Those of you who have bookings for 2012 and 2013, how do you get them? What do you do that's different? Or is it just luck?
I agree there's nothing particular that can be done to attract them although I do offer taking bookings upto December on only a 10% deposit. Normally it's 50%. I don't know any other villa owner who does that here.
I normally get bookings well before the others...but they do catch me up.
I have 1 repeat guest who has booked on departure each year they've visited, as for the others it's usually a birthday celebration of some sort (so they want to get everything sorted) or it's families booking early to take advantage of the cheaper flights.
As LV says, large groups have to get organised early - we sleep 12+ - so I'm sure we wouldn't have any bookings for 2012 either if we only took small parties.
Kathy
Waterfront location in Le Faou
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
katiegirl wrote:As LV says, large groups have to get organised early - we sleep 12+ - so I'm sure we wouldn't have any bookings for 2012 either if we only took small parties.
Although I've got more weeks booked in 2012 for my smaller cottages rather than the big house at the moment, which doesn't say a lot for my theory
I have also taken a booking for next year, I was very surprised to get that as this is our first year and they are not repeats and the house sleeps only 4.....so who knows why!?
I can only hope our second year will be as good as the first one...but it will be hard to beat .... we anticipated 12 to maybe 15 weeks for this year year and we got 25 weeks booked so far and 2 for next year! If anyone can tell me why that would be great!
la vache! wrote:
Although I've got more weeks booked in 2012 for my smaller cottages rather than the big house at the moment, which doesn't say a lot for my theory
Oh!
Kathy
Waterfront location in Le Faou
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
Although I've got more weeks booked in 2012 for my smaller cottages rather than the big house at the moment, which doesn't say a lot for my theory
Oh!
Oh Indeedy as thats my theory as well......
But ALL my bookings for next year[doesnt that sound grand ] are for both houses so Im sticking to it
[erm theyre not cramming 12 into the small cottages are they LV??.......just a thought ]
double erm...... but then again 99%of my bookings are always for both houses so......back to the drawing board
Those of you who have bookings for 2012 and 2013, how do you get them? What do you do that's different? Or is it just luck?
Both for next year are repeats. (As are most of my other long term bookers) One of my guests with dogs books here two visits almost a year in advance as she takes half terms. I take more than one dog so my regular doggie folk tend to stick where they know they are welcome.
Sue, love the picture of the dog and the fireplace. I don't own a pet but it still gives me a really warm feeling. Makes me want to be there. Do you provide a well behaved dog for those who don't own one?
Big Sis.. wrote: repeat after me one and all, 2012 is gonna be great!!
We've had 3 enquiries for 2012, no bookings yet. I have had to put the latest enquiry on hold. They're looking for first 2 weeks of August, but we expect our current (repeat) guests may want those weeks. I don't feel we can interrupt their holiday to ask if they're coming back next year, especially as we are off-site.
I sold our final two weeks in September yesterday, and as we've also been fortunate enough to get the holy grail of a winter booking, our next availability is May 2012 (Sorry if I sound smug... I'm thrilled!)
If you always do what you've always done then you'll always get what you've always got.
I have to say 2012 seems to be shaping up nicely.
I just managed to sell my last week this summer 1 week before I hit it on 16/7 (lovely Australian family touring europe and flew here from Rome) so I was very happy. Particularly as this summer we're renting out for the longest period we've ever done.
July was an absolute pain to sell this year (hardly any enquiries) guess what sold first for 2012? Yip...all July has now gone!