Just wondered how it's looking for the rest of you in Spain.
This is our 6th year renting and we have always had more than 100 nights booked for the following year by now, this year we have a repeat booking for 7 nights in Feb!
We had the local bad news of the Priors house being demolished, still not resolved and they're looking forward to another winter in their garage.
Almeria airport is pretty quiet for winter, only Easyjet Gatwick from the UK.
Otherwise it's the bad news from the higher cost of Car Rental last summer. The exchange rate, of course and generally the dreaded C.C.
We price in Euros so expect some hesitation from the UK but we are trying to target Euroland, our winter euro price is the same or lower than 2006, summer a bit higher.
We've dropped OD, HR, HL and Portside over the last 2 years, have stuck with Spain Holiday, gone back to homelidays and get the odd booking from smaller sites.
Our biggest reduction is repeat bookings from UK. Normally about 35% of our total. (I know we only need 3 nights to beat it at the moment!)
How is it for you? Is it just us ? Is it just slow or something more serious?
2010 looking slow here
..Ok here, Vera, about the same as usual....
no, a little better and earlier, actually I usually only fill peak season by January. I have noticed we in Spain mainland are slightly behind France for early booking generally, over the years.
My Jan to April bookings all come in about three weeks before due dates. I am waitng for confirmation on a January one shortly - more golfers.
I have stayed with Portside - 2 for next year already and homelidays 4 for next year and the rest on my two websites.
I made a second freebie site from iowners specifically for golfers and it's just starting to work now- thankyou to posters on here for that. Daltons brings in few too. These are my consistent best performers for my area and property type, bringing in half UK and half French with a sprinkling of Russian, German and Italian.
I still have OD but only for short periods ( haven't performed yet - no enquiries at all ) and dropped Hlets, H lettings, Choose spain and spain holiday. I love having the French as guests and fortunately, they can drive down so if air fares go up and car hires don't improve, it won't hit them so I try to focus on that market heavily.
The car charges were horrendous this summer but I try to get my guests to book cars with the deposit. I am still staying in stirling until we hit parity.
I can see the planes coming into Malaga airport from our mountain vantage point (can't hear them thank goodness ) and the airport is busy as ever. I just wish they would finish building the wretched thing- it's looking pretty good though and they are bringing in some fabulous shops - even National geographic, a first for an airport.
I am sure things will pick up for you, folk are making enquiries, they haven't forsaken us yet and why should they ? The weather here has been fabulous for three weeks - glorious wall to wall sunshine and my gardens are heavy with bright autumn flowers and perfumes
no, a little better and earlier, actually I usually only fill peak season by January. I have noticed we in Spain mainland are slightly behind France for early booking generally, over the years.
My Jan to April bookings all come in about three weeks before due dates. I am waitng for confirmation on a January one shortly - more golfers.
I have stayed with Portside - 2 for next year already and homelidays 4 for next year and the rest on my two websites.
I made a second freebie site from iowners specifically for golfers and it's just starting to work now- thankyou to posters on here for that. Daltons brings in few too. These are my consistent best performers for my area and property type, bringing in half UK and half French with a sprinkling of Russian, German and Italian.
I still have OD but only for short periods ( haven't performed yet - no enquiries at all ) and dropped Hlets, H lettings, Choose spain and spain holiday. I love having the French as guests and fortunately, they can drive down so if air fares go up and car hires don't improve, it won't hit them so I try to focus on that market heavily.
The car charges were horrendous this summer but I try to get my guests to book cars with the deposit. I am still staying in stirling until we hit parity.
I can see the planes coming into Malaga airport from our mountain vantage point (can't hear them thank goodness ) and the airport is busy as ever. I just wish they would finish building the wretched thing- it's looking pretty good though and they are bringing in some fabulous shops - even National geographic, a first for an airport.
I am sure things will pick up for you, folk are making enquiries, they haven't forsaken us yet and why should they ? The weather here has been fabulous for three weeks - glorious wall to wall sunshine and my gardens are heavy with bright autumn flowers and perfumes
Slower with me than last year Vera but about the same as the year before. I think last year was unusual for me as we were nearly 50% booked by beginning November.
I have noticed that there're the same number of enquiries but decisions are not being made...or they are and then unmade (i.e. they tell me they want to go ahead then hear nothing) and of course I lost a weeks booking by not accepting C.C's.
Am waiting on a possible 3 week booking and if I get that I'll be more or less back on track against last year.
This year I noticed many more new rental properties on the market...I suspect owned by Brits who now need some income to pay the mortgage on thei holiday home - so more competition out there. Thankfully for me only 1 falls into my size and price bracket but it is getting tougher here I suspect.
I really do feel for the Priors and how they're managing to get through this ordeal I'll never know.
Mouse
x
I have noticed that there're the same number of enquiries but decisions are not being made...or they are and then unmade (i.e. they tell me they want to go ahead then hear nothing) and of course I lost a weeks booking by not accepting C.C's.
Am waiting on a possible 3 week booking and if I get that I'll be more or less back on track against last year.
This year I noticed many more new rental properties on the market...I suspect owned by Brits who now need some income to pay the mortgage on thei holiday home - so more competition out there. Thankfully for me only 1 falls into my size and price bracket but it is getting tougher here I suspect.
I really do feel for the Priors and how they're managing to get through this ordeal I'll never know.
Mouse
x
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