Lay My Hat

Normally we struggle to get bookings at our place in Norfolk from the end of September through to Easter. We are currently booked solid to the second week in November. It will be interesting to see how this Winter pans out.

I suspect that a lot of Brits that would have normally holidayed overseas in the summer are taking autumn/winter staycations instead.

We’ve been lucky that weeks normally filled by Brits were taken by French and Dutch guests.

I am finding the same, not a single week empty (and all full weeks or two week bookings) since early July up to 21st November and then I have a gap to 11th December for my first short break followed by Christmas and New Year booked as a two week one (Yay!!). We normally close down in November because ....who wants to holiday in November? This is my first year of having nearly all domestic bookings since we started in 2005 as I normally have Americans, Canadians, Australians and very very few British bookings as all those from abroad get in really early with advanced plans. I had some Americans who had quarantined somewhere else before us and some who quarantined with us.

Will this go on through January and February do you think? You are right LotBoy47- a lot of ours had had holidays booked abroad. I did have one with some very fed up looking teenagers as a quiet week in the Cotswolds was the substitute for Florida, trip of a lifetime. I don't think they were that pleased. The parents had a nice break though and just left them at home with their devices.

Yet bookings for here in Austria at the moment are non existent

Probably from all the holiday makers we've had to cancel here in Wales

Had a booking and deposit paid today for an arrival on 6th November from somebody in a Tier 3 area who said they would ‘monitor the situation’. I have had our agents cancel it as there is no way they should be travelling and these Tier classifications only get reviewed every 28 days. It could prevent a viable booking for that week if they cancel last minute. Unfortunately these restrictions are not law so I am sure some will still travel but I believe we all need to stop this happening if we know about it. From a selfish business perspective the most important thing is preventing your own area going into Tier 3 so nobody could stay.

We were fully booked in October but the local lockdowns in South Wales meant that we had to cancel them all and refund the payments. We haven't had any inquiries lately and I don't think things will improve after the two-week Wales firebreak lockdown is over. Fingers crossed that the situation will improve in 2021.

Booked to mid November, then for Xmas / New Year.

Last year around this time had 2 bookings for Dec from repeat guests from Holland and France. Not this year!

Have a 10 day booking from German guests for Easter - postponed from the summer. Will it happen?

Not sure how rest of the winter will pan out. My cottage is in West Sussex (Tier one)

Absolutely dead here.

Mark Drakeford has killed the Welsh STL market at the moment. Even when lockdown is over he's not yet said if we can re-open never mind on what terms.

I'm expecting to have to refund my Christmas and NY bookings and not expecting anything much until Easter.

Our last guests have just arrived, they are here until the 4th.
We will then close until the Feb 1/2 term week (at least).

Not worth taking bookings for the winter, when cancellations are likely due guests having to isolate or moving into tier 3.

Can`t complain though, we have achieved 109 nights since opening on july 10th.

Lets hope that by Feb a vaccine is making a difference.
This year has been hard work!
Best,
K&J

When have you opened bookings from in the UK?

You won’t be able to have anyone before Easter is my guess.

Easter may or may not go ahead.

We are also dependent on having a good spring with some UVA which helps to dampen down the virus.

Summer will hopefully be ok but be prepared to refund anyone at the moment. If the vaccination programme keeps up at this rate snd even more vaccines are approved we will make progress.

All of the above applies to UK guests only, if you normally attract a lot of overseas bookings you may have more problems.

Here in Spain all our enquiries are for 2022 .... so perhaps we'll muddle through 2021 and have a bumper 2022 ?

Currently cancelling and moving my March guests, some for the 3rd time now.

This is no way to run a business

We just had our best January and February ever in 20 years at one property and 14 at the other. This is our low season. We filled half the month and that's with leaving 2 nts beteeen bookings. We are going to stop that in June. We are in the U.S.-in Colorado on the edge of the national park.