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guest reviews

Holiday Letting Guest Reviews – how do you obtain and manage them?

guest reviewsHoliday homeowners will have for a long time realised the importance of guest reviews; Tripadvisor has been at the centre of where many seek guest reviews for hotel and self-catering accommodation for more than fifteen years. You’ll not be surprised to hear that 90% of guests indicate they’re influenced by what they read online.

If your holiday home has its own website you may have noticed recently that Google has now started to display guest reviews next to your cottage search listing; you’ll not only find Google reviews but also a section entitled ‘Reviews from the web’ which will cover those left on social networking sites such as Facebook.

Never have guest reviews been so easy to find, scrutinise and digest, meaning that it’s equally never been as important to ensure your cottage has the reviews it deserves.

Here are a few quick pointers on how to get more reviews, and how to handle them, whether positive or poor.

Getting guest reviews

We know they’re worth their weight in gold, but how do you actually get guests to leave you a review?

Embrace reviews within your procedures

If you leave it to your guests, the only reviews you’re likely to be left are those that have found an issue. Send a quick email as soon as they get home asking them to fill out a few questions on their experience. Remember this is taking time out of their day so it can increase response rates if you offer some sort of incentive; perhaps entering them into a competition or perhaps a discount on their return stay.

Strike while the iron is hot, and ensure the potential incentive is large enough to illicit a response, but not so large as to make it unfeasible!

Your guest book

People still like to write comments in a guest book so make sure you have a note on yours saying that you will use the comments for promotional purposes. Reviews can then be added to your own website to increase booking conversions from online visitors.

Engage on social media

A review on Facebook is worth its weight in gold; not only can it be displayed on Google, their friends will also see it too. You can run potential competitions for previous guests leaving reviews. Engaging with potential and previous guests on Facebook should form part of your customer service and booking acquisition strategies.

Responding to reviews

Once you’ve got someone to review you, it’s only polite to reply thanking them. This certainly doesn’t mean a cut and paste of the same phrase you use on everybody; take the time to make it a little more personal!

If you get a negative review, then the best thing to do is reply in a professional and polite manner. Address the problem. If there is a bigger issue ask them to contact you directly so you can resolve the issue. A bad review may make new guests hesitant, a professional response from you puts you back into a positive light. Potential guests will take a balanced view making them more inclined to book with you.

If you can, avoid responding immediately after a negative comment. It can be taken personally meaning that any response you write in that moment could inflame the situation. Tone is very difficult to detect online. If you’re unsure about what you’ve written make sure you have someone impartial to read it for you.

Making the most of reviews

If you’ve got them then make sure you show them off. Make your Tripadvisor reviews easy to access from your website and include plenty of testimonials in your site’s design.

Remember that people won’t necessarily read every page you have, or see everything you ever publish. Make sure a nice quote is tweeted, posted to Facebook and included in e-shots.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support you if you’re buying a holiday cottage to let, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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Film and TV Tourism Boosting Bookings for Holiday Lets

Film and TV tourism boosting bookings for holiday lets on location

Film and TV Tourism Boosting Bookings for Holiday LetsWhen the romantic and swashbuckling television costume drama Poldark returned to our screens not many of the millions of viewers would have been thinking about a 65% spike in visits to the local tourism website, the largest since Cornish sailor Ben Ainsley made his way through the Duchy clasping the Olympic torch a little over three years ago.

It does however add to an ever-growing trend; more and more of us are now visiting the historic sites, stately properties and locations we see on our television screens each and every week.

With many venues now open to the public, filming locations have become a firm favorite with visitors and a driver of tourism; are you taking advantage of these opportunities for Film and TV tourism boosting bookings for holiday lets?

Where is Film and TV tourism boosting bookings for holiday lets on location?

Don’t know where your favorite programmes are filmed?

We take a look at some of the most popular around the country:

Downton Abbey – Highclear Castle – Berkshire

With a global audience in excess of 120 million, Highclear Castle in Kent has seen something of a rebirth since the crew of Downton Abbey arrived on their doorstep in 2010. The castle needed more than £11 million in repairs prior to filming; it now attracts 1,200 visitors a day.

Alnwick Castle – Harry Potter – Northumberland

The worldwide success of the Harry Potter franchise ensured that the young Hogwarts pupil not only wove his magic in the classroom but also on the local tourism industry. Visit Britain estimate an extra £9 million has been pumped into the local economy by visitors to Alnwick Castle, which played host to the Quidditch games.

Broadchurch – Somerset and Dorset

The sight of former time lord David Tennant and critically acclaimed Olivia Coleman solving crime in Clevedon, Portishead and West Bay, has seen searches for accommodation in Somerset and neighboring Dorset soar by more than 200%

Doc Martin – Port Isaac – Cornwall

The picturesque village of Port Isaac in Cornwall was home to the long running Doc Martin series starring Martin Clunes for more than a decade. As a result, many visiting Cornwall now see the location as a key feature on their to-do list.

Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens  – The Forest Of Dean

Forest scenes for the latest Star Wars blockbuster were shot at Puzzlewood in Coleford. The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley have played a vital role in other major film and TV productions including; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which featured Coppett Hill and Dr Who filmed at Clearwell caves. The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association has devised an online trail with the aim of reeling in an additional £35m of visitor revenue over three years. The interest created by the website visitdeanwyefilm.co.uk will no doubt generate a welcome boost by way of additional holiday cottage bookings in the area.

Various Programmes – The Historic Dockyard – Chatham – Kent

With Meryl Streep becoming the latest in a long list of stars to begin filming in Kent, The Historic Dockyard is perhaps the most prolific venue featured on our list. The location has played host to shows including Mr Selfridge, Les Miserables, Sherlock Holmes and Call the Midwife.

The site now supports more that 500 jobs and contributes in excess of £16 million to the local economy each year.

Are you taking advantage?

If you’re holiday home is situated near a popular filming location, are you marketing it and encouraging these visitors to stay with you?

Here’s our film-set marketing checklist:

  • Have you got a page on your website dedicated to the local film set? (Top Tip: Ensure you include the television programme name in your page title to increase your search engine visibility).
  • Do you also add content to your blog about the television programme in order to increase the chances of the information being seen by visitors? (Top tip: Consider phrasing your post as “Where is XX filmed?” – this gains high levels of search volume for television programmes and will bring more traffic to your site)
  • Do you know when the next series will begin and do you have a plan in place?
  • Do you tweet about the location and other things to do in your local area?
  • Do you share information about the location and other things to do in your local area on your Facebook page?
  • Have you sent information about the local venue and how close you are to previous guests? This can be particularly effective when the series is being shown on television.
  • Do you have offers or discounts on admission you are able to give guests?
  • Do you have up to date information on admission, opening dates and times, how to get there, where to eat and how to make a day of it for your guests?

If you have any thoughts or experience of Film and TV tourism boosting bookings for holiday lets please leave a comment below.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday letting 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.

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How embracing culinary tourism can boost bookings

Smoked Mackerel Beetroot Salad With Horseradish CreamGreat food, fine wine, a relaxing atmosphere; these are things that many visitors will be looking to enjoy in local pubs and restaurants during their stay.

The food and drink industry has long been synonymous with tourism and as the burgeoning reputation of British gastronomy continues to rise it’s a synergy that seems certain to stay.

So, are you utilising local eateries to the fullest advantage when looking to secure bookings and add value for your visitors?

If not, we introduce to you the concept of ‘culinary tourism’ and how embracing culinary tourism can boost bookings for your self-catering holiday home, especially in low or off peak seasons.

What is ‘culinary tourism’?

Culinary tourism depicts the rising importance of food and drink to your visitors.

Envisage a nation of food lovers, spurred on by the increased popularity of celebrity master chefs and bake-offs, now actively searching for the vest best food and drink in your area.

They’re not only looking for great food, they want an experience, a memorable meal, a fantastic feast.

Food now plays a vital role in their destination decision; all of your visitors will eat at least three times a day and more often than not, many of these meals will take place away from your holiday home.

Are you promoting the culinary excellence in your area?

The celebrity chefs in town

It’s no coincidence that many celebrity chefs have opened restaurants in popular tourism areas. Here are just a few examples to whet your appetite:

  • Rick Stein: Padstow, Falmouth, Porthleven, Newquay in Cornwall. Winchester in Hampshire. Sandbanks in Dorset
  • Nathan Outlaw: Rock and Port Isaac in Cornwall
  • Mitch Tonks: Dartmouth, Devon
  • Shaun Hill: Legendary chef at the Walnut Tree Inn, Llanddewi Skirrid on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales
  • Galton Blackiston: Morston Hall, near Blakeney, Norfolk

If your holiday home is near any of these locations, are they on your website, in your welcome pack, highlighted in your social media activity?

The very best eateries are usually the most popular; if they are likely to need advanced booking do you highlight this during your own booking process to ensure visitors don’t miss out?

Promoting local food and drink – do your research

You’ll always want to be sure of the quality of the food and drink you’re promoting which makes doing your research essential, particularly if you live a good distance from your holiday home and are not familiar with the lay of the local culinary land.

Try visiting a selection, and also ask your guests to recommend and share where they’ve eaten on social media during their stay.  Remember, almost 8 out of 10 guests will update their Facebook status during their holiday and this will often be related to food and drink.

It’s not just restaurants and pubs

The fantastic thing about food is that we’ll all want to enjoy something different; and that will change from day to day and even mood to mood.

Highlight a full range of options; from farm shops and family friendly pubs to romantic venues and great gluten free menus. Not forgetting the annual food festivals that are increasing in popularity throughout the UK.

Are there low season promotions?

Teaming up with local eateries can be a great way to get people through the door in the winter and lower occupation periods.  Are they able to offer a promotion to people staying in your holiday home? If they are ensure you use all of your promotional tools to make sure potential guests know.

Where to promote?

All of the following should be used in your promotional armory;

  • Website – consider having a specific section for local food and drink. You can also update your blog with the latest menus (great for special events such as Valentines Day and Easter).
  • Welcome pack – ensure a good range of options are readily available and that menus and information are kept up to date.
  • Social media – Promote the local food and drink industry on your Facebook Page and Twitter feed; you’ll find the more you promote them the more this will be potentially reciprocated.

If you have any thoughts or experience of how embracing culinary tourism has boosted bookings for your self-catering holiday home please leave a comment below.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday letting 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.

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