Lay My Hat

Speaking to contacts in two large booking agencies, they confirm that May stays and total rental income were significantly down and June looks to be going the same way. The first four months of 2017 met 2016 performance but tailed off in late April. July and August look up to scratch and the Autumn is looking promising, for CHL.

Some say the timing of Easter is part of the reason, but the dip is marked and significant. I put it down to less demand generation due to major agencies not advertising at Christmas making the mistake that Google can generate demand. Instead, we were left pursuing fewer guests for bookings but paying higher click bids.. which have, now, mercifully dropped to year on year lower pay per click levels.

A burst of unseasonal TV and newspaper advertising happened in late April and the first half of May. It went quiet. Then, yesterday, more unseasonal ads from Home Away appeared on the TV. The major booking agencies are feeling the heat. Sykes' discounting is notable: one good quality holiday cottage in Framlington was advertising with a 35% discount for a June stay. I have not checked other large agencies with auto discount systems.

Something seems to be happening, related to the way legacy marketing and advertising works in tandem with the Internet. I suspect people are having to learn very fast.

An acquaintance with top quality properties in top quality locations (France) is maintaining his prices on HA but halving them (50% the HA rates) on airbnb. He is practically full from April through September 2017. On HA his minimum stay is 7 nights, on airbnb 2 nights. The number of reviews from airbnb just for the month of May (9) indicate that at least many of the bookings are, indeed, coming from the grossly reduced prices.
It is difficult to know what is really going on. Just looking at HA I thought that he was full on top prices - which doesn't make sense today. In fact, the few properties I see which are full have all reduced min stays to 3 nights, which makes me wonder if they are all on airbnb.

If everyone slashes prices the owners with mortgages are going to be out.

One of the things I like about Lay My Hat is that it is a rare forum where this sort of reality is discussed. Something is going on out there- fortunately, from our point of view, May and June may be the only months affected.

First time in 12 seasons we have minimum stays of 3 nights with flexible start days except August. May bookings down but so was Jun last year this Jun looking better.

here in France we are putting it down to political instability across Europe - we have only UK/French regulars in our gites for next 5 wks, with just 1 w/end(French) of B&B bookings for June after this w/end - no new bookings at all for June is a first in 14yrs - Legislative election in France 11 & 18 June & of course UK election next week - dependent on results of both we hope that things will start to pick up by end of June with new enquiries from UK & France for both gites & B&B - so far empty for middle 2wks of July & 1 gite is empty from 4th August for rest of season. Dutch & Belgians we hope will fill July/August gaps otherwise. Have also dropped prices dramatically on airbnb & made min stay of 3 nts for both gites on all OTAs.

First time in 17 years we have an empty week in June! and all the properties nearby are quiet too.

We haved 2 empty weeks early July still free, which is unusual. I think it's a general slowdown from what I read. Also the scaremongering stories in the press don't help - neither does Sykes discounting everything in site, I'm glad I'm not one of their owners.

Sykes have managed to fill all of June for us. Perhaps I need to change to another agent or put our prices up.

KHCottage wrote:Sykes have managed to fill all of June for us. Perhaps I need to change to another agent or put our prices up.

I guess it depends at what price. If you're happy with the amount you're getting after their fees etc then why change? I have some June still free which is unheard of.

We've had a busy June in the Cotswolds and it is our first year of operation. July and August is shaping up to be busy too, but we have lots of capacity still Sept-Nov.

June might be quiet, but it looks like everybody will be booked up for September

(courtesy VRBO)
...
or did they mean that the world is populous on those dates. Or maybe this isn't the same world that we know.

We've been planning to holiday there for years. We might be too late.

We went last year, looking for somewhere different this year.

That's HA world. A very different place.