Bookings for 2006.. How's it going?

[DivineMrsM]

That's excellent information. Thanks for that Alan. We're 1.5hrs from Bordeaux by car so I guess that bodes well for us.

[Fraise]

Thankyou Fluffy.Just had a quick look,there are 4 matches in our area..(Bordeaux- I guess a 50 minute drive from the rental house to the ground is reasonably OK? )...we'll see..

[FTF]

Thanks for that - we're also only about an hour from Bordeaux which will hopefully be good for bookings, but as my husband is a massive rugby fan hopefully we'll also be able to benefit!

[Sue Dyer]

Just taken a booking for the 8th week for next year I don't usually put the new dates/rates up until later but it seems to pay off for the early birds. Today's booking the guests stayed with us in June and want the same week next year. Two of the 8 weeks are returners so we must be doing something right!!

Oh, we put our prices up a little more than the usual percentage and that seems to be working out okay too.

[lehcar]

Wow!! I'm so excited!!
We now have 7 weeks booked for next year! and the villa isn't even finished yet so we have'nt been able to post to our website any interior shots yet! We're out there at christmas so should be able to take some then.

It will be our first season next year so a bit nerve racking, but we go out again in May to complete the final touches before the first guests arrive in June.

By the way, all our bookings have come through our personal website rather than from advertising elsewhere! Very please about that as well.

[Alan Knighting]

By the way, all our bookings have come through our personal website rather than from advertising elsewhere! Very please about that as well.

This is getting interesting. A number of members are saying the same sort of thing about their personal websites when I thought they were just a nice luxury. Think again, Fluffy.

Alan

[lehcar]

This is getting interesting. A number of members are saying the same sort of thing about their personal websites when I thought they were just a nice luxury.

Alan

Definately not a luxury! I would say a necessity!

I have designed a few websites for other villa owners, I also offer to put their properties onto advertising agent sites as part of their seo package, usually on a trial basis. All the statistics I have are that their website has produced the most enquiries and the most bookings.
I think it is still essential to be advertised elsewhere as it does boost your site ranking if you can get a link on there as well.

Rachel

[Paul Carmel]

So far this year we are up to 8 weeks from 2 paying sites and our own site, within this our site is on top with 2 of these bookings.

Come on Fluffy. It's time to step over to the dark side.....

[Fraise]

Ooh,I just love having my own web site and would not consider otherwise-it's brill to point people to it,either just to take a peek or to answer any questions.I pay for 4 listing sites too- I think both are essential tools

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[cromercrabholiday]

Very strange - by this time last year we had the whole of July and August booked, this year one week only. In the current year, we had little interest in June, sold out in previous years but full for October, hardly sold in past years. If only I could fathom out a pattern!

John

[John Borg]

Well, I have 17 weeks tucked away so far, about 5 weeks better than this time last year. August 2006 is fully booked, as always, 1 week left in July, but surprisingly, my first bookings were 3 weeks in September and 2 weeks in October!
I also sneaked in with 4 weeks between December 2005 and january 2006 and a late booking for the last week of November 2005. Can't complain. And yes, 60% came from paid adverts on Holiday-rentals, Vacation Villas International and Abritel, plus 40% repeat bookings (also a good sign, considering that this was our second "full season". One significant booking was a 3 week booking from a family (1st, 2nd and now 3rd generation) who have been coming to Malta, staying in another property, for the past 20 years.

[Clexane]

Even though we have nine weeks booked for next year we have not had an enquiry for over three weeks which is vey strange. Has anybody else found this - have enquiries died off recently. Oddly enough we still have all of August still available when July is booked out and some more off season ...

Do others in France (or Europe) think these riots are going to have an impact ????

John 17 weeks ... your the man - can only dream of that booking level this early on!!!!

[cromercrabholiday]

We thought that bookings came in good weather but we've seen lack of interest for the last few weeks and the UK has been having a ridiculously warm autumn - the trees around us have hardly changed colour and the only leaves lost have been blown off!

In the UK I think it must be a combination of the Conservative leadership battle and Tony Blair's problems occupying everbody's time (joke).

John

[Paul Carmel]

Clexane,

Your patten could almost be a mirror image of ours. I dont think the riots have much to do with it. In my opinion the selling of Xmas seems to be earlier every year. And in peoples minds this is the next big expense. As soon as the supermarkets aisles were full of toys and chocolate our enquiry level went down. Roll on the second week of Jan!

John well done that man!!

[la vache!]

I've had a couple of bookings for June this month, but nothing else. For me November and December last year were fairly dire for enquiries, let alone bookings, but they came in 2005 eventually! January isn't far away now...