The vast majority of cottage agencies and lodge parks offer their customers a holiday option of 3,4 or 7 nights. If you want 3 or 7 nights your holiday must start on a Friday and for 4 nights you'll have to arrive on a Monday. So if you can only come for 2, 5 or 6 nights you won't be able to book or you'll either be prevented from booking or have to pay a premium. The logic of this approach is to maximise occupancy by preventing gaps appearing between lets. In essence the seller is dictating to the customer when they can and can't take their well-earned break.
Such booking restrictions should be ditched. Whenever possible customers should be given full flexibility of booking any 2 to 7 nights with no pre-set changeover days. In the current economic climate the trend is to take more frequent but shorter UK breaks and the self-catering sector need to respond to the challenge. More of us are self-employed and can only get away when our work flow allows. The aggregate rental an agent or owner will receive for accepting 2 x 3 night breaks rather than holding out for a full week will more than exceed the cost of the additional clean. For those agents and lodge park operators who are unwilling to move with the times, they'll lose even more sales to the likes of Airbnb. The wake-up call will be become louder and louder - change over your days !
Nick House
House Nouse
