Ten simple ideas for keeping your holiday letting guests amused on rainy days
Last Updated on July 14, 2016 by admin
The British weather can be unpredictable to say the least, so when inclement weather strikes you need to be prepared and have plenty of things to keep your holiday home guests happy on those rainy days.
Whilst your visitors may not be having the warm and dry trip they had hoped for, that doesn’t mean that they can’t have a great time. We’ve compiled a list of 10 simple ideas for keeping your holiday letting guests amused on rainy days to ensure that they’re having fun, regardless of the weather outside.
Wi-Fi
10 million British adults (that’s 22% of the entire population) login to public Wi-Fi each week. Access to the Internet has and is moving from an added extra in holiday homes towards an expectation. On rainy days the first thing many of your guests will no doubt reach for is there internet enabled mobile or tablet. So if you haven’t already installed wi-fi at your holiday letting property it may pay to consider doing so.
If you own a large holiday home or cottage complex and are looking to install wi-fi read our article which considers wi-fi options which may also help your marketing:
Sometimes when you can’t go outside, the best thing to do is pile onto the sofa, wrap up in blankets and pop a good film on. Having a good selection of DVDs will ensure that guests are entertained. Always ensure that your selection is tailored to your audience, and that if you have young children visiting your holiday cottage, films meant for older viewers are kept in an alternative location.
Music
Sometimes its nice to sit back, relax and listen to your favourite music, radio station or podcast. Providing a good quality radio or hi-fi for your guests will be appreciated. With so many of us now carrying extensive music collections with us on our mobile phones and tablets you may also want to consider a good quality bluetooth speaker for your guests to use.
To ensure that you’re not infringing copyright law you should ensure that you have explored relevant music and film licences. To learn more read our blog article:
Board Games
Everyone loves a good board game, so make sure there are plenty of choices for everyone to enjoy! Scrabble, Monopoly, and Uno are all great games suitable for families. Ensure that all your games are up to date – an 80s version of Trivial Pursuit isn’t any good for kids, teens, or young adults.
Reading material
Around 29% of adults say they don’t read books because they simply don’t have enough time. So when they’re on holiday and housebound due to the weather, reading may suddenly become a great option.
Let guests escape into a different world through a selection of classics – think Jane Austen, ‘chick lit’ – Cecilia Ahern, and even a few thrillers – Stephen King is always popular! Don’t forget about the little ones either; have a few books for different age groups available for them to read. Books needn’t be expensive with many novels only read once and then donated to charity shops where they can be purchased for a fraction of their recommended retail price.
Cook books
Mary Berry seems to have led something of a baking renaissance in recent years. With more and more of us thinking we might be the next winner of The Great British Bake Off, does your holiday home come with all the main ingredients to make it a baking success? We of course don’t mean raw ingredients such as baking powder and eggs, but how about mixing bowls, wooden spoons and all those other things that are mentioned in a cookbook!
Information
Bad weather doesn’t necessarily mean guests can’t go outside. In your welcome pack, include information on activities and tourist attractions that aren’t weather dependent. Museums, bowling alleys, and indoor play areas are just some of the things that guests can enjoy regardless of the heavy rain.
Menus
After a day of watching films and playing games, guests may not feel like cooking a meal themselves. Providing menus to local takeaways will provide guests with an alternative option. Looking for luxury? Consider offering a local private chef service! For more information on how food tourism has become so popular read our blog article:
Umbrellas and welly storage
Guests may not be prepared for the rain, so keeping a few umbrellas in the house could really help them out! It’s also worth popping an umbrella stand by the front door to prevent any puddles in the house.
After a day of exploring in the rain, guests will most likely have some dirty and wet wellington boots, as well as clothes! A mat by the door and a welly brush outside will keep things clean and tidy. Also consider if there’s anywhere in your holiday home suitable for drying that soaking clothing; particularly vital if you welcome walkers, cyclists and surfers.
Puzzles, crosswords and colouring books
The best thing about wet, cold, and windy weather is having the excuse to curl up on a sofa with a cryptic crossword or sudoku puzzle. Colouring books can be therapeutic for children and adults alike. Providing a small selection of paper back crossword, sudoku or colouring books and pencils can be inexpensive and will be sure to make a good impression with your guests on those rainy days.
Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.
Great ideas. We have a holiday let for the first time, we really thought about what we would like, and from our visitor book comments, they really appreciate it. The welcome pack of fresh bread, cheese, butter and a few treats is a hit. We have also included throws over the back of settees for the comfort factor, and extra bed throws if it’s a bit chilly. A basket with leaflets for local places to visit and a good information folder.