What is the Stratford-Upon-Avon holiday let market like?

[HolidayGirl]

Hi
I hope someone can help. We have a quite successful holiday let at Hope Cove in Devon.

Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, I think that we will have to sell it and buy a place in the Stratford-upon-Avon area. Preferably one of the nearby villages.

This place too, would be for holiday rentals and I am asking, hopefully, if anybody here has a place in the Stratford area and what the market is like? Do the main peak weeks always get booked out and is there good bookings for non-peak weeks to be had in the area?

We would only be looking at a 2 bedroom place and the more budget end of the market.

Many thanks for any answers of comments! Always appreciated!!

[FelicityA]

I am 7 miles south of Stratford and do very well in the period Mid-March to November (at least I have in the last couple of years!). These are all minimum one week bookings and I stick to Saturday to Saturday. However, I have worked hard to build this up over 9 years.

I don't get many bookings at all in the off season for short breaks and think that somewhere IN Stratford would probably do a lot better as people come for the theatre and I don't seem to attract those. It may also be that I am more expensive than most in the off season and I don't work so hard at this market as I really like a bit of a rest in the winter (except for Christmas and New Year which are peak times)!

The pretty villages are very expensive to buy into but I suppose you know that.

[HolidayGirl]

Thank you for your really helpful and informative reply Felicity. It is really appreciated! Sounds like you have had your place as long as we have had ours at Hope Cove.

Can I ask if there is a reason that you only do Saturday to Saturday bookings? Is this for personal reasons or do you find that this is what the market is requiring?

On a slightly lesser importance question, do you do your own cleaning etc? I ask, as we've had cleaner issues at Hope Cove (although we've now found somebody, who is an absolute gem).

[FelicityA]

I do Saturday to Saturday because that is the only day I have a hope of having someone to help. I have a very nice woman come sometimes - probably about half the time I would like her ( she has family commitments, children who get sick etc.) so without the fall back position of my husband ( who always helps anyway) I would be on my own a lot of the time even on Saturdays. I used to do quick same day turnarounds on weekdays on my own but I was always exhausted as I do a virtual spring clean every changeover. I only occasionally have someone asking for a different start day but of course I don't know how many I lose first off when they read Saturday to Saturday lets only! Recently I had someone ask for 9 days and when I said sorry, can only do a week and I can offer you either week, they came back and said we will take both! In the winter, I generally leave gaps if I have no help at all. So yes, it is for personal reasons but it also works doing Saturday starts.

I tried contacting a cleaning agency and they did not provide cleaners on a Saturday so that would be a case for doing weekdays. Also there are quite a few people in Stratford from farther flung places ( abroad) who might be glad of work but most of them don't have cars so no good out of the town. It is probably easier in town.

One thing which may be a downer for the short stay theatre market is that there is now a Premier Inn in Stratford.

[HolidayGirl]

Thank you again Felicity! You have given me a lot to think about. It is good to know your experiences! (I know too what you mean about always doing a Spring Clean! It's difficult not to do that isn't it)?!

I much thank you for taking the trouble to reply and also welcome any other replies from owners in the Stratford area!

[Bunny]

I'm not in Stratford, but visited Stratford two weeks ago for a day trip (we actually stayed for a long weekend in Broadway). It was freezing cold and I was surprised at how many tourists were about, and that attractions were open and busy, that in other towns would probably close for the winter. So there must be a demand for all year round accommodation. However, there were quite a few coach trips in.

[FelicityA]

Oh, definitely, yes. Stratford just never shuts down but a lot of the visitors are day trippers. There are a huge number of B and B's and a few big hotels in and around.

[HolidayGirl]

Thank you for your reply Bunny. Broadway is lovely but we wouldn't be able to afford a rental property there unfortunately. Wish we could!!

[Jonathan]

Hi
I hope someone can help. We have a quite successful holiday let at Hope Cove in Devon.

Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, I think that we will have to sell it and buy a place in the Stratford-upon-Avon area. Preferably one of the nearby villages.

This place too, would be for holiday rentals and I am asking, hopefully, if anybody here has a place in the Stratford area and what the market is like? Do the main peak weeks always get booked out and is there good bookings for non-peak weeks to be had in the area?

We would only be looking at a 2 bedroom place and the more budget end of the market.

Many thanks for any answers of comments! Always appreciated!!

We are 8 miles south of Stratford in a village. We advertise ourselves as close to Stratford and the Cotswolds. most guests visit both. We have two lets on the river Stour, both with two bedrooms sleeping four. We are open all year, and live on site, and achieve about 40% occupancy.

Our normal changeover date is a Friday but we do weekends Monday to Friday, and get quite a few bookings mid-week, Monday to Friday. Off-peak we are open to odd days (minimum 2 nights) and get quite a few of those.

We are 4 start QIT rated so I don't know about the lower end of the market. We didn't find it hard to get this rating.

Contact me if you want more details,

Jonathan

[HolidayGirl]

Thank you so much for your reply Jonathan and for letting me know your percentage of bookings!

I may way take you up on your offer of more information in the future. That is very kind of you.

We are still working out the best scenario as to what to do.

Many thanks!

[golfing girl]

Recently we wanted a small holiday let in Stratford and had a lot of trouble finding one, most people didn't even reply to us. So we went for a hotel. So had we had a reply at the right price in Stratford we would have booked
I think there maybe a market. To me Stratford is like York and Bath and the holiday lets there seem to do well.

[HolidayGirl]

Oh that's awful Golfing Girl. Fancy not even getting a reply from holiday enquires.

I know that they can be a pain to do sometimes but I expect like you, I always try to reply within 24 hours. Even if it's not a booking I can take.

Well, that's food for thought. Maybe there is a good rental market in the area.

Thank you!