Luxury BnB Magazine December 2021

DECEMBER 2021

£3.99

FOR OWNERS AND MANAGERS OF BNB’S, INNS, BOUTIQUE HOTELS & HOLIDAY LETS IBE TO PR I CR

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MAGAZINE

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YEARS 2 / 5 2 £

17 OF THE MOST COMMON ISSUES

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BAD REVIEWS?

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ISSUE #52

A ZINE T

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UNDERSTANDING OTAS

& MAKING THEM WORK FOR YOU

WHAT IS A HEAT PUMP?

CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY WITH ABEL HEYWOOD

A Countryside Christmas with Squirrel’s Nest

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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 Who can believe it's Christmas time already? I don't know about you, but it's definitely crept up on me (again)! After the very quiet Christmas we had last year, the Luxury BnB team can't wait to see what you all pull off this year.

Remember to enjoy it, even if it can get stressful!

To help kickstart the festive season, we've got some brilliant Christmas content coming your way. Is your hospitality business located in the countryside? Or can you be found in the middle of a bustling city centre? Wherever you are, you can read all about hosting Christmas in the countryside (page 8) or how to make the most of a Christmas in the City (page 38). Still looking for more festive content? Check out the Christmas marketing quiz (page 22) to see how well you promote your business at this time of year.

As the new year dawns, it's time to look at your plans for 2022. Maybe you want to improve your customer service (page 33) or assess why you might be getting bad reviews (page 20). Or maybe you need a new online sales strategy? If so, check out our feature 'Understanding OTAs' (page 26) to find out all you need to know about Online Travel Agencies.

I'd also like to introduce a brand new columnist, Lucy Agace, who will be your go to contributor on all things sustainable. Welcome to the LBNB family, Lucy!

A very Merry Christmas to all our readers and a Happy New Year!

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

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NEWS

6

MAKING MORE MONEY AT CHRISTMAS

How to delight your guests with Yvonne Halling

8

COUNTRYSIDE CHRISTMAS

Luxury treehouses in Wales at Squirrel's Nest

18

BETHNAL & BEC

Renovation of the Foaling Box and awards

20 17 REASONS FOR BAD REVIEWS

Stats from a US AirBnB report on top reasons for bad reviews 21

PRODUCT NEWS

22 MARKETING AT CHRISTMAS

Top tips and Christmas marketing quiz 26 UNDERSTANDING OTAs

All you need to know about Online Travel Agencies 33 SERVICE DESIGN

A design process aimed at improving your service 34 OH SO SUSTAINABLE

Lucy Agace's first sustainability column 36 HEAT PUMPS

What is a heat pump?

38 CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY

Abel Heywood, a boutique hotel in Manchester 46 KAREN'S COLUMN

Bethnal & Bec relax@bethnalandbec.com

47 PROPERTIES FOR SALE

Lucy Agace lucy@gogreensustainability. 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.

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48 LBNB EBOOK CHAPTER 5

Recap and checklist 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

50 DIRECTORY

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IN BRIEF || NEWS

Using Bespoke Styling To Deliver B&B Brand Value Contract Furniture Group MD Richard Bellamy discusses how owners and managers can appeal to the needs of increasingly discerning guests.

Claridge's expansion project finished Claridge’s is London’s legendary Mayfair hotel, located a stone’s throw away from royal residences, with a long-standing relationship with royalty, international diplomats and world leaders.

It's essential to Claridge’s that its laundry is equipped to care for luxury garments as well as linen from the hotel. Claridge’s wanted to ensure it could deliver tailored and quality service on-site and extend capacity, as well as providing luxury laundry care for its sister hotels The Connaught and The Berkeley.

The expansion needed a wealth of expertise. Ron Davidson, Claridge’s consultant of 40 years, enlisted a team of specialist architects, contractors, and engineers to tackle the build. Extending two floors above and three floors below, state-of-the art Miele laundry systems were craned down to sub-level 3 during the construction process. Claridge’s had to choose Miele as Ron has worked with the brand throughout his career. Director of Housekeeing, David Cerezo and his team opted for three Benchmark Professional washing machines and three Professional heat pump dryers, installed by Miele Professional Partner First Choice Marshalls (FCM).

Despite disruption from the pandemic, the project took two years to complete; FCM were involved in the planning and design of the new laundry from day one. Potential hurdles were ironed out in the initial meetings as the teams liaised to strategise an efficient and practical laundry system.

However, the project was not without challenges. Problems with 4 || Luxury BnB | December 2021

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ventilation meant amending the original specification to allow for heat pumps. The late addition of WetCare to the laundry meant a change from the original laundry spec from Miele’s PW5105s to 811s.

Of course, installing the laundry at a subterranean level meant that there was an increased concern for health and safety. Additional challenges were faced when soil pipes were installed at a different height than originally planned resulting in the very late addition of plinths, some of which were out of stock in the UK. However, FCM and Miele worked hard to source the necessary materials, and so the problem was resolved.

Once installation was complete, Sam Holden, business account manager at Miele, and Darren Dimmick, Miele field service manager, provided Claridge’s housekeeping staff with a hands-on training session on the new products and how to achieve the best laundry results.

Despite delays, the project was completed to very high standards, giving Claridge’s exactly what it needs to maintain and extend its prestigious reputation. Now health and hygiene are of increased concern, the implementation of Miele products means Claridge’s can assure guests that both personal items and hotel linen is cleaned to the highest hygiene standards.

For more info please contact: claire.james@skoutpr.com

With modern travellers demanding more and more from their overnight experiences, B&Bs must deliver over and above plain décor and drab upholstery. In an age where the concept of brand is key to attracting guests, even independent providers must find a way to create true differentiation in terms of look and feel.

One easy way to achieve this is by having a clear vision of what you’re offering. Are you: clean, functional & low cost with bright colour; or sumptuously luxurious with rich deep shades? Modern or Classic?

Traditional or quirky? Once you’ve decided you need to follow through and bring your vision to every detail of the property – starting with the furniture.

When it comes to pure opulence, deep carver chairs like our Sacher or Sorbet upholstered in smooth velvet, paired with marble effect laminate tops with gold edging and bases, really delivers a decedent dining experience. If you’re going for a creature comforts feel classic semi-upholstered designs such as the Bulldog or Ice Benito in faux leather, complimented with rustic reclaimed solid timber tops polished to match the frames give the perception of homely high-quality.

However you choose to kit out your guest house, be sure to use bespoke pieces that cut through the bland, and deliver on the desire for brand.

Visit: contractfurniture.co.uk/ bespoke-options for more inf0.

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IN BRIEF || NEWS

Insurance Update If the way you operate your hospitality business changes, you need to make sure you discuss this with your insurance provider.

It came as a welcome relief to the UK hospitality industry when the Government lifted Covid restrictions for businesses in July.

With many obstacles still in place for worldwide travel ‘staycations’ is the buzzword, major cities are perhaps still slowly recovering but scenic getaways like Cornwall are taking advantage and thriving.

There are still challenges, getting quality staff is an issue, guests feeling more comfortable self-catering has also seen some guest houses re-think how they operate. Many are starting to introduce self-catering facilities, maybe adding a kitchenette.

This brings up new insurance related issues. If the way you oper-

ate your B&B or guest house changes then you should make sure you discuss this with your insurance provider. Holiday letting instead of standard bed and breakfast is rated completely different as they have their own risks.

How much you insure your buildings for is another current challenge. Insurance is based on the full rebuilding cost of your property in the event of a total loss from insured peril e.g. a fire. According to the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) prices for materials and products in 2021 alone have risen by up to 15% and by as much as 50% for timber, caused by huge demand following Covid lockdowns plus EU

The sky's the limit The world-famous London Sky Pool, spans 17m across the rooftops of two high rise apartment buildings, some 35m in the air, and it’s the topic of a forthcoming seminar at SPATEX 2022.

Wednesday February 2 at 12.30 Devin Consulting will be discussing the crucial role it played in the design and engineering of this jaw-dropping acrylic structure. It’s part of the Embassy Gardens development in London’s Nine Elms for Ballymore EcoWorld, located opposite the new American Embassy building.

It’s just one of almost 40 talks that make up SPATEX 2022’s free-toattend, rich and varied double seminar programme. With two seminars on animal hydrotherapy scheduled for Wednesday February 2 at 13.30 and 14.15. even our furry friends have not been forgotten.

Let’s get technical ISPE (Institute of Swimming Pool Engineers) has once again come up trumps with a comprehensive and dynamic programme of technical workshops. Certificates of attendance & CPD points are available to all who attend the ISPE workshops.

Along with all the familiar, muchloved topics there’s fourteen NEW talks. Other technical seminars www.luxurybnbmag.com

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import issues since Brexit.

Insurance prices are on the increase, partly due to the £1+ billion the industry are paying out to over 40,000 customers from Business Interruption related claims.

Just before and just after Christmas is often a good time to review your insurance needs and make sure you are adequately covered, a month before renewal time is also a good time. Speak to your insurance provider, discuss any required changes, and get that peace of mind you’re still adequately insured.

Credit: Jason Hawkes

include those given by leading industry figures from STA(Swimming Teachers’ Association) on Tuesday and PWTAG (The Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group) on Thursday. As one of the world’s largest swim teaching and lifesaving organisations, STA delivers the highest quality training across four key business areas - Swimming Teaching, Lifesaving, First Aid and Leisure Management.

Keep an eye on the SPATEX website for the double seminar programme which will be available to view soon.

Double Exposure With the welcome return to a live event, and over one hundred companies signed up to participate, many are taking the opportunity to showcase two years’ worth of products. So, expect a bumper load of launches at this, the first international show of 2022.

Last chance saloon A staggering 94% of space is sold!

To book the last few remaining stands, please get in touch with the SPATEX team Michele: michele@spatex.co.uk Helen: helen@spatex.co.uk Meet the team face-to-face The SPATEX team will be at the Holiday Park Innovation Show Wednesday 10 & Thursday 11 November at the NEC, stand 1121.

Give Organiser Michele Bridle (+44 (0)7785 79 33 66) or Helen Mulingani (+44 (0)7899 893 635) a call to discuss your requirements.

Registration is free and open now at www.spatex.co.uk SPATEX 2022 Tuesday February 1 to Thursday February 3, Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry CV6 6GE. Easy to get to – just minutes off Junction 3 of the M6 motorway, it’s less than a two hour drive for 75 per cent of the population and offers 2,000 on-site free car parking spaces.

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IN PROFILE || HOSTING A COSY CHRISTMAS

with Yvonne Halling

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

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/ yvonne_dec21

Making more money at Christmas Delight your guests and solve a problem you have, right now

Between Halloween and Christmas Eve is what retailers refer to as the “buying season” (sometimes known as the silly season) when everyone is looking for gift ideas, with purses open, ready to spend on their loved ones.

Did you know that Christmas is typically the largest economic stimulus for many nations around the world?

That’s when sales increase dramatically in almost all retail areas.

Despite the many concerns consumers had as a result of the pandemic, in the USA, sales reached about $750 billion during the 2020 festive season giftbuying spree.

Simply put – people spend more money in the run up to Christmas, than at any other time in the year, by miles!

And this might surprise you, it’s a huge opportunity for you, too. Plus, you’ll be seen as a lifesaver to your discerning guests. Here’s how...

You might think that because you run a B&B, guest house or self catering establishment you just sell rooms and maybe meals - but nothing could be further from the truth.

I’m willing to bet that you actually “sell” other things, even if you’re currently giving them away. (I’ve been in this industry for 25 years and I see this around the world.)

Typical items that B&B owners sell (or often give away) include things such as toiletries, cosmetics, handicrafts, mugs, aprons, local art work, local photography, books by local authors, even your own cookbook. And I’m sure you can think of some more.

What this means is that you too have the ability to take advantage of the

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“silly season” and stop trying so hard to sell rooms to a public that is otherwise engaged in serious spending on gifts.

Plus, think how hard it can be these days to find interesting gifts that genuinely delight your loved ones.

Your previous guests are going through that right now when they struggle to think of what to buy people on their Christmas list.

So to be a lifesaver for them and make yourself a nice windfall of yearend revenue, let’s look at things a bit differently. Put yourself in alignment with what your past guests are currently looking for, and it’s probably not your main product – rooms - at the moment, that is.

So how do you sell these items when guests aren’t staying?

Simple!

You set up an online shop! (And trust me, it’s actually very simple. I’ve been helping B&B owners around the world do this for years now. They get great results and they love it! Of course, so do their guests, who are now also their online gift customers.)

In my world, an online shop is a fundamental pillar to the success of your business, because as the past couple of years have shown us, guests can’t always come and stay. And so to avoid you stressing, struggling or even going out of business, should it ever happen again (God forbid) then you’re really going to want a back up plan.

Setting up an online shop is way easier that you might think, and if you can create a Word document, add text and images, you can do this on your website, provided you’ve got admin

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access to your website (which I strongly recommend anyway - and help B&B owners do all the time).

Paypal is now a highly trusted payment method, and they will take payments for you, and deposit the money into your bank account when a purchase is made. So once you’ve set it up, you can sit back and relax and watch the orders come in, ready to fulfil on them.

Of course, everything needs marketing, so I’m not suggesting that you do nothing! The good news is, this marketing is much simpler and easier than you’d imagine, and it’s fun and highly profitable. So that’s a win-win for you and your guests/customers!

Here’s how...

Start with a marketing campaign to your list of past guests, alongside your social media posting campaign, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what happens.

After all, Christmas and the festive season for everyone is a time of goodwill, and your guests want to support you if you could just give them the opportunity to buy from you, even

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if they’re not coming to stay.

And by the way, following this Christmas gift strategy is a wonderful way to keep in touch with your past guests, reminding them to come stay with you again as soon as possible.

Don’t let them down. If you feel you’d like help with getting great results quickly from this strategy, I’m running the latest of my special 5-Day Christmas Cash Booster Workshops, starting on the 29th November. Previous participants have been thrilled with how well it worked for them - and how much they enjoyed it.

To find out more - including the exciting special festive bonuses that will boost your business all year long (with no extra effort), Go to this link to find out more: https://bit.ly/RapidXMASCashLBBM (Of course, the elves are eager and won’t wait long!)

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

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Squirrel's Nest Glamping...

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IN PROFILE || SQUIRREL'S NEST

Explore the luxury treehouses that provide the ultimate countryside Christmas. We catch up with Squirrel’s Nest to learn how they turn their secluded Welsh getaway into a cosy winter wonderland By

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Juliet Horner December 2021 || Luxury BnB || 9

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IN PROFILE || SQUIRREL'S NEST

I

t’s safe to say that Christmas has certainly crept up on us.

Before we know it, it will be two years since we went into the first national lockdown.

Fingers crossed, this Christmas will be a bit more ‘normal’ than last year's festive period.

So how can you, as a business owner, make it special for the guests that choose to stay with you over Christmas?

We spoke to the Director of Squirrel’s Nest, Laura Lewis, to discover how they are going to provide a special countryside Christmas for their guests this year. For those who want to learn more about running a hospitality business in a city over Christmas, check out our feature with Abel Heywood on page 38.

Squirrel’s Nest is a family-run business that can be found on a working farm in Wales and is home to three luxury treehouses surrounded by nature. Anyone booking to stay here can expect a tranquil and relaxing getaway.

“I can see how being in the city would be appealing, because you’ve got the Christmas markets and everything else,” said Laura.

“But here, it’s very quiet and the treehouses look beautiful at Christmas. It’s quite romantic being out in the countryside.”

Typically, Laura’s team carry out changeovers every two days, but over Christmas she makes sure that their staff get a well earned break over the festive period.

“We usually do checkouts after Boxing Day so that all of our cleaning staff can enjoy their Christmas too,” said Laura.

“People usually stay for one or two nights but it’s a bit longer over Christmas so we can all have a bit of a break.”

In the run up to Christmas, Laura shares her festive plans. “We haven’t got any experiences planned,” said Laura.

“For us, it’s more about the add ons that we provide. For example, we’ve just introduced Winter Hampers and everything in them is Welsh.

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IN PROFILE || SQUIRREL'S NEST

Cadwollen's Treehouse

URLs squirrels-nest.co.uk thewanderlist.uk SOCIAL MEDIA FB: @squirrelsnesttreehouses IN: @squirrelsnest_ Pinterest: @squirrelsnesttreehouses

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >>

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IN PROFILE || SQUIRREL'S NEST

Prince Llywelyn Treehouse

“There will be hot chocolate, a bottle of mulled wine, toffee waffles, and a bottle of Merlyn, which is a Welsh cream liqueur. Because it’s a winter hamper, it’s already quite Christmassy.”

The winter hampers are a seasonal add on that guests can purchase separately on the Squirrel’s Nest website. Laura and her team

Prince Llywelyn Treehouse

"Winter hampers are always great additions for the Christmas period." provide a number of hamper options for different occasions, but it’s an easy way that you can add value to a stay and improve your guest experience.

“It’s hard because normally I’m super last minute but I’m trying to be more organised this year,” said Laura, laughing.

“We have considered doing a complimentary Christmas Day hamper for the guests that stay over the actual Christmas period.

But we’re still working that one out because everybody has a different idea about the perfect Christmas dinner!”

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If you fancy trying to create your own winter hampers for the upcoming festive season, Laura has plenty of experience and advice to help get you started.

“Always try to shop local and try to purchase from small businesses,” she said.

Guests will appreciate the authenticity of the hamper more if the products you provide are locally sourced.

“You also have to remember that everyone is different, so keep it classy and simple, and that goes for decorations too, not just the hampers.”

Treehouses Trawscwm Treehouse (Pronounced Traw-scoom) Cadwollen’s Treehouse Prince Llywelyn (Pronounced Luh-well-in)

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sents in on Christmas day. I mean, I’m sure the parents have already got that covered, but it’s definitely something that could add a bit of Christmas fun.”

If you read our October issue, you’ll have picked up some handy top tips for Christmas decorations from Clark Bearman, a professional Christmas decorator. If you missed it, check it out online: luxurybnbmag.com/decoration_ prep_xmas

IN PROFILE || SQUIRREL'S NEST

Laura and her team also leave little wooden advent calendars in each of the treehouses in the lead up to Christmas.

“We leave chocolates in the wooden calendars for the guests. So if two people stay for two nights, we put two chocolates in for each day that they are here.”

But Laura doesn’t limit her Christmas preparation to edible treats. “We often have families come to stay in the bigger treehouses, so it’s nice to do something for the kids,” said Laura.

“We have children’s books in the treehouses all year round, but we’re looking to get some lovely Christmas storybooks that we can leave in there over December.”

She added: “We’ve also thought about providing Christmas sacks that the parents can use to put pre-

Trawscwm Treehouse

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IN PROFILE || SQUIRREL'S NEST

Cadwollen's Treehouse

Trawscwm Treehouse

Laura's Top Tips for the festive season 1. Keep decorations classic and simple 2. Make the most of fairy lights to decorate external areas 3. Buy from local and small businesses if you provide hampers or other little touches 4. Use natural elements to create your own wreaths 5. Any books on display?

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a couple of years ago that I’ll put around the site.

“I definitely think it’s worth investing in some nicer pieces that can be placed around the grounds and not just plonked inside the treehouses.”

Despite fairy lights being a beautiful and cost effective way to decorate your property at Christmas, Laura doesn’t forget to add her own personal touch.

“I normally make some Christmas wreaths to put on the treehouses too,” she said.

“I tend to just use natural things that I find around the farm to make them and then we hang them up around the treehouses and it gives it a nice Christmassy feel.”

She added: “We’re also doing a collaboration with a local florist who is going to make us a lovely

IN PROFILE || SQUIRREL'S NEST

One of his top tips was to use lots of fairy lights around the exterior of your property, which is exactly what Laura and her team do at Squirrel’s Nest.

“We use lots of lights to decorate the treehouses,” said Laura.

“So in the Prince Llywelyn treehouse last year, for example, we put lots of fairy lights outside around the balconies and on the trees. It looked really Christmassy and it was lovely.

“Fairy lights just make everything much cosier and more attractive. It makes everything very instagrammable too.”

She added: “This year, I want to put more fairy lights up around the site itself, not just the treehouses.

“I’m thinking of putting them around the car park and along the paths. We did buy some reindeers

"Natural materials are brilliant for creating your own decorations."

Prince Llywelyn Treehouse

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IN PROFILE || SQUIRREL'S NEST

garland for the long dining table in the Prince Llywelyn treehouse.”

Laura explained that it's important not to go overboard with the decorations to ensure you don’t put people off.

“Everyone has a different style when it comes to decorations so it’s best to keep things simple and classic,” said Laura.

“You could go all out with tinsel and chains and everything else on your Christmas trees, but we try to stick to lights and some nice baubles so it appeals to everyone.”

"Keep decorations simple and classic."

She added: “Christmas has really crept up on us this year, but it’s just about planning, and for us it’s making sure we create that cosy, winter vibe. It’s the little touches that count. That’s what people will remember and appreciate.”

A Family Business...

Squirrel’s Nest is part of a 130-acre working family farm in mid-Wales.

Laura, her husband John and their young children are the beating heart of both the farm and their luxury, remote treehouses.

The farm was previously run by John’s late father who started farming in 1966. Welsh Ewes continue to graze around the farm and are the farmyard neighbours of the guests who stay in the treehouses.

John is a carpenter by trade and spends his time working on local projects and helping on the farm.

Laura is the Director and Marketing Manager for Squirrel’s Nest and also recently established an online directory called The Wanderlist where potential guests can find luxury accommodation.

Prince Llywelyn Treehouse

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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/chrisfoalingbox OR luxurybnbmag. com/vickyawards

Renovation: What we learnt the hard way when launching the Foaling Box

On October 1st we welcomed guests to our 3rd luxury accommodation, exactly 4 years after we opened and welcomed guests to our first 2 retreats.

What this rather innocuous opening sentence doesn’t convey is the absolute hell that the building process was, and the fact that our guests had to wait in the pub until 8pm as we were literally still finishing the building, and missed their scheduled checkin time by a few hours. Not the worst place to have to wait, but not what they had paid for.

For those readers who are either embarking on a major renovation or new build, (or those who are thinking about it) I am going to give some advice which we learned the hard, hard, hard way.

My #1 piece of advice is that no matter what, do not open up for bookings until your building work is 100% finished, even if this means you think you may miss out on a few weeks of business - it’s just not worth it, financially or emotionally.

Based on our builders estimates of completion date we gave ourselves a good 6-8 weeks leeway before we opened up our calendar for bookings. This time would be for snagging, testing, soft launch etc.

However, covid + supply issues + dodgy builders = a highly unpleasant process and a scramble to welcome our first booked guests to a lovely property.

But it was not 100% perfect as it should have been, and indeed 5 weeks later we are still having to get tradesmen in during the 5 hours we have between guests as we are fully booked every day for the first 2 months of opening!

In hindsight we wouldn’t have opened bookings until we were completely happy with a finished product. Even financially this may have been better, as we ended up paying for additional labour to try and make our open date as well as paying more for supplies that could be delivered or sourced quickly.

Not to mention that we sometimes had to compromise on what we really wanted due to time constraints.

Emotionally, how our marriage survived the stress is unknown.

I was often doing the finishing touches and decorating, which was in the builder’s contract, at 2 or 3am, as we just knew the builders simply would not be able to complete it in time.

We are going to practice what we preach, as

The Foaling Box - BEFORE

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A column for owners, by owners

www.luxurybnbmag.com

23/11/2021 09:33

Vicky As rewarding as it can be to run your own business, it is always nice to have your Peers and industry recognise that hard work.

That said, I think it is important to be careful about what awards you enter, the validity of them (and the cost!)

When we first opened I entered every award going! I felt that it gave our new business credence and would help with marketing. When I look back at the time spent on applications, the costs involved of both entry and awards dinners - I definitely have a different approach now! I have decided there are certain fields that I would like our business to be awarded for - firstly our Sustainability commitment and secondly the unique business that we are. That way I can also leverage from any finalist or winner positions in those fields and pull it through to my PR and journalist contacts, reinforcing what I'm already saying and doing.

This year we have entered 2 business awards: SME Awards and The National Recycling Awards. We won both awards at the SME's: Sustainability Award and Business Hero (we offered our accommodation for free for 4 www.luxurybnbmag.com

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CONTRIBUTOR || BETHNAL & BEC

we have another property to renovate.

This time it’s remote to our own home in Felixstowe Ferry, and our first ever family friendly place by the sea. So even though this property may be very seasonal and we could miss out on the summer business by not opening up bookings before the estimated completion, we are simply not going to do it.

Bookings will only open when we are 100% satisfied with the project, when we have spent time in it ourselves and we have had a soft launch of guests to ensure any snagging is complete.

I think if you’re creating a great place, then even at short notice you will get bookings once you open up, especially if this is in the school holidays.

By doing this we are hoping that the next renovation will be a somewhat less painful experience, mentally, physically, emotionally and financially…...plus our marriage should be stronger!

The Foaling Box - AFTER Credit: Binky Nixon

The Foaling Box - AFTER Credit: Binky Nixon

Choosing which awards to enter and writing your own press releases months to anyone needing respite from Domestic Abuse during lockdown). Last night we were finalists in Recycling Excellence at the National Recycling Awards.

After the (nearly) 2 years our industry has had, it really has rallied our spirits to be recognised for what we have done, and what we do, and I'm busy now writing press releases to share the news and far and wide!

We write our own press releases

as we've not had great experiences with PR agencies in doing it for us! Writing a press release is very easy, but many businesses think they can't do it themselves. No one but you can get the emotions and passion for what you do over to a journalist better than you!

We'll be entering Luxury BnB awards too - always enjoy being amongst and be judged against our direct peers. Will you be entering too?

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17

Reasons for Bad Reviews

Luxury BnB Spoke to Ryan from BNB Facts about their report: 17 Reasons for Bad Reviews on Airbnb. The stats from this research report are for the US market and on the Airbnb platform. However we feel this is still relevant to the UK market and non-airbnb bookings. Using Airbnb in the US gave Ryan a larger pool of data to work with. w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/17-reasons

How BnB Facts produced the report

Ryan from BNB Facts is a data scientist who crunches millions of pieces of data from Airbnb to draw conclusions. He looked at millions of bad reviews, categorised them and produced a list of issues that are most likely to produce bad reviews. The idea being - avoid these, avoid bad reviews.

Tip:

1. Broken items 2. Unsafe neighborhood 3. Inaccurate amenities (amenities listed were missing or not as described) Consider what 4. Dirty information you can 5. Bathroom (including missing or inadequate towels and/or toilet paper) add to your website 6. Uncomfortable furniture OR welcome 7. Loud noises (from parties or neighbors) instructions. OR go 8. Front door (including issues with key/lock or gaining access) the extra mile and 9. Check in (including issues or miscommunications at check in) produce an app 10. Poor Interaction with the Host from companies 11. Bed (including mattress, pillows, or blanket) such as vamoos.com 12. Smell (for example mold or garbage) 13. Host late to respond to guest requests before, during and after the stay.

14. Room temperature (too hot or too cold) 15. Shower (water pressure, temperature or drain) 16. Kitchen (inadequate kitchen e.g. not enough dishes, cooking essentials, etc.)

17. Parking (parking is far or difficult)

Our view:

For more information on this, please read the LBNB ebook: Getting Started in Holiday Rentals 1.

Keep communication with your guests regular and consistent.

• Prior to arrival, email them reminders and recommendations.

• Day of arrival - check they have your contact info and welcome them to your property • After checkout, ask for reviews and comments.

• Consider offering incentives to re-book directly or stay connected with you via eNewsletter or social media.

2.

Communicate with your guests in the way they prefer - it’s never ‘one tool fits all’.

Be it, email, telephone, social or whatsapp 3.

Maintain a consistent guest experience. Repeat guests will be measuring their stay against

the first time - it needs to be the same or better. Guests will also be reading and comparing

their stay against reviews and social media posts.

4.

Be friendly and show your personality. People are less likely to complain publicly if they can

put a face to the property. Also encourage direct feedback on the smaller issues. As property

managers we all want to know about the dripping tap but does TripAdvisor?

5.

Buy a nice notebook and encourage comments 6.

Welcome instructions / Pack. Produce a folder with all the instructions and local

information. The issue with manual / paper based welcome packs is that they go out of date.

A link to the Bus timetable / tide tables is far more relevant than a paper-based version.

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IMAGE (Top Left): Creator: MaxPixel's contributors | Credit: https://www.maxpixel.net/photo-3683068 | Copyright by MaxPixel

17 Reasons for bad reviews:

www.luxurybnbmag.com

23/11/2021 12:03

Product News

MMS Mobile Signal Solutions 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

Laundry: Turn Down the Temperature to Turn Up Results New Ariel Professional liquid detergent and allin-one pods have been designed to provide businesses with fantastic laundry results with temperatures as low as 30°C. The range of new Ariel professional products, which also includes a liquid colour protect option, contains a variety of technologies specifically designed to deliver outstanding cleaning and stain removal at lower temperatures. The new Ariel Liquid also contains a new whiteness booster technology which makes it perfect for washing your white items, helping make them whiter and brighter for longer. To experience the brilliant cleaning credentials of the new Ariel Professional range go to allianceonline.co.uk and order now.

www.luxurybnbmag.com

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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.

Wake Up to the Smell of Melitta® Filter Coffee and its Aromaboy® Small in size but big at preparing delicious coffee for twocup pleasure, the Melitta®Aromaboy® champions a classic compact design with its period retro appearance.

Ideal for holiday home lettings, this iconic filter coffee maker is very much an energy saving appliance. Complete with a practical and illuminated auto-off function which turns the machine off when not in use, the Aromaboy® runs on an energy-saving 500 watts making it economical in electricity consumption. The space saving machine also comes with a transparent water container and a dishwasher proof glass jug with filter. Melitta® Aromaboy® is available in black, white and beige/brown priced £34.99. For trade enquires please contact us on: 0844 800 8055 | epeinternational.com | sally@epeinternational.com

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CONTRIBUTOR || CLARE BUSHBY

5 Top Tips for Marketing at Xmas

By Clare Bushby Managing Director of Clockwork Marketing

T

he Summer staycation is over and so too is the bounce back boom.

But fear not, Christmas needn’t be quieter.

Following two Festive breaks where quality time with friends and family was disrupted, this Christmas is your chance to capture new guests wanting to reconnect.

There are a number of marketing tips that you can use to link into guests’ emotional needs at Christmas to help boost your bookings.

Call: 01803 872999 URL: www.clock-work.co.uk

#1 #3 Seasonal Photography Promote Local Events We are constantly amazed that hospitality providers spend a fortune upgrading their accommodation but then don’t spend enough on good photography or video.

Often your first point of contact is via your website and you want to show off your accommodation to its very best.

Investing in a professional photographer could make a massive difference to your bottom line.

For those that can afford to, investing in some seasonal photography for winter and Christmas and the rest of the year can be invaluable.

Scenes of your B&B in the snow, warming log fires or nicely decorated for Christmas will make you stand out from the crowd and play to guests’ nostalgia for the season of good will.

#2 Quality Time Together Many people will want to celebrate together with a break away. A cottage B&B is the perfect getaway where people can keep themselves to themselves.

Spending some quality time away together at Christmas to make it a special occasion is a marketing campaign you could promote.

Alternatively, a break away from the family after all spending so much time together could provide a more humorous campaign.

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People will often look beyond the accommodation to what else there is to do in the area.

Make the most of what’s going on in your local area. Research the best Christmas markets and candle-lit carol services etc and promote these alongside your accommodation to attract new guests.

#4

Experiences and Packages If you’re prepared to go the extra mile, then making their lives easier is always a great way to boost bookings.

Package your accommodation with Christmas experiences that they don’t have to search for and book separately, e.g. Christmas wreath-making or candle-dipping. It adds value and will provide guests with a talking point, post visit.

#5

Target High-Paying Guests Many of your guests will go away for a short break more than twice a year. If you’re able to analyse your booking system data, find those that stayed with you in the Summer. Target these guests that have been happy to pay a higher rate in the Summer with an out-of-season Christmas break.

www.luxurybnbmag.com

23/11/2021 12:05

CONTRIBUTOR || CLARE BUSHBY

Bio: Clare Bushby MIH (Member of the Institute of Hospitality) has spent her entire working life in the hospitality sector. She began in independent hotels, exploring a variety of roles leading to hotel management and creating the marketing department for 120 room, four-star, Blunsdon House. This long experience provided a deep understanding of the sector and the challenges hoteliers can face. With an ambition to have her own business, Clare launched Clockwork Marketing in 1992, providing digital marketing services, branding and design, websites and gift vouchers to hospitality businesses across the UK. w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/xmas-marketing-quiz

Christmas Marketing Quiz - How effective is your marketing?

3pts.

Send monthly marketing emails to your past guests/subscribers

5pts.

Have a plan to stay top of Google search

3pts.

Use reels and retargeting on your Instagram

1pts.

Promote local events and destinations on your website

5pts.

Have a clear understanding of your target audience

1pt.

Create seasonal content on your website

5pts.

Track direct bookings with Google Analytics

10pts.

Have a website that works on mobiles

3pts.

Have a rate plan that reflects the seasons

3pts.

Have an easy-to-use content management system for your website

3pts.

Track your weekly occupancy

3pts.

Post different content to each social channel

How did you score...?

1 - 10:

11 - 20:

21 - 35:

36 - 45:

Oh-no…

Better than some...

Good work!

Marketing Guru!

You need to focus on the basics.

Start small and get an action plan in place.

You need to level up.

Try and implement a couple of the ideas above to help improve your marketing strategy.

You’re on the right track, but you still need a push... What are you missing that will make you a marketing champ?

Well done! Don't lose your momentum.

Marketing is continuous so keep your eye on the prize.

www.luxurybnbmag.com

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23/11/2021 09:38

UOTA

NDERSTANDING

S

with Luxury BnB...

All you need to know about Online Travel Agents.

Discover the pros, cons, tools and tips for using OTAs to promote your hospitality business.

By

w READ ONLINE & SHARE >>

luxurybnbmag.com/ understanding_otas

Dominic Johnson

O

TAs are largely web-based marketplaces used by guests to find places to stay. They can be niche (e.g. for dog owners) or broad (like booking.com). They can contain travel information, flights and car hire OR they can just list accommodation.

OTAs can have huge marketing budgets and will potentially give you instant access to millions of new customers, from all over the globe. Sites like booking.com and expedia are now hugely successful, profitable companies taking millions of bookings per year.

The aim is that guests can book with confidence using a well known platform they trust.

OTAs are now a necessity for running a successful BnB or holiday rental business.

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23/11/2021 12:10

Commission: OTAs like booking.com tend to have zero setup costs, so you can “dip your toe” without too much of an initial outlay. Commission on bookings is varied, between 6% - 30%.

Annual Fees: Often called Directories (e.g. bedandbreakfastnationwide.com) tend to have annual costs (typically between £199 - £900) and sometimes a setup fee. Directories often link to your own website (direct booking) to fulfil the payment and booking.

Since the booking is made with your property directly, you have complete control of booking, payment and cancellation policies.

Commission Based Websites

Annual Fee Websites

Usually £0 setup fees.

Usually charge an annual fee with no bookings fees to owners

Commission on bookings: 6% - 30%.

May charge a small processing fee but normally link to an external site to take the booking.

The booking is made bewteen the OTA and the guest and so the OTA have control over booking and cancellation policy.

Since the booking is often taken on your own website, you have full control over policies

Since they only make money when guests book, priority is given to the properties making the OTA the most money. Your property can be demoted in the search results if you fail to attract enough bookings.

You are paying to advertise and so your site’s visibility will remain constant.

Tend to be more about volume and size and are more generic.

Some OTA's have separate sites for niches, e.g. Hotels.com is owned by expedia.com

Often serving a niche.

IN PROFILE || UNDERSTANDING OTAS

How do OTAs charge?

Advantages of Listing on an OTA: • • • • • • • • • • •

The booking contract is between the OTA and the guest. The guest is reassured that their booking is safe.

Simple, quick and cheap way to list your properties to a world-wide audience.

No need to spend up-front on your own website or online marketing. OTAs invest in marketing and advertising.

OTAs are well known and popular with customers who like to compare accommodation costs and the services offered by individual providers.

OTAs can have huge development budgets developing fantastic user-friendly features. E.G. One-click booking and payment, translation tools and booking management.

OTAs will have tools to encourage visitors to leave more reviews.

Billboard effect (SEE CALL OUT): OTA’s Impact on quantity of Non-OTA Reservations Access to rich tools, analytics and insights OTAs offer many different ways to pay and always ensure payment.

You will get some guest verification with a booking from the OTA. Some OTAs have excellent connections to google search results.

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IN PROFILE || UNDERSTANDING OTAS

Disadvantages of OTAs: • • • • • • •

OTAs charge commission on every sale and can be an expensive option - between 6-30 %.

Price parity - Once a price has been set on an OTA, they are often not allowed to compete with that price by listing it at a lower rate on their own website.

You need to adhere to the OTA’s booking and cancellation policies - which might be different to your own.

Some OTA’s restrict the amount of customer information you receive. This is designed to reduce the possibility of you marketing directly to that customer next time they want to book.

There can be a shift in the relationship between you and the guest as some customers have strong brand loyalty to the OTA. This may result in guests treating your place with less care and consideration as it’s considered a faceless place online.

You may need to find a way of managing room availability across a range of OTAs, your own website, front desk and telephone sales. This can be time consuming and labour intensive. There are software options to help you manage this - e.g. SiteMinders Channel Manager.

Using OTAs does not reduce the need to have your own website with a booking engine. OTA’s should be used as a part of your digital marketing and not the only source of online bookings. You may still need to invest in a balanced multi-channel marketing strategy.

What is the Billboard Effect?

Properties that are listed on third-party OTA websites, gain a reservation benefit in addition to sales via the OTA. I.e. having your site listed on an OTA can also increase reservations via other channels - e.g. your own website. This is potential because customers first discover you on an OTA, are re-assured and then go on to book directly.

In a Cornell University experiment, a group of hotels was listed and then removed from Expedia.com in alternate weeks. This test found that, compared to being hidden, being listed on Expedia increased reservations from 9% to 26% (above transactions that occurred at Expedia).

Another study also found that around 75% of consumers who made a reservation with a major hotel brand had visited an OTA before booking directly with the hotel.

Tips to make the most of the Billboard effect: 1. Select well known or respected OTAs 2. Make the direct booking process as fast and as easy as possible. As close to that of the OTA as possible. Guests will give up and book via the OTA if they hit a sticky patch in the booking process.

3. Offer multiple ways to pay. For example it the OTA offers credit card processing, you need to offer it.

4. Compare the booking deposit of your direct site with that of the OTA. Guests will select the smaller deposit 5. Stay in touch with the guests before their arrival. You need them to feel as loved with the direct booking as they do with the OTA. - Source: Expedia Group

Your OTA strategy

OTAs should be a part of your room-booking strategy but be careful not to become overreliant. You should continue to work on your own website, social media and other techniques to encourage direct bookings.

WARNING: You might think of using OTAs to attract guests during less popular weeks. This is a good strategy as it is often easy to attract guests during peak weeks. However OTAs might see a drop in bookings for these weeks and drop your listing in the search results.

View from freeonlinebooking.com "OTAs provide a very easy way for accommodation businesses to fill their rooms. As this can prove a very expensive way to get bookings, freeonlinebooking.com recommends that you develop a book direct strategy and use OTAs to fill in the gaps rather than as your primary source of bookings. You will need to ensure that your website and online booking service looks good, is easy to use and is well ranked in search engines. You will need to give customers reasons to book direct with you. You will need to communicate with your customers frequently with marketing emails, TXT messages and social media.

You will need to educate guests on why they should be booking direct with you. With just a few changes to the way you operate your business, you should be able to significantly increase your profitability by minimising high commission bookings."

- Nick Hill, Managing Director of freeonlinebooking.com

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• • • •

OTAs come in all shapes and sizes from giant, billion-dollar companies, to tiny, niche and personalised websites. There are also lots of them - we have listed 86 UK based OTAs on our website.

With a good channel management system, you can set up and post on many OTAs at once, so there is an argument for letting the guests decide which OTA you should work with. You could then narrow down the list by removing the OTAs that are not working for you.

A targeted and well considered list will focus your efforts and build up your knowledge and relationship with a few rather than many.

We recommend a list of 3-10 OTAs. Within that, I would select a combination of large genertic OTAs and specific niche websites. Example: Booking.com, Home & Away, Sykes, Dog Friendly

IN PROFILE || UNDERSTANDING OTAS

Tips for selecting the right OTAs & Directories:

OTAs: View from The B&B Association "Online travel agencies (OTAs) can be a great marketing tool for B&B owners and hoteliers, but we advise managing the relationship carefully” says David Weston of the Bed & Breakfast Association. The B&B Association has lobbied hard for fair treatment of small businesses by the two giant global OTAs, since filing five formal complaints with the competition watchdog (CMA) in 2017. The Association advises accommodation owners: • • • • • • •

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: go for a balanced distribution model using more than one OTA and also of course maximising your direct bookings Regularly do searches for your property as is you were a prospective guest, and see how you are presented in search results, and where your own website comes Charge a deposit on booking – or if you do not, prepare for hugely higher cancellations and noshows Keep tight control of your cancellation policy to protect your business from late cancellations and “no-shows” Use technology to keep “ownership” of your relationship with your guests – eg online check-in, loyalty offers, upgrade offers etc.

Build an email database of guests and keep them informed of your direct offers and prices Make the most of social media to communicate with your guests.

For more detail, see: www.bandbassociation.org - From David Weston, Chairman of the B and B Association

Who does the OTA appeal to?

Many OTAs target specific audiences, like dog owners or water sport enthusiasts. Others might target a specific region.

Consider your target audience refer to Chapter 1 of the Luxury BnB Ebook: Getting Started in Holiday Rentals. Once you have decided on your target market, consider which OTAs would appeal to that market.

We have listed some of the target markets on our website. Each OTA should detail their audience or you can contact them directly for more information before signing up. www.luxurybnbmag.com

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Look at which OTAs your local competition is using. Look at pricing and whether you feel your site would sit nicely alongside - how do you think you would appear in the search results?

For example, some OTAs display prices at the front and centre of the search results. This is an advantage for the cheaper places but you might feel it would create a disadvantage.

Create a list of target OTAs along with some kind of ranking.

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IN PROFILE || UNDERSTANDING OTAS

What is the Booking & Cancellation Policy: guest experience Things to Consider do you book out rooms - what is your minimum booking term on your chosen • How and change-over days?

OTA? • How do the OTA’ verify their guests?

What do you think of their website and customer journey to booking? Try to dream up a holiday and follow the booking process to see how easy it is or whether there are any complications. Would this work for your audience?

What search features are there?

How would people find your property? In addition to the guest experience, what features are available to partners? What support is on offer - email only or telephone?

• • •

You might not accept bookings from single-sex parties, dog owners or chidren - is this possible with the OTA? Can you use these constraints to select which OTA to work with?

How does your cancellation policy match up with the OTAs? How do your payment terms match up the OTAs?

Package your rooms...

Can you combine your property with other travel products - other properties in different areas, flights, events, local restaurants?

Guests can use an OTA to design their entire holiday. Can you think of a way to capitalize on this?

Start listing / Sign-up on an OTA...

#1

Complete the signup form • • • •

Property address Property type (hotel, vacation home, apartment, etc.)

Number of individual spaces that can be booked at each property Contact details for ongoing correspondence

#2 Verify your account • •

Agree to the terms & conditions You will need any tax and regulatory information ready if required by your local government

#3 Create your listing Enter all the details that travellers will want to know about your rooms, grounds and facilities • Details about rooms—layout, bed size, etc.

• A list of available amenities—from Wi-Fi to swimming pools • Rates by type of room • Pictures of rooms, common spaces and amenities • A list of fees, deposits and policies • The dates you’re available to welcome guests

#4 Correspondence You have now potentially opened up bookings from all around the world, 24/7.

How can you handle these booking requests quickly and without too much interruption to your day? Consider installing the OTAs app on your phone? Ensure your email system is reliable.

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IN PROFILE || UNDERSTANDING OTAS

Top Tips for creating an OTA listing from Laura Lewis, Director of The Wanderlist: Photographs Good quality photographs taken by a professional that showcase the property. My advice would be that if taking any outside shots to schedule a spring/summer shoot so that the property looks bright and fresh. Everything looks that much

Instant Booking Having a website allows users to browse and book without having to contact the owner. People book on the 'spare of the moment' and don't necessarily like waiting for a response. Make it easier for them by having your own website.

Sync Calendars To be able to sync property calendars with an Online Directory, owners will need to send the ical for each property they wish to advertise and almost every booking system has the ability to export one. This allows users to identify availability and avoid any unnecessary enquiries.

Extras Offer those 'extra's' whether that be hampers, treatments, homemade cake, bread to make them stand out. People may also be booking on what is in your surrounding area, if they know about a particularly wonderful wild swimming spot or a fantastic hike, share this as it may put them on the map.

- From Laura Lewis, Director of Squirrel's Nest and The Wanderlist The Wanderlist is an online directory. Visit thewanderlist.uk for more info

Managing OTAs: Syncing the diary You’ve decided on which OTAs to work with, set up your profile and you are now accepting bookings. So how do you keep the booking diaries for the various OTAs synched with your website and other booking calendars?

Manually: This might be possible if you are just running 1 or 2 OTAs alongside your own website but virtually unmanageable with many more than that. It would take hours and mistakes are sure to creep in.

Many OTAs have the feature to synchronise the booking calendar with a Google calendar using iCal. This is a little complex to set up and involves creating multiple Google Calendars for each room. The other issue with this method is the way OTAs treat the

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end date. Some consider a date as just the night, so a booking from 1st - 2nd would be considered a 2 night booking on some OTAs and a 1 night booking on others. Make sure you check this when signing up and syncing calendars.

The advantage with this system is that it’s free. It’s “good enough” if you only have 1 property and only use a few OTAs. It also allows you to use the Google Calendar as a master booking calendar which can be shared out with others - e.g. Cleaners and Maintenance people.

However for a more comprehensive setup and more control, we’d recommend using a Channel Manager.

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IN PROFILE || UNDERSTANDING OTAS

What is a channel manager?

A channel manager (like Siteminder.com) is web based software that distributes and manages your property to multiple OTAs. The core features are listing, diary and pricing management, but many OTAs offer website builders and marketing tools.

They allow you to manage your booking from a single place, quickly, with far fewer opportunities for errors and possible overbookings.

The only disadvantage of using a Channel manager is the cost, which needs to be weighed up against the huge time and error saving advantages.

See also: Dynamic Revenue pricing software

Example:

All of your platforms in one place.

Channel Manager OTA #1: Expedia

OTA #2: Booking.com

Your Website

Tools to help with your strategy: • • • •

OTA websites Property Owners forums on social media Reviews on uk.trustpilot.com B&B Associations

Tips for encouraging more direct bookings from repeat customers It’s very important that you don’t become over reliant on OTAs. You can potentially keep more of the booking fee with a direct booking. Many successful accommodation providers use OTAs to attract new customers and then encourage them to book directly next time.

• • • • • • •

Create the connection. Connect with the guests so they see your property as more than a listing on an OTA Consider ways to keep them connected to your business, e.g. eNewsletters or Social media Ensure your website is solid - it can’t be as feature rich as an OTAs but it must be easy to find and easy to book.

Look at your property on search engines. Too many property websites sit below the OTA’s website listing your property. We have covered search engine optimisation in the magazine before but the advice tends to be unique to your property.

To help with this you might need a google expert - Please contact us at Luxury BnB Magazine for more information.

Look at your ‘Google My Business page’ and ensure your direct booking link is listed as the website.

Consider using Google Advertising to place your business above that of the OTA

OTAs: A view from Little Hotelier “In addition to the most popular OTAs such as Booking.com and Expedia, some of the biggest revenue drivers for our customers include Airbnb, Mr and Mrs Smith for the upper end of the market, and Hostelworld for budget options," said Harini Boppana, Product Director of Little Hotelier.

“There’s also a whole host of niche channels performing strongly for specific property types. These include Pitchup.com (for camping and glamping), and i-escape and Off Peak Luxury for high average daily rate (ADR) accommodation.

Alongside these, there’s growth in platforms such as Staylists and Tourism Exchange Great Britain (TXGB), which quickly and easily connect small accommodation providers with destination marketing organisations (DMOs).” For more detail, see: www.littlehotelier.com

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23/11/2021 12:10

SERVICE DESIGN

with David Worthington

David is a life-long designer, chairman of an international brand consultancy and trustee of various cultural organisations.

Outside of design his main interest is boats – an theme you may see creeping into future columns!

IN: @themotorboatgallery Email: david@worthington.co.uk URL: themotorboatgallery.co.uk

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What is the most famous hotel in the world, The Beverly Hills Hilton, Savoy, Burj Al Arab, Raffles…? The list would be long, the discussion even longer.

However, if I was to ask what is the most famous small hotel in the world, the answer would be Fawlty Towers!

I’ve no evidence for that sweeping statement, but it’s definitely the only small hotel that exists in over 100 countries - albeit on screen. I reckon it can also claim a reputation that reaches beyond many larger hotels, largely due to appalling service standards and sustained belittling of guests!

Doubtless your standards are excellent, but are you doing as much as you could and how might design help?

There is relatively new strand of design called Service Design, which, as it says on the tin, is a design process aimed at improving your service. Generally assumed to be made up of three parts Props, People and Processes – service design will identify the journey your customers go on and analyse how that could be improved.

Service design is growing too, unsurprisingly perhaps when you consider that it is no longer enough to have a good product, the service that delivers it needs to be just as good too, if not better. This is especially true as consumers move from buying ‘stuff’ to buying ‘experiences’.

The days of ‘giving customers what they want’ have moved on, the days of ‘giving people experiences they remember’ have arrived. Think of Virgin Atlantic, no longer are you a passenger, you are now our guest on board. So, why don’t you run a slide rule over your own experience - put on your guest’s shoes on and check in to your own hotel!

Start with the buying journey. Imagine you want to stay in your local area, with a budget similar (or less) than you charge. Search for yourself without your name – “luxury hotel in Torquay” for example - how far up the Google

page did you find yourself, what were your ratings, interrogate your website, is the booking process easy… would you chose you?

Better still ask others to do the same, but in their case actually get them to book and turn up – mystery guests.

It will cost you a free weekend away and possibly dinner too, but that’s a lot cheaper than paying for a creative agency to do the same thing for you.

Chose people you know who go away regularly and who will be openly critical of what you give them… this is a run round a test track, not an affirmation exercise in what’s working well. Crucially, don’t tell your staff or colleagues who these guests are!

Structure the response you want from the guests carefully, what is it you really want to find out? Clear stages in the journey such as booking, communication, check-in and room are important, but also ask the mystery guests to channel their comments under props, people and process... where for example the room service tray is the Prop, the People are those taking the order, delivering and removing the tray, and the Process is the fluidity of the whole interaction (including the bill on check-out).

Importantly, ask your guests for ideas.

These should be impromptu moments as they happen – a quick thought they have, jot it down, however silly it may seem at that point in time.

Imagine too, if you ran three separate and different sets of people through this same process over three different weekends, then brought them back together to discuss and share their experiences amongst each other – you could have an incredibly rich seam of knowledge and ideas.

That's the starting point, in the February issue I’ll sketch out a larger article on how to refine this exercise and how to put it to good use!

Meanwhile, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

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23/11/2021 09:41

Oh so Sustainable with Lucy Agace

Lucy Agace founded Responsible Rental Solutions 3 years ago to help guide smaller accommodation owners to incorporate sustainable practices into their businesses.

35 years as an underwater photographer and conservationist, demonstrated to Lucy the urgent need for sustainability action.

Lucy provides sustainability certification for the hospitality sector and is a member of the GSTC. She is the UK partner for Green Globe as a professional auditor and certified with the University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership.

Email: lucy@ gogreensustainability.com FB: Go Green Sustainability URL: https://www. gogreensustainability. com/certification-services/ responsible-rentals

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I’m sure we can all agree we are living in extraordinary times, not least the pandemic, but the climate crisis looms ever nearer as we move into 2022.

COP26 has just finished and everyone can see there’s an urgent need to make serious behavioural changes, both at home and in our business operations, to effectively mitigate a climate disaster.

The public appetite for businesses to be more ethical, offering products and services built on sustainable foundations, is gaining huge momentum and consumers are opting for responsible or sustainable alternatives in all lifestyle areas.

Consumers are also looking for proof and authentication of such claims, and so they should; There are too many fake claims, called ‘green washing’, which the government is taking steps to eradicate next year. Wouldn’t it be easier to find proof with a simple, linked badge clearly displayed on your website’s landing page? This is an achievable aim Travel is no exception. Booking. com’s 2020 customer survey found that demand for sustainable accommodation is growing year on year: 82% of global travellers identified sustainable travel as important to them.

More needs to be done to help travellers fulfil these aspirations.

Embracing sustainable practices in a transparent and honest way will help you to attract the enlightened traveller who is looking for accommodation that aligns with their own ethical standards and provides a low impact stay.

Let’s take a moment to explore sustainability and how it relates to the accommodation business.

Sustainability is associated with many definitions, for example: • ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) • PPP (People,Prosperity,Planet)

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• Eco-friendly • Green …and so on.

But don’t confuse sustainability with ‘going green’ or ‘eco-friendly’; they are different.

In a nutshell sustainability means: “Operating a profitable business but not at the expense of the environment or people”. Whereas ‘going green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ doesn’t take into account the people, social or governance side.

In order to make a big positive impact, a complete holistic approach is best, looking at the entire BnB operation using best practice sustainability values.

This is a step by step process of various actions and modifications, some small, some bigger. It doesn’t mean closing and a re-model. During the process you need to look at how you can best communicate these efforts to guests whilst at the same time making it easy for them to comply. A successful transition requires guests to participate and understand your thought process and motivation. This underlying theme to increase public awareness is hugely important, it not only assures delivery, but it will make your life easier and save you money. We can’t underestimate consumer choice/ demand.

Andrew Marr interviewed Greta Thunberg ahead of COP26, and she said: “Consumer demand is still widely required to affect the changes needed in the time limits we have and to put more pressure on those in positions of power to make the right decisions”.

I will, over the coming issues, provide some useful information about responsible practices and insights into how you can make the best choices that have the most effect. Some of you may already be doing some of these but I will be taking a blanket approach so that no one misses out. www.luxurybnbmag.com

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG - sdgs. un.org/goals) objectives may seem like they don’t apply to your business, but they can and do. Most, if not all, sustainable criteria for travel, tourism and business guidance and certifications is drawn from this set of 17 goals. Alone they can seem daunting and unclear which is why organisations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC - gstcouncl.org) have developed structures for companies like mine to help businesses like yours deliver these goals. The 17 goals are a universal call to action to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

I use these goals as standards in my RRS certification program and here are a few examples that I’ve split into two categories, Inside and Outside.

Inside - Clearly labelled recycling, water filters and removal of single-use plastics onsite.

Outside - zero pesticide use and onsite composting.

Outside these two categories however, probably the most important

action, if you haven’t done so already, is to switch to a green/clean energy provider. I realise that many of these supply companies have recently ceased to trade but some stronger bigger suppliers still remain. By increasing demand for renewable energy it puts pressure on the government to make the right decisions and invest more in renewables.

We have only touched the surface so far. I haven’t addressed CO2 emission reduction, paying a living wage or supporting local entrepreneurs. If you don’t wish to wait I am available for direct contact should anyone want more information.

Experience has shown that guests respond well when they can see BnB owners have gone out of their way to provide safe, responsible, luxury properties that maximise the positive impacts and minimise the negative ones.

I promise to nudge and guide you to become leaders in your sector, stand out above your competition and join the ethical movement doing the ‘right thing’ for people, the planet, you and the all important guests.

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&B's. Our policies are tailored to your specific requirements.

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

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

adrianflux.co.uk | 0800 085 5000 Authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Trustpilot rating checked on October 21st 2020

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23/11/2021 15:50

CONTRIBUTOR || DR TORILL BIGG

What is a Heat Pump?

By Dr Torill Bigg Chief Carbon Reduction Engineer at Tunley Engineering

Torill Bigg gained her PhD from Cranfield University researching an environmentally friendly reactor design to treat polluted water using low carbonemission waste materials.

She is a chartered engineer, an accomplished sailor - and a big fan of the staycation and of all things environmental.

Dr Bigg is Chief Carbon Reduction Engineer for Tunley Engineering, offering carbon footprints for businesses of any size and carbon reduction engineering. www.tunleyengineering.com

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H

eat pumps have been very much in the news recently. Interest in them began to increase when it was announced that from 2025 gas boilers could no longer be installed in new homes.

Then more recently gas prices soared, and the government announced that there would be grants available for homeowners to purchase heat pumps.

So, what is the deal with heat pumps?

Heat pumps are by no means new. I was first introduced to heat pumps 30 years ago while visiting a community of sustainable housing. As a carbon reduction engineer, I have been recommending heat pumps for a very long time. This is because they can offer a low carbon solution for heating your home. Many places have already fitted heat pumps – they can be found in homes and in libraries, they are heating schools and even the most forward thinking of factory buildings.

Yet to many there is still mystery surrounding them.

There can be a misconception that heat pumps can only be fitted where there is enough land space to dig down into and fit a ground source heat pump, or to new builds. But there are three main types of heat pump – air to air, water source and geothermal or ground heat pumps, giving a range of applications.

Air source heat pumps are suitable for a wider range of buildings. They can be fitted to any building, either new build or existing.

Air pump ones, for example, are suitable even for older buildings with no garden and examples of these can be found on Victorian terraces in London. However, Air pumps can have disadvantages.

One concern is noise, especially given the domestic setting, as the pump is fitted on the outside of the house, and so near neighbouring homes. Imagine one fitted in your street. Then imagine

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every house in the row having one. And if they are not well maintained they are noisier. In addition, homes they are fitted to will need more insulation, and ideally under floor heating.

Heat pumps are also more expensive – relative to a new gas boiler they cost about £4,000 more.

This disadvantage might be addressed by the recently announced government grants offering £5,000 to buy a heat pump. But the funding available will not meet the full cost of buying and installing a heat pump. It is likely that homeowners will need to find around £2,500 to install a funded heat pump.

The funding pot will amount to around 90,000 grants – so the remaining hundreds of thousands of homes will not be able to benefit.

As non-domestic heating incentives closed a while back, the funding would be for homes only, not businesses, though there is the possibility it could be used for owners’ accommodation, or a home that is yet to be converted into a BnB. Even so, with rising costs for gas, and a need for solutions to carbon emission, and so the climate crisis, they may work out cheaper than the alternative of leaving global warming unchecked.

Heat Pump Alternative: Jim Bisset from Hydro Genie: "Not ready to install a whole new heat pump system? The Hydro Genie system works alongside your current boiler and can reduce your fuel usage by as much as 50%. Hydro Genie works by reducing the oxygen bubbles in your system. View a case study at hydrogenie.co.uk" Call 01786 850375 to find out more www.luxurybnbmag.com

23/11/2021 09:44

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Abel Heywood...

HRISTMAS IN THE ITY

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By

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IN PROFILE || ABEL HEYWOOD

Discover how to provide a great city escape for your guests this Christmas. We chat with Abel Heywood, a boutique hotel in Manchester who uses it's location to provide the ultimate festive break Juliet Horner

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IN PROFILE || ABEL HEYWOOD

veryone has a different idea of the perfect Christmas getaway.

Some people escape overseas (COVID permitting…)

Some people escape to the country. Others might enjoy the hustle and bustle of different cities.

So how do you, as a hospitality provider, capitalise on your urban surroundings and entice potential guests to spend Christmas with you in the city?

Abel Heywood is a 15 bedroom boutique hotel in Manchester’s city centre. General Manager, Alex Allan, and his team are no strangers to using the seasonal events planned throughout the city to their advantage.

“We’re in the fortunate position where we don’t really need to host events because we’re kind of smack bang in the city centre,” said Alex.

“We’ll always have feature nights on the big weekends in December, where we’ll have live music on or themed quizzes with cocktails and food which always get booked up.

“But with Christmas, we try not to do something just for the sake of doing it. There’s always events and things going on in the city anyway, so you don’t want to overwhelm your guests.”

If your business is located in a city, it’s important to know what events are taking place over Christmas so that you can point your guests in the right direction.

Use the events that are already

"City businesses are fortunate because they don't really need to host events as there's lots going on in the city centre."

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happening to your advantage.

“It’s always better to take part and support the events rather than trying to usurp them,” said Alex.

“For example, Manchester has a massive Christmas market every year, but you get all these other places in Manchester trying to do their own mini Christmas markets as well.

“And I always think, why try and beat something that’s already done for you? www.luxurybnbmag.com

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IN PROFILE || ABEL HEYWOOD

“So we essentially tap into and target that crowd, rather than creating more hassle for ourselves and creating our own crowd.”

Although your guests might be staying with you over Christmas, it doesn’t mean you have to push it in their faces.

“At the end of the day, your guests booked to stay with you,” said Alex.

“They might go out and enjoy the Christmas markets, but that doesn’t mean they want to come back and have more Christmas stuff thrown at them.”

Alex and the team at Abel Heywood use the city wide events to entice customers and add value to their guests' experience, but within the business itself, they stick to what they know.

He said: “So many people come here with no plans whatsoever and maybe even more so at Christmas.

“Obviously there’s loads of music events, markets, museums and everything else you’d find in a city, but it’s our job to point them in towards the events rather than

URLs abelheywood.co.uk SOCIAL MEDIA FB: @AbelHeywoodNQ IN: @abelheywoodnq

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IN PROFILE || ABEL HEYWOOD

going all out with our own events.

“The fun is in exploring the city and Christmas is the perfect time for that. Manchester is very much a winter city.”

Abel Heywood has the advantage of multiple income streams.

Not only do they have the guest rooms, but there is also a pub and restaurant.

“We try to do things that are complementary to the venue,” said Alex, “rather than something that’s totally out of character.”

He added: “We’re very good at what we do. We serve great food and great drinks. We do a few

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booked events and what not, but whatever we do, we just focus on getting it right, which is extremely important at Christmas.”

Over the Christmas period, the Abel Heywood add little touches to make sure the guests enjoy a touch of holiday spirit.

“We decorate the doors of each room with little laurel wreaths,” said Alex.

"The fun is in exploring the city.

So make the most of the events."

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23/11/2021 15:44

IN PROFILE || ABEL HEYWOOD

“We also leave Christmas chocolates in the room, but we try not to leave drinks for them in the rooms because we try and get them in the bar.”

He added: “Our upstairs gin bar has a lot of greenery already, so we just add to that to make it more festive. We put trees and garlands all over the place so it’s quite nice.”

Aside from the festive decorations in the bar, it’s always a good idea to add some seasonal drinks to your menus over the festive period.

Alex said: “We do a pumpkin spice espresso martini which is on the menu from Halloween right through the Christmas period because it’s a nice seasonal drink with a wintery feel.

“We also do hot mulled cider and signature gin serves with local or spiced gins. They always go down really well.”

Surprisingly, as one of the smallest hotels in the city, Abel Heywood doesn’t have any full time hotel staff.

However, when business picks up for the winter season, Alex makes sure there’s one member of the team who is devoted to bookings and guest relations.

“People always want to ask more questions when booking for the Christmas season,” said Alex, “even more so now that we’ve been through a pandemic.”

He added: “My advice to a city based hospitality business would be to get someone wholly focussed on bookings and answering questions over Christmas rather than everybody doing a little bit of everything. www.luxurybnbmag.com

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IN PROFILE || ABEL HEYWOOD

“Put one person in charge of filling the diary and dealing with questions and requests. Everyone is panicking now that they can’t get their Christmas holiday abroad so you need someone who is ready to deal with that onslaught.

“Having someone in Christmas mode from October onwards is the best way to stay ahead of everything.”

It’s important to be prepared for the festive season and Alex it’s the little things that make all the difference.

“Sometimes it’s nice to offer a room upgrade if guests are staying for special occasions, but you should always treat your direct bookings better,” explained Alex.

“I know I shouldn’t say that, but they’ve made the effort to book with you directly and I think they deserve the extra effort you put in as a thank you.”

He added: “There’s some really great little hospitality businesses up and down the country and it’s bloody hard work, but you learn and then before you know it, you’re really good at it.”

Alex's Top Tips for the festive season 1. Don’t put decorations up too early (Wait until you start serving your Christmas menu) 2. Add seasonal, festive drinks to the menu 3. Inform your guests of what events are taking place in the city during their stay 4. Don’t overwhelm your guests with Christmas.

Let them enjoy it in the city at their own pace 5. Appoint a member of your team to focus on Christmas bookings and enquiries

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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

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Winter Baby

Born in January, I was a winter baby, and whilst I love spring and autumn, I’m really at my happiest when it’s time to snuggle down in front of the fire.

This summer I realised I was far more dormouse than lark, when my husband said how much he enjoyed the light summer evenings. And I was just wishing it would get dark so I could go and curl up.

Being a rural B&B owner is probably the ideal occupation for anyone who enjoys this semi hibernation.

Whilst my B&B would be at near 100% occupancy in the summer and autumn months, I’d always struggled to attract even my die hard repeat guests - those who came back several times a year to visit us in winter.

For those guests who did brave the Shropshire countryside in the colder

months, I loved creating a cosy rural retreat for them.

The open fire was always lit at breakfast. There'd be extra throws and heating in the bedroom and mince pies alongside the standard lemon drizzle.

On the breakfast menu there’d be autumnal specials such as apple and cinnamon pancakes and spiced poached plums. And my knitted pumpkins would be dotted around the Bed & Breakfast.

And then there’s the sheer beauty of the countryside at this time of year; the leafless trees and hedgerows allow more open views. And those naked trees against glorious winter sunsets make for the perfect Instagram post.

What’s your favourite season at your B&B? Let me know!

Closing the B&B After 17 years, I closed the doors to Hopton House B&B in July. It wasn’t quite the finale I’d planned - thank you pandemic! I’ve been asked why I decided to shut up shop and there’s no one main reason. But it seemed once I made the decision, everytime I had a wobble, the universe would throw another reason at me. Sometimes you just have to trust your intuition!

My main motivation was that I really wanted to focus my attention on my training business.

During the lockdowns, I put my B&B course online and created the B&B marketing membership, helping B&B owners attract more guests directly.

Yet running an online business, whilst also welcoming B&B guests had it’s complications. On several occasions,

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I’d be halfway through giving a live workshop on ZOOM when guests would arrive early.

“Hello, here’s your key, your rooms over there, I’m in a meeting” isn’t quite the warm welcome that earned me so many repeat guests. Then my cleaner of 10 years resigned and I just couldn’t face training someone new.

And I’ve been watching the amazing B&Bs the B&B Academy students were creating, and realising that Hopton House really needed a revamp and was it really worth the investment?

I’ve loved running a B&B, welcoming back so many wonderful guests year after year. And, oh boy, I do miss my regulars. But the dormouse in me is rather enjoying her lie-ins and not having to clean her nest quite so often.

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23/11/2021 09:46

PROPERTIES FOR SALE

CROFT MILL Established lifestyle Serviced Apartment Business located in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire * £205,000 o.n.o. * 12 Two Bedroomed Self-Catering Apartment Business * Circa 60% Profit Margin * Owners two bedroom apartment available to rent or buy. * Fully Fitted / Recently Refurnished Call 01422 846836 www.croftmill.com

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

PICKMERE COUNTRY HOUSE Price: £875,000 | 11 letting rooms Dog & family friendly | Open all year round | Fully Licensed Turnover around £150,000pa Private car park New main boiler 2019 | Meets Fire & Health & Safety Regs Contact: 01565 733433 | info@pickmerehouse.co.uk Potential for letting room expansion and income growth

SMIDDY HOUSE Spean Bridge, Inverness-Shire, PH34 4EU Offers over £575,000 (Freehold) Spacious owner’s accommodation 4 individually designed quality en-suite letting bedrooms Large detached cottage - could be either used as a selfcatering annex or additional owner’s accommodation.

Main property is set over 3 floors and the cottage has 2 floors.

Contact: info@asgcommercial.co.uk | 01463 714757 Spean Bridge is renowned for outdoor activities

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LBNB EBOOK || CHAPTER 5

GETTING STARTED IN HOLIDAY RENTALS

Chapter 5 For each issue in 2021, we will be serialising a section of our Luxury BnB E-Book for those looking to set up their own hospitality business.

By Dominic Johnson

Welcome to Chapter 5 of our ebook series on how to set up your own holiday rental. This chapter can be used a checklist for your property.

We have outlined the different aspects of getting yourself set up online so that you know what your options are and what is available. Use this checklist to help you get your online platform up and running.

Contents: 1A: Intro to holiday rentals 1B: Intro to financial considerations 2A: Business Plans & Legal Entity 2B: Further Financial Considerations 3A: OPERATIONS - Provisions, Access and Storage 3B: INTERIORS - Furnishings and Tech 4A: Booking operations 4B: Management - staff & planning >> 5: Checklist: Setting yourself up online

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DOMAIN NAME • Buy two domain names: - A primary online domain using key phrases e.g. www.SeaShellsBeachHouseCamber.co.uk - A second easier to remember URL for offline marketing & signage e.g. www.seashells.co.uk • If possible buy a .co.uk over a worldwide domain (e.g. .com / .net) or one of the newer url extensions like .co or .uk • Keep it simple - stupid is the phrase you should have in mind when choosing a domain name - avoid strange spellings

WEBSITE Options for building/creating a website: Hire an agency or a freelancer • Ideal for someone who isn’t interested or feels they don’t have the technical knowledge, hire someone to build a site for you.

Use website builders such as Wix or Squarespace • Very easy to use and can make a great looking website. They often contain specific business templates to make your life easier.

Use Wordpress and a purchased template • Wordpress is the worlds leading CMS (Content Management System) and runs about 30% of all the websites in the world.

• Wordpress uses web design templates - called themes - that can be purchased for little money. Once installed you then follow the setup to produce your own website.

Use holiday rental specific website builders • E.g. https://www.amenitiz.io/ or https://www.siteminder.com/ • The advantage of these is that they often come with a number of other useful marketing tools - like booking engines and a channel manager.

SOCIAL MEDIA • •

Setup accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram early to ensure you ‘grab’ your profile names before someone else does.

Consider which social media sites you’re planning to use and how. Create a strategy.

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PRESS •

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National and local newspapers and magazines are always looking for stories. Does your property have anything unique? What would make it news-worthy?

To get your place noticed by the press you need to write to each news source with a story pitch. Make sure it’s simple, interesting and accompanied by a good set of photos (the industry is run by photos) Do some research on your local area to find out what publications and news outlets are available.

Most websites will have a page of contacts which you can use to get in touch with press people.

Remember, there’s nothing stopping you from reaching out on social media!

Online news sources can provide excellent links into your site - this is a key factor used by google to rank the importance and relevance of your website / property.

DRESSING & PHOTOGRAPHY • • • •

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ADVERTISING •

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OFFLINE Are there any local or interest specific magazines you can utilise?

ONLINE: Pay Per Click (PPC) Where you pay only when people click on your advert / link.

Examples of PPC are Google PPC, Bing Ads and facebook advertising.

They can be a very effective tool as you can target your audience very effectively.

• ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES (OTAs) E.g. Booking.com and Airbnb.

Used well you can find guests from all over the world and manage many administrative tasks.

The best Holiday Rental Marketeers use OTAs where needed and do what they can to encourage guests to re-book directly.

Create images that sum up the key experiences at your property.

Have a look around and keep note of the photos you are attracted to on other websites.

Avoid suspicion and misleading photos.

You’ll never meet anyone who doesn’t think they are a great photographer. Whilst camera phones are technically capable of taking excellent photos, think carefully about producing your own photos. A great collection of photos is a vital part of the marketing mix.

Once you’ve decided on the photos you want to use, store them in a separate folder on your computer and well labelled. Produce different versions of the photos - high and low res, portrait & landscape. This will save you time if you’re planning to market your property on a number of websites Use Dropbox.com to keep your photos and marketing materials. There is a free version and this will allow you to share photos with partners rather than emailing them across.

BOOKING PROCESS Booking Engine: •

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A booking engine is vital. Remember if you are running your own website, you are competing with the likes of AirBnb where guests can get an immediate booking acknowledgement (if the property owner has agreed to this setting in setup).

Make a list of your booking terms: Max days per rent, varying rates for weekend breaks… Many booking engines need specific settings and complicated pricing structures Many of the website builders will have integrated booking engines. Many of these can embed these into your website.

Many people now just link to their presence on an OTA (e.g. Airbnb) to manage all bookings.

Using external websites to manage bookings may be cheaper than an OTA

SEO

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OTA:

Check out our A-Z of SEO that we did during the Winter lockdown in 2020. Every day was a different letter of the alphabet accompanied by a prompt or some ‘food for thought’ to help you promote your business and improve your marketing: luxurybnbmag.co.uk/the-a-to-z-of-winter-lockdown/

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There are plenty of large, popular OTAs but there are also specialist ones such as Dog Friendly, Large houses or those based on lifestyle - advertising properties that are cool / more stylish…

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CLASSIFIED 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

Luxury Towels Bathrobes & Footwear

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

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Image Joinery Projects Ltd Bar , Restaurant and Hotel refurbishment specialists.

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

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Hodgson-NE

GUE ST H OU S E INS U R A NCE PROTECT YOUR B&B, GUEST HOUSE OR SMALL HOTEL FROM UNEXPECTED LOSSES. COMPREHENSIVE COVERS & TERMS AVAILABLE ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ • • •

Running a B&B or guest house is hard work and ringing around for days on end getting insurance quotes can be hassle and stress you don’t really need.

Hodgson Insurance Services are an independent family run insurance broker based in Bude, Cornwall. We have been insuring guest houses all over the UK for over 40 years and understand the needs and insurance requirements of the modern-day B&B owner. You won’t ever be dealing with a call centre, you will always be speaking with the same 4 or 5 trained staff members.

Every business is different, some offer a full breakfast, others allow guests access to cooking facilities. Some provide an element of holiday letting, maybe use of a hot tub, some employ staff. We take time to understand how you run your business, as independent brokers we don’t just use one insurer, we have access to a number of specialist guest house insurance schemes and will search the market to find the best match for your business, so you don’t have to.

Buildings & Contents Business Interruption Cover Public & Employers Liability Business Legal Expenses Cover Low Excess For Claims.

FULL Theft & Accidental Damage By Guests.

NO Security Conditions

We don’t just sell on price, we make sure the covers are adequate for your needs. All guest house schemes have different terms, some require security on doors & windows, some don’t, some include full Theft By Guests and some only offer theft cover by forcible or violent entry.

What excess do you have to pay in the event of a claim? All policies vary!! A burst pipe causes water damages to rooms which you can’t now rent for 6 months, will the policy compensate you for lost business??

An insurance broker should always fully explain the main conditions of a policy to ensure it meets your requirements. As general insurance brokers we don’t just do guest house insurance, although hospitality is a large part of our operation and we can look at quotes for holiday homes, restaurants, public houses etc, we also insure many landlords, shopkeepers and private motor vehicles. For more information or advice on your insurance needs please contact our brokerage.

‘WE ARE INDEPENDENT INSURANCE BROKERS WHO SEARCH A PANEL OF TOP INSURANCE SCHEMES TO FIND YOU THE BEST DEAL’

01288 353999 G UE S T H O U S E I N SU R A N C E. CO. U K Chapter House, Burn View, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8BZ.

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