said.

“It’s our breakfasts that get most of our PR and awards. It’s what we’re known for and what guests come back for, so food was always going to be a huge part of whatever we did next.”

It was their love of food that propelled Lyn and Jason to purchase Poco Pizza, a local restaurant only a “few hundred metres away” from Dorset House. The owners opened the business around the same time

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/ dorsethouse_feb22

www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:18

as Lyn was opening her B&B. And so it was whilst taking a well earned break in Cornwall that Lyn’s search for their next business venture came to an end.

“We spotted it online whilst we were on holiday and we couldn’t believe it was up for sale, so we texted the owners because we know them quite well,” said Lyn. “We’ve always sent a lot of our guests there and they love it.

“It’s very much aligned with our own values of quality food, prepared simply and with passion, so when they decided to move on, it all just clicked into place! The timing couldn't have been better.”

The owners of Poco Pizza were really happy that their restaurant was being taken over by local people who they knew would look after the restaurant.

“We had a little get together over a coffee about how it might work,” said Lyn, ”and they were happy to take it off the market because they said they’d rather we took it on than someone they didn’t know.”

Luckily for Lyn, she said the process for buying the restaurant was a lot simpler financially than buying another property for a B&B. “It all just fell into place and then we went away to work on our business plan,” she said.

There are many ways to expand your business, but either way, you’ll need an airtight business plan to www.luxurybnbmag.com

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 11

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 11

21/01/2022 16:18

IN PROFILE || DORSET HOUSE

The restaurant area at Poco Pizza

help you succeed.

“We took our original business plan that we did for Dorset House and used that as a template for Poco Pizza,” said Lyn. “Everyone will have some sort of business plan for their current business, so take bits from there and learn from it.”

Creating a new business plan isn't always easy and seeking out a mentor might be beneficial.

“It takes a lot of checking and refining,” said Lyn, “even just showing it to other people helped.”

She added: “We’ve got a mentor who we’ve worked with for quite a long time now and he, coincidentally, owned restaurants back in his time.

12 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 12

“So we sat down with him and he checked our business plan for the restaurant. It was just really helpful. He could say ‘Oh you might need to allow a bit more for staffing’ and things like that.

“So don’t just throw it all down on paper and assume it’s right. Be prepared to work on it.”

If you’re able to find a mentor, such as another local business owner, to help you work through your plan, you’ll reap the benefits.

“I hope it’s the same for everyone else, but we’ve got a very supportive business community so everyone is very happy to offer advice,” said Lyn, “they all just want to see you succeed.”

But before you start your business www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:19

IN PROFILE || DORSET HOUSE

Lyn's Top Tips 1.

Make sure your current business has solid foundations and strong operating systems

5.

Keep an open mind when considering different business ideas

2.

Consider what you are passionate about before you decide on how to expand

6.

Find a mentor from the same sector as your new business venture

3.

Ask other business owners for advice

7.

4.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help with your marketing strategy

www.luxurybnbmag.com

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 13

Stay positive and don’t give up

8. Don’t assume your business plan will be right the first time.

Be prepared to keep refining it.

URLs dorsethouselyme.com clock-work.co.uk SOCIAL MEDIA FB: @dorsethouselyme TW: @Dorsethouselyme IN: @dorsethouselyme

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 13

21/01/2022 16:19

IN PROFILE || DORSET HOUSE

plan and seek help from others, it’s important to make sure your original business is ‘bulletproof’.

“We received our Hospitality Assured accreditation at the end of last year,” said Lyn. “This means we have a really robust set of systems and processes that means we are less likely to take our eye off the ball, because we can’t afford to spend all of our time and attention on another business and let things go slack here at Dorset House.

“Dorset House is really robust and feels bulletproof.”

Lyn explained that having this strong foundation has allowed them to look further afield, expanding into other areas of hospitality with their latest business venture: Poco Pizza.

“You’ve got to consider how well your current business is set up and then look at adjacencies,” said Lyn. “Poco Pizza was perfect because we have a big overlap in clientele.

[Before we took on the restaurant] we would send our guests there and their customers would come to Dorset House, so they fit together quite nicely.”

Lyn also explained that choosing how to expand your business will depend on what your passion is.

“You’ve got to think about what you like to spend your time doing,” she said.

“We’re really passionate about food, so moving into the food arena of hospitality made sense for us.

“I’m not passionate about standing in a shop, so I wouldn’t personally choose to expand by running a gift shop.

"It’s about filtering through what it is you want to do; you’ll be far

Dorset House: Breakfast Room

"Filter through what you want to do; you'll be far more successful if you are passionate about it." more successful if it’s something you are passionate about.”

As Poco Pizza is already a well established business, Lyn has a strong brand and loyal customer base ready and waiting for her to work with.

“We will keep the branding and the current customer base, but 14 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 14

www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:19

IN PROFILE || DORSET HOUSE

we’re going to build on and improve their marketing strategy,” said Lyn. “[When we bought Poco Pizza] they didn't have a website or anything like that and bookings were done on scraps of paper. So we’ve started working with Clockwork Marketing to build a website using their GuestNet template.”

Even though Lyn’s background is in brand marketing, it can be hard for small businesses to keep on top of SEO and social media. Maintaining a website with an effective marketing structure and strategy can be hard when there’s so much on your to-do list.

“The team at Clockwork Marketing are like a magic fairy,” said Lyn. “Having designed loads of professional websites, Clockwork has the credibility and the know-how to design our website, but with the GuestNet package it was affordable for us.”

Lyn believes that no matter how good you think you are at marketing, it’s always a good idea to call in the experts.

“Marketing moves on so fast; it’s changing all the time. It’s helpful to have someone keep me on track and up to date with new developments in the marketing industry, so asking for help is a lot more sensible than trying to do everything yourself,” she said.

However you choose to expand, you also need to look at how the different branches of your business (or businesses) will work together in the long run.

“We will probably look at offering a number of packages that work well for both Dorset House and Poco Pizza,” said Lyn.

Image Joinery Projects Ltd

www.luxurybnbmag.com

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 15

Bar , Restaurant and Hotel refurbishment specialists.

Email: sales@imageprojects.co.uk 01942 322411 Unit 1, Canal Street, Wigan, WN6 7NQ

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 13

21/01/2022 16:19

IN PROFILE || DORSET HOUSE

“The obvious one is a dinner plus bed and breakfast,” Lyn laughed.

“We have a lot of ideas on how the two businesses will work together and the two websites will be linked too, of course.”

For the time being, Poco Pizza will only be open in the evenings, but long-term plans include opening the restaurant for lunch and maybe even breakfast.

“Our expansion is very much a multi-stage approach,” said Lyn. If you have been considering expanding your own hospitality business, you’ve got to be prepared for a lot of hard work.

2022 will be a busy year for Lyn, Jason and the teams at both Dorset House and Poco Pizza, but their hard work will pay off.

“You have to be really open minded,” said Lyn. “We didn’t expect to be running a pizzeria, but if you have an open mind, consider different things and work through a plan, it will help you figure out what will work for you.

“And don’t give up. We almost gave up because it took so long to find the right plan for us and we never thought it would happen, but we got there in the end.”

Consider what you are passionate about and how it can work alongside your current business.

With a bit of perseverance you’ll soon be running your own mini business empire.

Lyn said: “Persistence is key and eventually you will find the right plan for you.

“Stay positive and keep trying.”

"We didn't expect to be running a pizzeria, but if you have an open mind, it will help you figure out what is right for you.."

16 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

008-016_LBB_Feb22_DorsetHouse.indd 16

www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:19

How do you become an Airbnb Superhost?

A comprehensive guide to becoming an Airbnb Superhost and taking your listing to the next level By

Juliet Horner

There are so many online travel agents to choose from these days. There's Expedia, Booking.com, Pitch Up, Unique Stays, Cool Stays… to name a few. But one of the major ‘top dogs’ is Airbnb.

As of June 2021, Airbnb had more than 5.6 million listings across more than 220 countries and regions worldwide, proving Airbnb is a popular platform for business owners (or as Airbnb calls them, Hosts). If you don’t currently host with Airbnb and want to look into this, head to airbnb.co.uk/host/ homes to find out how to get your business online and ready for bookings.

But for those of you who already use Airbnb, how do you get that pesky little Superhost badge and why should you try to gain this accolade?

Here at Luxury BnB, we want your business to be the best it can be, so we’ve put together this handy guide on how to become an Airbnb Superhost along with the help of Daisy Park Shepherds Huts, who gained their Superhost status only 4 months after they first started hosting.

What is a Superhost?

Airbnb describe their Superhosts as people who ‘go above and beyond in their hosting duties’ and say they are a ‘shining example of how a Host should be’. Superhosts can be identified by a little pink and orange badge that appears on the listing and the Host’s profile.

Each year, Airbnb carries out four assessment periods, at the end of which you could gain your ‘Superhost’ badge. According to Airbnb, each quarterly assessment begins on the following dates: • January 1 • April 1 • July 1 • October 1 Janice Kitto, owner of Daisy

www.luxurybnbmag.com

017-019_LBB_Feb22_AirbnbSuperhost.indd 17

Park Shepherds Huts, first welcomed guests at the end of June 2021 and the nearest Superhost assessment was July 1. Janice said: “Obviously we wouldn’t have qualified [in July] because we had only just started trading.

We had to wait for the October assessment so we had time to fulfill all the requirements.”

To become a Superhost, you do not do anything. Janice Kitto,

owner of Daisy Park Shepherds Huts said: “It’s all done automatically so you don’t need to apply or fill in any forms.”

After each assessment, Airbnb will notify you of your status, but don't worry if your Superhost badge doesn't appear straight away. It can take up to one week for it to appear on your listing. Remember, Airbnb has a lot of businesses to assess!

Sources and helpful links are listed on the last page 19

How it works...

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 17

21/01/2022 16:21

Pictured: Daisy Park Huts ran by Janice Kitto who became an Airbnb Superhost just four months after welcoming her first guests

Requirements To gain your status as a Superhost, you must be a primary Host with an account ‘in good standing’ who has met the criteria set out by Airbnb.

The criteria set out below is what you will be judged on. You must fulfill all of these requirements to become a Superhost.

Completed at least 10 stays or 100 nights across 3 reservations •

•

This is one of the reasons Janice Kitto from Daisy Park Shepherds Huts could not qualify as a Superhost in July, straight after opening in June.

She said: “We had to wait until the October assessment period so that we could get the correct number of nights or number of completed stays to qualify.”

Maintain a 4.8 overall rating •

•

Janice said: “You need an average of 4.8 stars for your overall feedback, which is based on the reviews left by people who have stayed with you over the last year."

Airbnb states this is based on the date the guest left a review, not the date they checked out.

Maintained a 90% response rate of higher •

“Your response rate is calculated on how quickly you respond to enquiries from potential guests and things like that,” explained Janice, “and I think it’s got to be within 24 hours. The quicker the better.”

Maintained a 1% cancellation or lower • •

•

This means no more than 1 cancellation per 100 reservations.

Janice said: “As an Airbnb Host, I must not cancel someone's holiday from my end more than once for every 100 stays.”

However, Airbnb is lenient with this requirement. For the Hosts who fall under their Extenuating Circumstances Policy, so make sure to check the policy if you are struggling to fulfill this section of the superhost criteria

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/airbnb-superhost 18 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

017-019_LBB_Feb22_AirbnbSuperhost.indd 18

www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:21

Why aim for the superhost status?

So, now you know what you need to do to become an Airbnb Superhost, but WHY should you strive to fulfill all the criteria outlined above?

This might be a good time to point out that prospective guests, scrolling through Airbnb for their next getaway, can filter their searches for Superhosts.

The Superhost badge shows them that you are the best of the best in hospitality.

According to AirDNA, a provider of data and analytics for the short term rental industry, Airbnb Superhosts earn 60% more revenue per available day.

They also experience an 81% higher occupancy rate as well as a 5% improvement in traffic on their listing.

Janice Kitto, owner of Daisy Park Shepherds Huts, said: “It’s one more thing that makes people more likely to book you.

“It gives them a bit more confidence when they can see you’re a Superhost, because they know you can be trusted.”

Pictured: Daisy Park Huts

SOURCES & HELPFUL LINKS: news.airbnb.com/about-us airbnb.co.uk/host/homes airbnb.co.uk/help/article/828/about-superhosts airbnb.co.uk/help/article/829/how-to-become-a-superhost airbnb.co.uk/help/article/1320/extenuating-circumstances-policy airdna.co/blog/airbnb_superhost_status

Top Tips from Janice Kitto 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Strive to reply to all enquiries within 24 hours First impressions matter for good reviews (e.g. clean, tidy, easy check-in etc.)

Provide a welcome pack for your guests (e.g. Bottle of prosecco, chocolates, local information, etc.)

Greet your guests in person and welcome them to your property.

Try to avoid remote check ins if you can.

Once you gain your Superhost badge, share it on all of your social media accounts

20 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

017-019_LBB_Feb22_AirbnbSuperhost.indd 19

URLs daisyparkhuts.co.uk SOCIAL MEDIA Insta: @daisyparkhuts FB: Daisy Park Huts

www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:21

Cheesy Sugar Plums with Lisa Holloway

Lisa Holloway owned and ran Compton House for 14 years, an award winning B&B in Newark on Trent.

She took part in Four in a Bed, and also went on to present a 35 part programme ‘To B&B the Best’ for Channel 5.

Last year, Lisa moved to Oxfordshire, buying an adorable cottage called 'The Beehive' where, after renovations are complete, Lisa will be running it as a tiny B&B! All rights reserved © Lisa Holloway 2022

Email: looholloway@gmail.com IN: @looholloway

Breakfast is my favourite meal, and when I ran Compton House, our B&B in Newark on Trent, I loved giving our guests a great start to the day.

Coming from all over the world, I gradually learnt what my guests liked to eat in the morning.

Many of our guests preferred fish for breakfast, while others loved sweet tarts and cakes.

I always had some seasonal poached fruits on the tables, often warm spiced plums in the Winter. And always at Christmas a traditional Cake for guests to help themselves. Last but not least, a cheeseboard, with a whole blue Stilton given pride of place.

One Christmas we had a young lady called Megumi from Tokyo staying with us and she adored everything British and Christmassy.

She loved a cooked English Breakfast, after which she would devour a huge slice of cake with her tea. And she always had a small bowl of spiced plums to finish.

Then she discovered the Stilton...

Megumi had an early start, so perhaps to save time, she crumbled the Stilton on top of the hot plums.

I explained that wasn’t how we ate Stilton, but she told me she loved it – so I tried it too.

The saltiness of the Stilton, melting into the sweet spicyness of the mulled wine was a revelation!

Megumi’s happy, accidental plums became a wintery tradition at Compton House; except now I use a vegetable peeler, for wafer thin slices of Stilton which melt quicker than crumbs.

Happy New Year!

Recipe Mulled Wine is a matter of taste, how sweet or tart?

I haven’t been too strict with the amounts for the ingredients in the recipe below.

Add more sugar and orange juice as you taste while the wine warms up.

I prefer the plums in a sweeter syrup, to contrast with the Stilton.

Brandy is optional and the alcohol from both the wine and brandy is evaporated with cooking.

Ingredients for 4 • • • • • • • •

One bottle of Mulled Wine (or make your own - there are lots of recipes to choose from) 8 large, firm, and ripe plums (not too soft, not rock hard) 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar Half a litre carton orange juice, without bits A can of Jamaica Ginger beer (or some Ginger wine, both give a good zing) One large orange A wedge of Blue Stilton Bay leaves to garnish

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/ lisaholloway_feb22 20 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

020-021_LBB_Feb22_LisaHolloway.indd 8

www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:23

Method

1 2 3 4 5

Have your dishes ready and gently warmed. Peel the orange to make thin twists of peel and slice them into narrow strips.

Slice the plums in half and remove the stones. Lay the plums in a large saucepan, cut side down.

6 7

Lay 4 plum halves in each bowl, spoon over the sauce and adding few twists of orange peel.

Using a cheese grater, lay a wafer thin slice of Stilton on top of the hot plums and sauce, decorate with bay leaves and serve immediately.

Cover the plums with the wine, adding a couple of tablespoons of brandy, the ginger beer and a cup of orange juice.

Swirl the liquids and gently warm until the plums are only just bubbling. This is a delicate process, so don’t boil, the plums need to stay intact.

Add the twists of orange peel. After about 5 minutes, gently turn the plums over, skin side down just for a minute.

Take the plums out of the liquid and put to one side, then turn up the heat so the sauce reduces and thickens. Add the soft brown sugar and stir until dissolved.

Bed and Breakfast Insurance

Adrian Flux is one of the leading specialist home insurance brokers in the UK and one of only a few offering a full range of bed & breakfast insurance cover for B&Bs. Our policies are tailored to your specific requirements.

Ask our experienced staff about: M Full cover for bed & breakfasts

M Insurance for short term & AirBnB rentals M Discount when you take buildings & contents cover

Call our UK team on 0800 085 5000 adrianflux.co.uk Authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Trustpilot rating checked on 10th January 2022

020-021_LBB_Feb22_LisaHolloway.indd 9

21/01/2022 16:23

W

with Sarah Riley

HAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN Kudhva, Cornwall Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

What I wish I had known before setting up my glamping business; An owner's perspective.

By

T

here is no doubt that the best solutions always come from business owners who are one step ahead of you, but it can be difficult to gain access and ask those questions you are desperately seeking the answers to, especially in the world of unique hospitality.

As an adviser, I have helped kickstart thousands of businesses around the world through my Glamping Academy, which launched in 2010.

This has put me in the fortunate position of being able to ask hosts what they wish they’d known before they started and if they had to do it all again, what they would have done first to have the most impact fast.

Glamping and unique eco-retreats really began to take off in 2020, as the extra space and open air that this type of 5-star holiday provides suddenly became attrac22 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

022-026_LBB_Feb22_SarahRiley.indd 18

Sarah Riley

tive for both the guest and host during the start of the health crisis.

This resulted in a number of accommodation providers, such as hotels and B&B owners, investigating their options with the hope they could do the same.

With a change in consumer behaviour due to the pandemic and the increasing buying power of millennials, we are now in a new era of dynamic travel with an exciting array of new structures on offer. Think treehouses, bubble tents, domes, yurts, and tipis, and you’ll get the idea.

Guests are seeking safe but highly instagramable experiences with family and friends, which provide more than just a short-stay.

Of course, the host wants to offer all this and more without negatively impacting their own safety or ability to generate a good revenue and this is why the asset-light glamping business model is proving so popular.

WHO IS SARAH RILEY? Sarah Riley helps owners set up their glamping and unique holiday rentals.

She helps them to improve their occupancy using little-known techniques in this fast growing marketplace.

She is also the Founder of The Glamping Business Academy and host of the Industry Podcast.

Sarah supports one of the largest communities for glamping and unique holiday rental hosts.

URLs inspiredcamping.com inspiredcoursesvip.com SOCIAL MEDIA IN: @inspired_camping www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:27

CONTRIBUTOR || SARAH RILEY

The glamping business model is new to me, so is it worth me getting involved?

Many of us keep doing what we've always done as it feels scary to step outside of our comfort zone.

We hesitate to take chances and tackle change because... what if?

The reality is that most benefits wait for us just outside our comfort zone because that’s when we really stretch ourselves and begin to step up a level.

This is what Cameron from Sierra Escapes Glamping told me when he shared his secret to overcoming this:

"Educate yourself, sure, but I think a degree of naivety can actually be somewhat useful."

He also notes that many of the same people are still asking him questions about his business and procrastinating when he has already successfully moved into the expansion phase.

But it’s worth noting that not everyone explores the glamping business model for profitability and growth.

Some are more interested in what it can deliver as a lifestyle business.

Kerry from Circle of Desire said: "If you’re setting up a Glamping business for a work-life balance and lifestyle change then my advice is stay small..it will be more enjoyable!"

Kate from Round The Woods Yurts told me she moved from a city life to set up her business with her husband and two young children. They have enjoyed many successes over the years and she recently admitted: “I also didn't know just how great it would be to work from home, together as a family, to spend so much time outdoors and so little time at a desk, to have the land support our family and give us an income as well as a bit of time for food growing and harvesting logs, helping us to become brilliantly self sufficient.” www.luxurybnbmag.com

022-026_LBB_Feb22_SarahRiley.indd 19

Graig Wen, Wild Snowdonia Escapes Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 23

21/01/2022 16:27

CONTRIBUTOR || SARAH RILEY

Is It Easy To Start A Unique Holiday Retreat?

Tim from The Farm Camp is a seasoned owner who tailors his offer to groups of guests celebrating special events whilst doing something unique in nature.

They offer everything from re-wilding experiences to learning how to herd sheep.

One of his regrets was how long it took for him to get started and how there was an easier way: “Investing in expert advice saves a lot of time, effort, stress and money in the long term. Whilst I started on a bit of a shoestring and learnt a lot going the long and hard way round, getting some sound advice on key areas would have been so valuable.”

The advantage of starting an asset-light business like glamping is you don’t need bricks and mortar buildings. In fact, you may already have the land and permissions in place to get started quickly.

During the pandemic the UK Government allowed a variety of glamping facilities to be offered under the 28-day permitted development rights rule, which was extended to 56 days in some area.

This enabled hosts to experiment with the business model before they began applying for more formal permissions and some found it life changing.

Katrina from Beautiful Bells told me that she didn’t realise her idea...

Graig Wen, Wild Snowdonia Escapes Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

"…was going to grow from a hobby business to a full-time thing that I ended up leaving my career for!"

What is the secret to success in the industry?

I often find myself explaining that there is absolutely no point in having wonderful facilities if no one knows they exist. This results in poor occupancy and a host who is heading for burnout. The owner of Campwell said: “I thought it would be as easy as pitching some tents and watching the bookings roll in!”

This is not the case. Attracting 24 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

022-026_LBB_Feb22_SarahRiley.indd 20

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >>

luxurybnbmag.com/sarah-riley-feb22 www.luxurybnbmag.com

21/01/2022 16:28

CONTRIBUTOR || SARAH RILEY

guests needs a strategy that understands what works in the industry. This is especially true now that vacationers are booking their holidays in different ways, which for some, has resulted in gaps in the booking calendar where there were never gaps before.

This is a challenge experienced by many, including Claire from Thistledown Glamping, who gave some very wise advice: “I wish I'd known just how long it takes to get a business like this going; I was not realistic at all! I also wish I'd researched the best places to advertise our Shepherd Huts before we were ready.”

However, Jane from Campden Yurts encourages her guests to book direct with her because: “I like to have direct contact with those who book to stay with me so that any unique requests or requirements can be discussed and sorted out ahead of time.”

An additional benefit for the host is not having to pay the expensive commission fees of a third-party booking site, so it’s a win for everyone.

Kudhva, Cornwall Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

crAve Nature® at Ragley Hall

www.luxurybnbmag.com

022-026_LBB_Feb22_SarahRiley.indd 21

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 19

21/01/2022 16:28

CONTRIBUTOR || SARAH RILEY

How can I get extra support?

There was a time when there were very few tools available for hosts and absolutely no networking groups specific to the industry.

This made it much more difficult to get ahead and is why I’ve built The Glamping Academy, a supportive business community, a library of knowledge and regular training for those needing extra help.

Working in a customer-focused and seasonal business can be exhausting, so it’s wise to set up your support systems for those moments when you need them most.

This is why members of my Start Up And Grow Club meet regularly.

A gathering of friendly faces giving a collection of advice on a challenge being faced can be all it takes to help an owner leap ahead of the pack and achieve amazing results.

This is illustrated perfectly by Lisa of Oak Tree Meadow, when she said:

"I wish I’d known what hard work it is, but also how rewarding it is when your guests leave such positive reviews!"

Graig Wen, Wild Snowdonia Escapes Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

Readers of Luxury BNB Magazine can download a free copy of the book and accompanying video: ‘What I Wish I’d Known Before Starting My Glamping Business - An Owners Perspective’.

Just head to the following website to get your copy: www.inspiredcourses.com/lux

022-026_LBB_Feb22_SarahRiley.indd 22

21/01/2022 16:28

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN APRIL 2022 A massive thank you to all the owners and managers who took the time to enter our awards.

We are really impressed with the high standards you all work to and it will be hard to narrow the lists down and choose a winner for each category.

Entries for the 2022 LBNB Awards are now closed. The judges have a lot of wonderful businesses to discuss and they wish you all the best of luck.

Keep your eyes peeled for any emails from Luxury BnB - you might be one of the lucky winners that feature in our April magazine!

www.luxurybnbmag.com

027_LBB_Feb22_Awards.indd 14

The categories for the 2022 awards are: • • • •

Best Breakfast Most Romantic Getaway Luxurious Interior Decor Most Effective Marketing & Use of Social Media

There will also be an OVERALL LBNB Winner who the judges believe surpass all expectations.

So keep your eyes peeled to discover this years winners!

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 27

24/01/2022 10:39

Bethnal Bec &

This is a column for owners, by owners. Vicky and Chris Saynor designed and created Bethnal&Bec Luxury Staycations, a true homegrown family business.

Chris

City chic meets countryside cool, in a stylish yet cosy home-fromhome setting.

For grownups only, and maybe the dog too – escape to your own luxury rural retreat with everything you need to relax.

FB: Bethnal & Bec IN: @bethnalandbec www.bethnalandbec. com

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag. com/chris_ feb22 OR luxurybnbmag. com/vicky_ feb22

Planning for our next business venture in Felixstowe Ferry

Why, in the 21st century and the amazing capabilities of the Internet, are some things so bloomin’ difficult to find out?

Especially when they involve local councils?

Our current holiday accommodation is next to our Grade 2 Listed house, and in a conservation area; all our renovations to create our business were, to put it mildly, “a headache” when it comes to the rules we had to follow.

When we purchased our new project in Felixstowe Ferry we were keen not to have the same restraints which therefore lead to delays and additional costs.

Not listed… tick.

Not in a conservation area… tick.

But… It is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

We were aware of this fact, although judging by the hots-potch of neighbouring buildings, and the conversations and renovations that have been allowed, I do not think they take this AONB that seriously.

However, we are good citizens and before we start our renovation planning, it is good to know what we can and cannot do.

This is where it gets a bit murky. Unlike conservation areas and listed buildings, there is zilch on the local council website as to what restrictions they may implement for any work in the AONB. Everything we want to do would be permitted development and would not need any permissions normally, but we do not feel confident to plough on without some assurances.

But with nothing forthcoming from the council, we are only left with the option of paying hundreds of pounds and waiting many months for an appointment for a “preplanning meeting” or going ahead… … Unless, we ask our new neighbours for their first hand experiences.

28 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

028-029_LBB_Feb22_Bethnal&Bec.indd 24

A column for owners, by owners

The problem with this solution is that we have hardly met our neighbours since we purchased the property 7 months ago; we’ve not been able to visit much due to other projects, covid, the fact the heating doesn’t work so we can’t stay over… etc.

Everyone seems very nice and we have been added to the village whatsapp group so we could simply drop a message to them all. But what is judged as decorum?

In terms of asking for advice from a group when you haven’t really contributed to it, when you are outsiders and will continue to be so, when you’re not actually going to be a neighbour but a business owner?

Maybe it’ll be better to just join the long waitlist to actually speak to someone at the council as they are incapable of putting a few guidelines online.

It’s a conundrum that I need to make a decision on soon.

Property in Felixstowe Ferry Credit: Vicky & Chris Saynor

www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:43

When we opened Bethnal & Bec Luxury Stays 4 years ago, we knew we wanted to be more than standard self catering, but we didn't want to be on a guest's schedule for breakfast, dinners, bookings or itineraries.

As a solution, we developed a model where we 'curate' add-ons for our guests.

This covers:

Honesty Larder Credit: Binky Nixon

+

Upgrading the standard breakfast boxes

+

Adding on 'Dine-In' boxes such as pizza, burgers, steak, and afternoon tea. These are locally sourced meal packs that will be ready and waiting in the retreats for the guests to cook themselves.

+

Fun items such as popcorn and hot chocolate

+

Curating experiences with local businesses, allowing our guests to benefit from preferential rates and ideas of great things to do in the local area

+

Working with local business to so guests can pre-order cakes, gifts, alcohol, chefs, etc.

What started as a small idea, has become a very large and successful part of our business.

We also love the fact that we get to work and promote some fantastic local business, that they get business from us, and the guest is happy as we've done all the legwork - all they need to do is connect and organise times.

Our most successful concept has been what we call our Honesty Larder.

A large haberdashery unit filled with lots of snacks, drinks, gifts, bath products, dog treats and more.

We use an ipad for guests to fill in what they have enjoyed from the fully stocked larder, and on leaving they pay by BACS or leave cash.

In over 1000 transactions, we've had maybe a handful of people not being honest about what they use...

But that's fine, because that is what the security deposit is for!

It's something that our guests rave about, and many do simply arrive without anything, and enjoy the delicious frozen handmade meals, the delicious locally sourced snacks and the doggie larder is very popular indeed!

We run our paid larder alongside our large 'free' larder containing lots of cooking condiments, teas, coffees, rice, pasta, milk etc. It's one less thing for guests to think about when packing - and 1 more easy brownie point for us!

www.luxurybnbmag.com

028-029_LBB_Feb22_Bethnal&Bec.indd 25

CONTRIBUTOR || BETHNAL & BEC

Vicky

Self-catering holiday lets with a difference; honesty larders and curated experiences

Honesty Larder Credit: Binky Nixon

Haberdashery unit used as an honesty larder Credit: Binky Nixon

Dine-In Box - Burgers Credit: Binky Nixon

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 29

24/01/2022 10:43

IN PROFILE || HOSTING A COSY CHRISTMAS

Karen's Karen Thorne has ran Hopton House B&B in Shropshire for over 16 years and the Bed and Breakfast Academy for over 14 years.

Through the B&B Academy, Karen trains aspiring B&B owners in how to set up, buy, run and market their own B&Bs. Karen runs monthly online courses and has recently launched a B&B Marketing membership for existing B&B owners, so she can help them to organically and authentically market their own B&Bs.

Read Karen's blog to discover more about toilet paper origami, how marrying a plumber has been very handy, and more about life as a B&B owner: bandbacademy. co.uk/blog

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/ karen_feb22_camp OR luxurybnbmag.com/ karen_feb22_power

FB:

@BEDANDBREAKFASTACADEMY

INSTA: @BEDANDBREAKFASTACADEMY

Column

PINTEREST: @BANDBACADEMY

Camping

My parents were keen campers and being teachers, they’d have the time to take 3-4 week holidays away every summer.

Every summer, as I watched my friends enviously setting off for a week in Benidorm, my parents would be packing for a trip across Europe; our accommodation for the holiday packed in the rucksacks on our backs.

The camping season always started at Easter - no matter if there was still snow on the ground.

These days, very occasionally when the weather is glorious, I’ll entertain the idea of a camping holiday on a Scottish beach.

Then I remember the 3 weeks in the highlands. It poured with rain and there was nothing to do but drink tea, eat shortbread and become an expert

at canasta.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Scotland and in May we’re heading back up there for the 2nd time in 6 months. I just didn’t love it as a 13 year old, crammed into a 2 man tent with my parents, our dog and no car!

I always suggest to my course attendees that they really get to know their ideal B&B guest and create a B&B that meets all of their needs. But I also think it’s a really good idea to create a B&B and an experience that you’d love to stay in as well.

It’s probably no surprise to anyone that I ended up creating a 5 star B&B with such luxuries as a flushing toilet, heating, huge baths and as much hot water as you could use... No tents in sight!

If all else fails, lower your standards My least popular blog post ever was “How to run a B&B in a power cut”.

It’s the blog post you can't be bothered to read until the lights go out just before you’re about to start cooking breakfast. And by then it’s too late and you’ve got no Wi-Fi anyway.

We’re in the middle of a power cut right now and I’m reminded of how, when you’ve got no guests in, a power cut is a mild inconvenience. But when you’re house is full it’s a nightmare.

One day, all 6 guests were due at 9am and we lost power at 8.55. They’d all ordered a different special including waffles, pancakes and eggs Benedict, not to mention that they were all copious toast eaters.

In that blog, one tip is to have a gas hob, but even with that, I was swearing

30Luxury || Luxury || February 2022 30 || BnB BnB || December 2020

030-031_LBB_Feb22_Karen/ProductNews.indd 30

WWW.BANDBACADEMY.CO.UK

like a navvy.

My mistake was trying to create exactly the same breakfast the guests enjoyed when I had a fully functioning kitchen. It would have been easier to say - sorry, no power, help yourself to granola and here’s £20 off your stay.

Sometimes you just need to relax and accept the situation.

The world won’t end if the guests don’t get a cooked breakfast. And now is not the time - if you’ve always made blender hollandaise - to try the traditional method using a Bain Marie and a hand whisk - believe me, there will be tears!

As the mug a wise friend bought me says: “If all else fails, lower your standards.”

www.luxurybnbmag.com www.luxurybbmag.co.uk

03/02/2022 14:20

Product News

Love Maps On

Create the Wow Factor with a stunning wallmap of your area. Present-day and Vintage Ordnance Survey Maps of any area on made-to-measure wallpapers, canvases, ceramic tiles, glass splash-backs and much more.

Allow your guests to truly discover the local landscape.

An amazing addition to any Guest House or Hotel.

Our products are designed to bring colour and flair to bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, foyers and function rooms. Whatever the colour scheme or style, you'll find a contemporary, historical or art map to complement it. Our maps range from World Maps, Designer Maps, Antique Maps, Art Maps, Globes and Text Art Maps to Personalised Maps from Ordnance Survey and Personalised Vintage maps. Our online map store gives you fast and easy access to a whole world of wonderful maps at affordable prices. Visit lovemapson.com

MSS Mobile Signal Solutions

Guests will have a better experience if they can make clear crisp calls. An indoor mobile reception is critical for hotels and B&B's. There is only a handful of qualified companies able to boost signal, www. mobilesignalsolutions.co.uk is one such UK based installer of signal boosters for hotels and large B&B's, they have a friendly team of local engineers who give a free estimate on cost and a reasonably priced survey fee of £295 which gives a full report on what you will need and how much it will cost. If you feel you are losing business due to poor coverage, consider the option of a signal booster and hopefully see customer return rates improve, especially the business clientele.

SabeeApp

Managing your property has never been easier!

SabeeApp all-in-one hotel management software is available in 6 languages, offers user-friendly, highly customisable solutions for hotels, hostels and apartment rentals. Our goal is to simplify your daily operation tasks through automation so you can focus on what really matters: making your guests feel special during their stay while saving you valuable time. The cloud-based system enables you to access SabeeApp anywhere, anytime and from any device, besides it does not require any extra technical knowledge and your data is synced 24/7. From your account you can manage reservations, pricing, sales, administration, reports and many more. We provide PMS, Booking Engine, Channel Manager, Payment Solutions, Guest Experience and Communication Tools, Localised Solutions and on top of that, the best Customer Support in the industry!

Learn more about SabeeApp and how it could make your business more successful. Contact: kenneth@sabeeapp. com | URL: sabeeapp.com/prices www.luxurybnbmag.com

030-031_LBB_Feb22_Karen/ProductNews.indd 31

Mattressman

Versatile, supportive and super-comfortable are a few words to describe the Hotel Mattress range at Mattressman. Going above and beyond to provide your guests with a rejuvenating night’s sleep, the Hotel Mattresses include fantastic features that will contribute to a sumptuous stay at your establishment.

They incorporate body-moulding pocket springs with a support tension that’s suitable for every sleeping position, high-quality hypoallergenic fillings and breathable cotton covers too. The Hotel Mattresses are in congruence with Source 5 fire regulations and are available in all standard sizes: even adaptable zip and link options to transform a twin room into two singles.

Our trade team can provide expert, impartial advice on what mattresses are best suited to your establishment, so don’t hesitate to get in contact with us today on 0800 5677 625 or tradesales@mattressman.co.uk. To view the range, visit mattressman.co.uk/contract February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 31

03/02/2022 14:20

G

ETTING TARTED LAMPING

S

G

IN

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >>

luxurybnbmag.com/set-up-a-glamping-business

40 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 32

www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:54

By

AREA || GLAMPING

All you need to know about setting up a glamping business.

Discover the different types of glamping, what to look for in a location, planning implications, business plans and more...

Juliet Horner

www.luxurybnbmag.com

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 33

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 19

24/01/2022 10:54

AREA || GLAMPING

T

he word ‘glamping’ brings some luxurious and colourful images to mind.

Cosy shepherd huts and bell tents. Rustic wooden lodges and treehouses.

Hot tubs and prosecco.

All the joys of camping without the hassle!

So why wouldn’t you want to get in on this hugely popular sector of hospitality? Especially now that staycations are on the rise.

According to Statista, online searches for ‘glamping holidays uk’ rose by 404% between July 2019 and July 2020.

Are you brand new to the hospitality sector and unsure of where to start? Or are you looking to expand your already existing glamping business?

Or maybe you’re trying something new, and leaving the B&B behind so you can chase your countryside business dream?

Whatever it is, we’ve got you covered. This handy guide on how to set up a glamping business will give you an idea of where to start.

We’ll provide information on the basics such as choosing a location, type of glamping, elements of a business plan and more.

To help you, we caught up with Sarah Riley, an expert on all things Glamping, to help you understand the basics. Sarah is well known in the world of glamping and unique holiday rentals. She’s a knowledgeable business coach and runs two sites that you may find helpful: inspiredcamping.com and inspiredcoursesvip.com We also spoke with the owners of two very different glamping businesses that were set up during the pandemic.

Janice Kitto owns Daisy Park Shepherds Huts in Cornwall. Janice welcomed her first guests at the end of June 2021 and by October, she had gained her Superhost badge on Airbnb.

Claire Passos runs Caracol Camping near Tunbridge Wells and began the planning process for her business in 2020. Claire’s glamping business consists of bell tents, located on a local farm.

So the question is, why set up a

34 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 34

glamping business?

Like with all new business ventures, you need to understand the industry and the direction it’s moving in. Before glamping evolved to what it is now, there was once a time when a canvas tent in a random field was considered ‘glamping’, but times have changed.

Sarah Riley said: “These days, there are much higher expectations from guests and the industry has had to develop alongside these shifting needs.”

These higher expectations have resulted in a boom of luxury, but just because you provide a relaxing getaway for guests, it doesn’t mean it will be easy for you. It takes time, money and passion.

“I’ve been advising business

owners for over a decade,” said Sarah, “and many who enter the industry are aiming to spend more time outside in nature and away from their desks.”

This unique style of hospitality takes hard work, but it allows for the ‘hybrid’ working life that has become so popular during the pandemic. Another benefit Sarah pointed out about the glamping industry is that it allows you to “choose the business model that delivers the most benefits for you”.

This means there is no set template for starting a glamping business; it’s up to you to choose what you want it to look like and what you want to get out of it.

So with this in mind, let’s get started on pinpointing the basics.

Caracol Camping

www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:54

AREA || GLAMPING

Different structures: • • • • • • • • • •

Treehouses Shepherd Huts Safari Tents Domes Bell Tents Glamping Pods Wooden Lodges Yurts Gypsy Caravans Tipis

Daisy Park Shepherds Huts

Different types of glamping There are many different types of glamping, so how do you choose which one is right for you?

In January 2021, a forecast created

by Glampitecht predicted that the most popular form of glamping for 2021 would be Shepherd Huts at 24.6%. And according to the GlampingHub Blog, the top glamping trends included treehouses, luxury tents and glamping domes.

Although there are many different types of glamping to choose from, they each come with advantages and disadvantages.

When you start looking into the different structures, Sarah Riley said: “It’s important to explore the options in detail.”

For example, when deciding which structures are right for you, Sarah strongly suggests considering factors such as: • • • •

www.luxurybnbmag.com

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 35

Which structures work best on the land you have The local climate Overhanging trees Where the utilities & facilities are in relation to the structure

• • • • •

Local planning restrictions Type of guest you hope to attract Lifespan of the structure Storage Seasonality

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 35

24/01/2022 10:54

AREA || GLAMPING

“There is a lot involved and if you are concerned about making the best decision for your business, then I would urge you to take advice,” said Sarah.

“Getting this right from the start will have a significant impact on your ongoing success.”

Janice Kitto, who runs Daisy Park Shepherds Huts, made her decision after viewing different options at a glamping show.

She said: “We looked at all the pods and the tipis but I just kept going back to the shepherd huts. I was just completely blown away by how beautiful they were inside.

“I did some research but for me, there was nothing that was on a

par with the shepherd huts.

“I also felt that a lot of the options were very seasonal, like the tipis, that you can’t really let in the winter. But we were looking for something that was going to be an all year round sort of destination.”

If you’re struggling to choose what glamping structures you’d like, or you’re worried about the financial elements, there’s nothing wrong with starting small.

Claire Passos at Caracol Camping decided to start with Bell Tents.

“In an ideal world, I’d have beautiful wooden lodges that are open all year round, but that’s really expensive,” said Claire.

“So we chose bell tents as a sort

of starter because it’s a more cost effective way to ‘dip your toe in the water’ so to speak and it’s potentially a lot easier to get through planning.

“It just depends on your personal situation and the amount of money you have available that you can invest in the business.”

One of the potential disadvantages for glamping sites that use tents, is the longevity. Claire said: “One of the things you have to understand is that bell tents aren’t going to look pretty forever. You may have to replace them after two or three years, which is something you’ll need to consider when looking at your business plan.”

Graig Wen, Wild Snowdonia Escapes Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

URLs inspiredcamping.com inspiredcoursesvip.com daisyparkhuts.co.uk glampitect.co.uk glampinghub.com INSTAGRAM @inspired_camping @dasiyparkhuts @caracol_camp 36 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 36

"It just depends on your personal situation and the amount of money you have available that you can invest in the business."

www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:54

We often think of rolling hills, fields, forests and nature when we think of glamping.

So how do you know where to build your site?

Of course, the type of glamping structure will impact the location and vice versa, so consider what is available to you.

Luckily, something that might make it easier for you is the fact that a glamping business can be placed anywhere.

Glamping expert, Sarah Riley said: “The land doesn't have to be arable or of any financial value.

“I have worked with owners who have successfully started glamping businesses in old quarries or scrubland.”

But despite this, you can’t just plonk some tents in a random field.

There are still factors you need to consider such as: • • • • • •

AREA || GLAMPING

Location, Location, Location

Daisy Park Shepherds Huts

Travel arrangements - Can guests get to you easily?

Is there a view that offers a good ‘wow factor’?

Local attractions and entertainment Access - is it suitable for those with disabilities?

If you don’t own the land, do you have permission to use it?

Noise pollution - Can you hear any roads?

If you found the perfect location for your business, but you don’t own it and it’s not up for sale, that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

Claire Passos at Caracol Camping works in partnership with a local farmer for her business.

“We watch Countryfile every week and we saw a lot of stories about farm diversification,” said Claire.

“I then went online, found the National Farmers Union and the contact details for our region and asked if I could put a note in their local newsletter to see if anyone local was interested in diversifying their farm.

“The farmer who reached out owns a local farm shop and a 60 or so acre farm where he grows all his fruit for the shop. He’s an asparagus farmer by trade, but he approached us.”

The farmer, Michael, told Claire he had a three acre field that he was keen to diversify, helping Claire to get the ball rolling with www.luxurybnbmag.com

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 37

her glamping business.

“Not everyone has three acres of land at their disposal,” said Claire, “so I think that’s really useful information if you are stuck, because there are other ways to find locations that work for you.”

Many businesses work in partnership with landowners.

Sarah Riley said working with others “opens up many categories of land”.

She said: “One such business that works in partnership with various landowners around the UK is ‘crAve nature’.”

So if you don’t have land already, or the financial means to purchase land of your own, there are other options available to you.

But what qualities should you look for when choosing your site?

Janice Kitto at Daisy Park Shepherds Huts chose what she describes as a “secluded and peaceful” location.

“We’re on a farm in the country anyway, but the site we chose on

Kudhva, Cornwall Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 37

24/01/2022 10:54

AREA || GLAMPING

the farm has a nice little natural pond and it’s such a lovely sight,” said Janice.

“Initially, I discounted it because it meant putting a track across the field, but I managed to persuade my husband to let us do it!

“I think it’s important to consider access,” she said.

“You go to some glamping sites and your car is parked a long way away and you’ve got a long stomp through fields to get to your accommodation.

“That’s fine on a sunny day, but in the middle of winter, in sideways rain, you want to be able to park quite close to where you’re staying.

“Putting the track across the field made that a lot easier for us.”

If you want to run a glamping business that trades all year round, it’s important to consider how the weather will affect access to your accommodation.

Caracol Camping

"It's important to consider access from the car to the accommodation."

“It’s going to get muddy in the winter,” said Janice, “and people don’t want to be carrying all of their stuff across a muddy field in the rain do they?”

It can be quite inconvenient if guests are not prepared, so when you are choosing your location, remember to think about how your guests will get there from their car.

Are they trekking through a forest? Or can they park directly next to their accommodation?

But this doesn’t mean you can’t have your car parking spaces further afield.

For example, Squirrel’s Nest has three luxury treehouses located across their working farm. Guests park up and use wheelbarrows to transport their luggage across the 38 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 38

fields to their treehouse.

However this is all part of the experience at Squirrel’s Nest and it works for their business model, so it doesn’t mean you can’t do something similar.

Claire Passos, from Caracol Camping, added that you need to explore your local area as well, before choosing your location.

“We’re really lucky because we’re in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the south-east of England,” said Claire.

“We’ve got castles, walking trails, and cycling routes all around us, so there’s a lot to offer for tourists around here.

“We’re also only an hour away from London, so there’s a lot of activities available for our guests.” www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:55

Graig Wen, Wild Snowdonia Escapes Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

Planning Unfortunately, it’s not always plain sailing when starting a new business venture; you’re going to have to jump through a few hoops on the way to getting your glamping site up and running.

Claire Passos submitted a pre-planning application for her glamping business, which is something you may want to consider.

“I thought doing a pre-planning application was a good idea because then you’re on the council's books, they’ve noted what you are trying to do and then you wait for them to come back to you,” said Claire.

“It just provided a more seamless process for when I submitted the full planning application.”

Claire submitted her preplanning application in August 2020 and heard back from her local council in December 2020.

“They came back to me and said they noted what I wanted to do and what they needed now was a number of different surveys and reports,” explained Claire.

Some of the reports Claire was asked to supply alongside her full planning application that would be submitted at a later date included: • • • •

Caracol Camping

www.luxurybnbmag.com

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 39

AREA || GLAMPING

Daisy Park Shepherds Huts

Ecology Survey Habitat Survey Landscape Visual Impact Assessment Traffic Assessment

Claire said: “It can be quite a lengthy process and you can do it yourself, or you can pay a planning consultant to do it for you. But you will need to work with professionals to get the ecology and habitat surveys and other reports that the council wants from you.”

She added: “It can be quite time consuming and quite expensive to get these reports, so be prepared to put the work in.”

When working on your planning application, look beyond your immediate surroundings. It’s not just about the specific location you chose; it’s also about the wider, local area.

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 39

24/01/2022 10:55

AREA || GLAMPING

Daisy Park Shepherds Huts

Claire said: “You’ve really got to delve deep into your local area.

We’re in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so we needed to understand what the High Weald AONB Management Plan was.”

The High Weald is an AONB in the south-east of England which covers areas of Sussex, Kent and Surrey. Claire’s glamping business, Caracol Camping, is located in this region, so she had to look beyond the farm and the field where her tents are, to the wider, surrounding areas and community.

But it’s not just about understanding the land around you, it’s also about understanding the local communities.

“You should also look at the local tourism bodies and get as much information as you can about what’s happening locally and what sort of proposals there are for the future,” said Claire.

“You will also want to read the National Policy Planning Framework, which is a government initiative that every new business has to adhere to. But there’s also more localised versions of this that you need to look at.”

Claire stressed that you have to be prepared for a lot of hard work.

“You’ve got to jump through a lot of hoops and tick a lot of boxes so that the planning department is comfortable with what you’re doing,” she said.

Kudhva, Cornwall Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

Graig Wen, Wild Snowdonia Escapes Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

Graig Wen, Wild Snowdonia Escapes Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

Business Plan The main thing to keep in mind when creating a business plan, is to try and be prepared for different situations.

Glamping expert, Sarah Riley, has a lot of experience working on business plans.

She said: “Whenever I’m asked to help an owner overcome obstacles 40 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 40

www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:55

• • • •

Set-up costs Income projections Return on investment Yield return period

One of the biggest mistakes Sarah sees with business plans is that owners do not focus on their finances, complaining that it’s too difficult to find the data.

“This can lead to bad decision making and bad budget keeping,” explained Sarah, “which will lead you down a path of spiralling costs, struggles and potential failure.”

But Sarah was quick to point out that this can easily be overcome by getting an expert to help you.

Don’t want to spend the money on an expert’s help? Sarah said: “The savings made by avoiding bad decision-making will more than pay for any investment you make.”

Janice Kitto at Daisy Park Shepherd Huts also pointed out that budgets can change.

“We went quite a bit over budget,” said Janice, “so it’s always a good idea to allow for a bit more.”

Janice also explained that there’s a lot of different costs to consider which you may not have thought about at first.

“Obviously there’s the cost of buying the hut or the tents, but then there’s all the groundwork,” she said.

“Things like electricity, water, all the services like sewage and all that. Things you take for granted and become almost like ‘hidden costs’. So make sure you remember to include these in your plan.”

She added: “You can pretty much guarantee that it will cost more than what you originally planned.”

Although there are expenses www.luxurybnbmag.com

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 41

involved with setting up your glamping business, Claire Passos suggested you try to spend as little as possible until you’ve gone through the planning process.

“You don’t want to spend a lot of money on a shepherds hut or a beautiful wooden lodge, only for the planning to come back and find out you don’t have authorisation,” said Claire.

However, for those of you who are considering temporary or collapsable structures than can be moved around, Claire suggested doing a ‘Pop-Up’.

A pop-up is almost like a ‘trial run’, which could be very useful when working on your business plan. It could also be done whilst you are waiting to hear back on your planning applications.

“So there’s this government scheme called the Permitted Development Rule,” said Claire.

“Originally, it meant that you could do almost anything without permission for 28 days, but it was then extended to 56 days.”

After Claire submitted her preplanning application, Claire bought four bell tents so she could run a pop-up glamping site and ‘test the water’ whilst she waited to hear back from the council.

“We bought the tents to test it out for those 56 days,” said Claire.

“It helped us to understand how the tents operated and allowed us to get a feel for what it would be like running the business.

“It’s a great way to test the waters and get feedback from guests, but you do have to remember it’s only a pop-up, so of course it’s not going to be as luxurious as the main business would be.”

If you are able to run a pop-up, Claire strongly suggests running one whilst waiting to hear back on planning applications because it can help you to refine your business plan.

It can help you to:

AREA || GLAMPING

that have become barriers to the launch of their business, it’s almost always something that could have been avoided with more time spent planning at the start.”

Sarah also explained that there are two elements to a business plan. It’s not just about the data; there also needs to be a narrative.

“However, a narrative is only usually needed if there are investors involved,” said Sarah.

But if you don’t have investors, then Sarah says you should focus on elements such as:

Figure out how your structures operate • Wear and tear • Cleaning systems • Maintenance • Building the structure • Size of the structure and how many can you fit on your site?

Work out prices and other financial questions • How much are you going to charge guests?

• How much do individual units of your chosen structure cost?

• What is the profit margin per stay?

• Revenue forecasts based on the 56 days (taking into account improvements) Feedback • What did your guests like/ dislike?

• Where can you improve your business plan?

• What do guests expect from your business?

• What would they pay more for?

Facilities • Do you have the right number of facilities available? (e.g. the toilet and shower to guest ratio) • Do you need to pay for new facilities? (e.g. another toilet block at a campsite) Amenities • Do you need to invest in wifi extenders?

• What other amenities may you need to invest in? (e.g. hair dryers, tvs, hot tubs) All of the above will help you get a clearer picture of your financial situation, which in turn, will improve your business plan.

As Sarah Riley stated, a strong business plan will influence your decision making and the success of your business.

crAve Nature® at Ragley Hall

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 43

24/01/2022 10:55

AREA || GLAMPING

Extras, Experiences and Packages These days, offering somewhere unique isn’t enough. You’ve got to provide more for your guests so they feel like they are getting value for their money.

One of the ways you can do this as an owner of a glamping business, is by offering extras, experiences and packages.

The easiest way to do this is to offer your guests seasonal hampers and welcome packages. These could include things like: A bottle of your chosen alcoholic beverage • Do you make your own gin?

• Is there a local whisky distillery?

• Maybe a bottle of bubbly • Drinks with local roots will go down well Sweet treats • Is there a local independent chocolatier?

• A local fudge maker?

• Homemade biscuits?

• Sweet treats with local roots will go down well Flyers and leaflets • Activity ideas • Places to go out for dinner • Takeaway menus • Info on the local shops • Walking routes • Locations of popular viewpoints Local products • You could work with local businesses and use their products in your hampers or welcome packages. This will help to promote their business to you guests.

42 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 42

You aren’t just limited to hampers, however. You may have your own wonderful ideas on what extras you can offer your guests.

Sarah Riley said: “People love variety and ‘Instagrammable’ moments, but you must always think about the implications of offering those little extras.

“Whatever you decided to offer as extras, focus on how it helps to enhance your unique stay, and link it to your personality and your local area.”

Your extras don’t always have to be edible or disposable items. They can also relate to the facilities and amenities that are available for the guests to use.

Janice Kitto said: “Without a shadow of a doubt, I’d say get a hot tub. In my guest book, I think nearly every comment has included something about how the guests love the hot tub.”

She added: “I think it’s one of the most searched for criteria when people search for holidays. They are really popular.”

However, returning to Sarah’s earlier comment, it’s important to consider the implications of such amenities.

Sarah said: “For example, there’s no doubt that hot tubs increase occupancy, but they also come with increased costs and a lot of time added to the changeover.

They also impact the local environment because of the amount of water used and the chemicals needed to keep the water safe for guests.”

There are ways you can get around this, however. Bethnal & Bec Luxury Staycations in Hertfordshire use a more environmentally friendly alternative to hot tubs.

Their three retreats all have outdoor baths, which offer the same experience as a hot tub, but on a more eco-friendly level.

Claire Passos believes extras are really important for glamping businesses, especially now that glamping is so popular.

“Everyone has jumped on this bandwagon, so what are you offering that’s different?” said Claire, “At Caracol camping, we’re

going to sow a wildflower meadow and have the tents nestled within the meadow.

“Not only does that tick a lot of boxes in terms of biodiversity and ecology, but it also creates a lovely, intimate experience for our guests because it’s as if they have their own, cosy corner in the meadow.”

Claire’s campsite is lucky enough to also have an ancient woodland backing onto the field which could be utilised for unique experiences.

“There’s lots of new initiatives like forest bathing,” said Claire, “so we can offer that to our guests, as well as corporate groups.”

She added: “I’m really keen on the whole idea of getting back to nature as a solution for improving mental health.”

When it comes to the activities that are available, Claire suggests creating bespoke experiences for your guests.

“Look at what's around you and create packages for your guests.

It just helps to widen your target market,” she said. www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:56

AREA || GLAMPING

Some package ideas might include: Walking Package e.g. routes of different difficulties and length, viewpoints, historical locations Cycling Package e.g routes of different difficulties and length, popular break points such as cafes and pubs Historic Package e.g list of local historical sights, visitor attractions, history of the local area Adventurous activities e.g. popular climbing spots, list of activity providers, popular paddleboarding routes crAve Nature® featuring a Witt & Berg Charcoal Copper bath and sink by Ann Hitchcox

Here at freeonlinebooking.com we help you minimise the amount of commission you pay to the big online travel agents by helping you develop a direct booking strategy.

With a few changes to the way you do business, and using our innovative reservation system we can help you significantly improve your profitability.

Our all-in-one property management system (PMS), channel manager and ZERO commission booking system incorporates features such as commission management, which makes it super easy to prioritize zero and low commission booking channels.

Contact us today for a FREE no-obligation online demo of our services. We offer a FREE trial plus FREE setup and FREE training. With rates starting from just £17+VAT per month and our friendly UK support this could be one of your best business decisions of 2021!

freeonlinebooking.com the book direct experts

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 43

www.freeonlinebooking.com info@freeonlinebooking.com 0845-1635163

24/01/2022 10:56

AREA || GLAMPING

Do's and Don'ts...

DO:

DON'T:

•

Focus on the financial breakdown of your set-up process and cash flow forecast.

His will help with decision making and solvency. - Sarah Riley

•

Don’t forget to build a marketing strategy.

This is how you will achieve occupancy and the income you need. - Sarah Riley

•

Provide an excellent service and aim for amazing reviews. Just because it’s an asset-light business does not mean it can be delivered half-heartedly. - Sarah Riley

•

•

Visit other glamping sites similar to what yours will be. If you are setting up a shepherds hut business, go and stay in some shepherd huts. Find out what you liked about that business and where they could improve so you can provide the best service at your own site. - Janice Kitto

Don’t ignore the environmental footprint of your business. It’s important to understand you will have guests who find this extremely important. It may a deal-breaker when choosing where to go on holiday. - Sarah Riley

•

Don’t forget to prioritise what you want to get out of setting up a glamping business. We only live once so it’s important to enjoy the ride. - Sarah Riley

•

Don’t try and make your site sound better than it is. Give honest descriptions and use great photographs in your marketing strategy. - Janice Kitto

•

Get in touch with local tourism bodies, local councillors and local businesses when writing your planning application.

Get as much information as you can, because this will support your application.

- Claire Passos

•

Spend enough time considering the utilities at your site. Do you already have the means to supply electricity, water, etc, or do you need to build the infrastructure for this? Or can you tailor your business and provide these resources in other ways? - Claire Passos

Graig Wen, Wild Snowdonia Escapes Photo Credit: © Roy Riley

Top Tips from Daisy Park Huts 1.

Choose quality. For all your bedding and furnishings, try to get the best you can.

2.

Personal greeting. Make sure you're there to greet guests and give them a good experience.

3.

Using OTAs like Airbnb is a good way to get started whilst you get your own website up and running

4.

Invest in some good quality, professional photos to promote your business and entice people to stay with you

5.

Be active on social media

44 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 44

www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:56

AREA || GLAMPING

Top Tips from Caracol Camping 1.

Understand what your USP is going to be and how you can use this to set yourself up as a successful glamping business

2.

Don’t underestimate the hard work. This isn’t going to happen overnight

3.

Test the waters with a pop-up site so you can see if you really enjoy it and what you might need to do to improve the real thing

4.

Visit shows and exhibitions like the Glamping Show at Stoneleigh Park

5.

Make the most of offering extras and different experiences. These can add value, convince guests to choose you, and also be another potential revenue stream.

Caracol Camping

Top Tips from Sarah Riley

www.luxurybnbmag.com

032-045_LBB_Feb22_GlampingBusiness.indd 45

1.

Understand what you want to set up from the start and the level of investment needed.

Pay particular attention to any permissions and utility extensions as this can have a significant impact on your overall project.

2.

Know who your audience is and what will appeal to them in terms of a service.

3.

There's no point having an amazing site if no one knows you exist so make sure you focus on your marketing efforts as soon as possible.

4.

Seek out a supportive community and advice from someone with experience in a variety of glamping operations.

5.

Finally, be sure to prioritise what you want to get out of the project, whether this is financial or more about your lifestyle aspirations.

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 45

24/01/2022 10:56

Part II

46 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

046-047_LBB_Feb22_ServiceDesign.indd 14

help you write a brief for them and to track their journey as they book and stay with you.

By using the stages set out in the diagram you effectively create a table of coordinated and comparable experiences from the people who act as your Mystery Guests, enabling them to record every detail - good or bad - of the experiences they encounter.

I suggest you try it with three guests / guest couples and review where you are. I think you will find you have the beginnings of a raft of valuable insights that will enable you to decide how to improve what you do.

These learnings will also help inform and improve your communications with prospective and existing guests alike - get it right and you should expect to see an increase in both new and repeat bookings as online recommendations improve.

The process will also begin to enable you to see what your offer is like through the lens of your guests and to understand what works and what doesn't for them.

You can also use the process to test new ideas and to work out where you can add value.

I hope you enjoy the process...!

BOOKING PROCESS LOCATION FACILITIES

REPUTATION

Travel

Check-in

PRICE

Confirmation

R

eturning to the discussion on Service Design: In the last edition I talked about how excellent service has always been key to the industry, but as more people choose to buy ‘experiences’ rather than 'goods', their expectation of how those experiences are delivered has increased markedly, especially in the luxury area.

Alongside the demand for better service, the way people are buying things is also changing.

Until recently, it was inconceivable that anyone would buy a car in a shopping centre, but Tesla didn't know that! - and any of you who have stayed at a CitizenM will have seen how hospitality may also change.

Staying ahead means making sure your product is up to scratch, but almost more important is to make sure the way your guests enjoy your product is as well designed as the product itself.

Think about how the combination of props, environment, people and processes work to deliver your product. Do they act in harmony, enhancing the best aspects of your product, or do they let it down?

Deliver your product brilliantly and you will differentiate yourself from the competition, earn better online feedback and increase new bookings and repeat business.

In the last issue I suggested that in order to understand how well your service performs, you needed to ‘stay’ at your own hotel or BnB, most easily done by asking a few friends or professional 'mystery shoppers' to go through the journey for you.

The diagram alongside will

with David Worthington

Booking

CONTRIBUTOR || DAVID WORTHINGTON

SERVICE DESIGN

Location Room

GUEST JOURNEY w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/service-design-part2 www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:57

Outcome

1.

Approach this as a research exercise, recognising that this is possibly only the first step of several - once you begin discovering how people feel about what you do, you will almost certainly want to find out more!

1.

Write a brief - include what you believe your brand stands for, who your competition are, what you are trying to deliver and what you hope your guests experience when staying you

1.

Post visit, meet the Mystery Guests and consolidate their results, 'layering' them over the diagram. You now have the beginnings of a picture of your business, from a guest's point of view

2.

Adapt/re-draw the diagram to reflect your business

2.

2.

3.

Think about which areas of your business are most important to you and what information would be most valuable to find out - is it just the guest experience that you are interested in, or the buying process too?

List the 'touch-points' you want your Mystery Guests to focus on - e.g. booking priorities, welcome/checkin, breakfast, etc.

3.

Ask them to qualify their experience under consistent headings: we suggest for each touch-point...

- Rank and comment on the 'props' and environment, the people and processes - Ask them to tell you how clean, friendly and efficient it was or wasn't - Ask what would they do differently too

Try to do the post visit meeting within two days of their stay - recollections will be of better quality and you can also add new instructions to the following Mystery Guests

3.

From the results create a priority list... important/ unimportant, easy/hard, etc. Noting that there will be several small and easy improvements and touches you can make, which will increase online recommendations and bookings

4.

More interestingly, we think you will find areas that require greater consideration and larger investment, potentially around new ideas and services that could differentiate yourself from your competition

Recruit three or four friends or couples you know and ask them stay with you as Mystery Guests (don't tell colleagues who they are and only choose people who say it like it is!) Alternatively pay a professional mystery shopping agency, e.g. https://www.proinsight.org

www.luxurybnbmag.com

046-047_LBB_Feb22_ServiceDesign.indd 15

4.

Only have one group of Mystery Guests staying at any one time

Travel

Departure

Dinner Facilities

Breakfast

Refreshments

4.

Return booking

Briefing

Communication

Preparation

CONTRIBUTOR || DAVID WORTHINGTON

m

Service design does what it says on the tin, it's the process of designing how well you service your guests...

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 47

24/01/2022 10:57

What is a Workation?

Workations explained; All you need to know about the new concept, including what it is and what you need to do.

By

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/workation-feb22

Photo by Kornél Máhl on Unsplash

Dominic Johnson

With more and more people tired of working from home but unable to go into the office, they turn to alternative accommodation for a long term working holiday or ‘workation’. The former editor of toolbox.com defined a workation as: ‘A workation is a vacation that allows you to work remotely while integrating elements of leisure that let you unwind, relax and be more productive’.

Simply put, it is: work + vacation = workation In essence, a workation is taking a break from your usual place of work, but not from the work itself. Think of it as ‘work away from work’.

So as property owners, what can you do to attract these long term guests looking to take advantage of home working? These guests are often looking to stay during the off-peak season, providing additional revenue during the quieter months.

Working Environment

Internet Connection

Modern working often means you only need a laptop, fast internet connection and a mobile phone.

Add to that some home comforts, access to decent food and drinks, and you have the perfect working environment.

A bad internet connection can make or break a booking, so consider the following:

• •

•

•

•

Make sure you have a comfortable space for your guests to work for an entire day. Test each space Desks can take up a lot of space, so think about where the best place to put one is. By the window? In the living area? Can it be doubled up as a dressing table?

If space is an issue, consider fold down desks that are attached to the wall and can be pulled down when in use, but stored away nicely when not needed.

Couples will often need two workstations and might not want to share the dining room table. Consider adding an extra desk or work space to accommodate two remote workers.

Make sure you have plenty of power sockets and provide extension leads. It might also be useful to install plug sockets that have built in USB slots to charge mobile phones.

Consider providing a plugin monitor or utilising your smart TVs.

48 || Luxury BnB || February 2022

048-049_LBB_Feb22_Workation.indd 24

•

•

•

•

Ensure your Internet connection is up to the job. Consider supplying CAT5 cables which are much faster than WiFi as an alternative option so you aren’t relying too much on the WiFi. Check the WIFI connection in every room and add boosters to fill any weak spots. Are there any rooms in your property where your WiFi is slower than everywhere else? Invest in some WiFi extenders, or if you are a BT customer, check out ‘Complete WiFi’. This is where BT will send you more extenders to ensure wallto-wall connectivity.

Test the speed of your wifi using an online tool like fast.com. Other more sophisticated tools are available but fast.com is quick, easy and will give you a good idea of the speeds a regular web surfer will achieve.

Publish screenshots of your WIFI speeds on your website. People looking for a workation might choose you if you have better scores than competitors www.luxurybnbmag.com

24/01/2022 10:59

g

Downtime

Little Extras

We all have different ways of winding down after a hard day's work, so it’s good to have a few options available for your guests.

Think about what you like to have around you when you are working. Little things always make a difference.

Here are some ideas as to what you can provide to help make their workation a little bit better:

• • • • • •

Smart TV with access to a range of channels Smart TV that guests can plug in their own game consoles or TV sticks Books - Have a good selection of different genres to appeal to more people Maps - suggest shorter walks around the area that can be done during a lunch break or in the evening after work Information leaflets - suggest activities or eateries that they could do after a hard days work Cookbooks - leave these in the kitchen for the guests to use.

E.g. invest in cookbooks such as easy, 5 minute recipes

Rates Expect to discount long-term bookings. Potential guests will often find you on an OTA and will contact you directly to negotiate a special deal. OTAs often make it harder to book long-term stays so it is more important than ever to be contactable through your own website or social media.

To keep costs low for the guest, look for ways to reduce costs whilst maintaining quality. Possible savings include fewer cleans, fewer change overs and a reduction in both booking and marketing fees.

www.luxurybnbmag.com

048-049_LBB_Feb22_Workation.indd 25

• • • • • • • • • • •

Large mugs Large glasses Comfy desk chair Easy to use coffee machine Good kettle Different tea or coffee options A clock Spare chargers Sticky notes and note pads Chalk board or Cork board A manoeuvrable desk lamp It’s all about combining business and leisure. Sending emails while sunning yourself. Hitting targets while hitting the beach. Working the hours while winding down. We’re seeing the rise of the digital nomad, so it’s time to tap into this lucrative business opportunity.

February 2022 || Luxury BnB || 21

24/01/2022 10:59

DIRECTORY Bathroom Amenities & Products

A BUYERS GUIDE Bed & Breakfast Insurance

Furniture Supplies

Established in 2004, Let Us Furnish provides a wide range of furniture solutions for your property. We are a professional supplier and installer of furniture packages that include bedroom furniture, beds and mattresses, sofas and chairs, dining sets, living room furniture, electrical goods and homewares.

www.letusfurnish.co.uk Home Decoration & Personalised Maps

Hotel Management Software

Hotel Management Software

Mattress Provider

ADVERTISE HERE!

Give your property the Wow Factor with a stunning wallmap of your area. Present-day and Vintage OS Maps of any area on made-to-measure wallpapers, canvases, ceramic tiles, glass splashbacks and more. An amazing addition to any Guest House or Hotel. lovemapson.com

Luxury Towels Bathrobes & Footwear

Advertise here for a FULL YEAR for just £490 + VAT! Please contact LISA EBDY 07799886115 LISAEBDYMEDIA@OUTLOOK.COM KIRSTY FARROW KIRSTYF@SPACEMARKETING. CO.UK

lisaebdymedia@outlook.com

PROPERTIES FOR SALE

MULBERRY INN 18 en suite letting bedrooms in North Wales Offers over £895,000 Restaurant: 60 | Private dining: 20 cover Bar & resident's lounge: 50+ covers Net turnover YE 2020: £608,699 Planning consent for 4-6 additional bedrooms Excellent condition throughout | Energy Rating C Tel: +44 161 833 6912 Email: tom.omalley@christie.com

050-051_LBB_Feb22_Directory.indd 50

24/01/2022 11:01

050-051_LBB_Feb22_Directory.indd 51

24/01/2022 11:01

052_OBC_LBB_Feb22.indd 1

24/01/2022 11:01