went swimming at lunchtime and this topic went with me.
Alan
I agree that you should have all the facilities you can afford.We are just installing a suana and a spa so I'm not against lots of facilities - I suppose it's really satellite TV that I'm balking at.
Arnold
On reflection I do think I would want a TV in a bedroom for a B and B as well as the en suite!!!
Room facilities
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
I may be wrong (often am) but I don't think I am competing head to head with hotels, chambres d'hotes or B&B's. I stay aware of what they offer but I think I am in a slightly different market place.
For what it's worth I have decided who is the person I want to attract and I have included the facilities which I think will attract that person. Perhaps it reduces the number of enquiries but the ratio of bookings to enquiries is high and the number of returners is very high.
Alan
For what it's worth I have decided who is the person I want to attract and I have included the facilities which I think will attract that person. Perhaps it reduces the number of enquiries but the ratio of bookings to enquiries is high and the number of returners is very high.
Alan
Ah, but you are competing head to head with them and indeed with other holiday providers such as the canal boats etc. I don't know that people wake up one morning and say "we must stay in a French gite this year"; what they will do is say "we must have a holiday this year" and it's later that it becomes a gite/B&B/boat/whatever holiday.
If you think about it, if the above wasn't the case, then everyone would always go to the same place on holiday. OK, some do that, but most don't.
So whilst you think that by, say, offering tailored painting holidays in France you aren't competing with hotels in practice you still would be. If said painting holiday became too expensive for instance, you'd find just how much you were competing with the rest as your bookings dried up.
Or in short you are in the "holiday business", not the B&B/gite/whatever business.
(Sorry, marketing background creeping in)
Arnold
If you think about it, if the above wasn't the case, then everyone would always go to the same place on holiday. OK, some do that, but most don't.
So whilst you think that by, say, offering tailored painting holidays in France you aren't competing with hotels in practice you still would be. If said painting holiday became too expensive for instance, you'd find just how much you were competing with the rest as your bookings dried up.
Or in short you are in the "holiday business", not the B&B/gite/whatever business.
(Sorry, marketing background creeping in)
Arnold
We have chosen to go for a more high end market and have included everything we could think of in our vacation rental. We also are asking our guests what else they might have wanted and we try and see what we can do. We purchased all new items for the place so things are very nice. We didn't go with the best of everything but did go for the best we could afford. We even provide dog beds, bowls etc for our furry friends, romantic-ish CDS in the master bedroom, an X-Box and games in the loft for the kids and a ton of other things. You can check out our Vacation Rental Amenities Page for a more complete listing of items. Everything is not there but we tried.
Our first renters asked about an iron and ironing board (which we had) just as an example of the things people care about.
An important thing (at least I hope so
) we did was to ask other people with houses and the rental agencies what was the most requested amenities that sold places (hot tub in our case) and made sure we had that.
We are even going to put high speed wireless internet access and maybe a pc hidden nicely in a cabinent for those who want to browse the web for restaurants or activities or check their email while they are there. We try and "hide" all of our electronics in hand crafted armoires or the like so if someone is offended
by that stuff on vacation they can leave the furniture close and won't even know it is there.
Our first renters asked about an iron and ironing board (which we had) just as an example of the things people care about.
An important thing (at least I hope so
) we did was to ask other people with houses and the rental agencies what was the most requested amenities that sold places (hot tub in our case) and made sure we had that.We are even going to put high speed wireless internet access and maybe a pc hidden nicely in a cabinent for those who want to browse the web for restaurants or activities or check their email while they are there. We try and "hide" all of our electronics in hand crafted armoires or the like so if someone is offended
by that stuff on vacation they can leave the furniture close and won't even know it is there.-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Arnold,
I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one.
You are absolutely right, in the most general terms, when you say that we are all in the "holiday business" but we are addressing entirely different sectors of it.
I can't, and don't, offer what a hotel can and vice versa. In my opinion our potential clients are as different as chalk and cheese.
Let's hope we both succeed in what we are doing and the way in which we are doing it.
Alan
I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one.
You are absolutely right, in the most general terms, when you say that we are all in the "holiday business" but we are addressing entirely different sectors of it.
I can't, and don't, offer what a hotel can and vice versa. In my opinion our potential clients are as different as chalk and cheese.
Let's hope we both succeed in what we are doing and the way in which we are doing it.
Alan
Oh don't get me wrong, Alan, I'm saying that you're competing with hotels etc, not that you should duplicate what they offer. I don't think that there's any point in a B&B/gite doing that and in fact, in many ways, it can be a disadvantage to do so as the service could easily become too impersonal and personal service is "the" big plus of a B&B/gite.
I could easily be talked into a holiday at Eagle Crest, but I think it'll be quite a while before the French equivalent has anything like the level of facilities that you guys have. Even quite large gites over here wouldn't have the floor space for most of the things that you list.
Arnold
I could easily be talked into a holiday at Eagle Crest, but I think it'll be quite a while before the French equivalent has anything like the level of facilities that you guys have. Even quite large gites over here wouldn't have the floor space for most of the things that you list.
Arnold
Reading what you guys have said...do you really think that folk really want internet access bearing in mind the technology nowadays with G3 phones etc.?
The reason I ask is that we have been 'retired' from London stress city jobs for over 4 years, so we are 'out of the loop' now, a holiday was incredibly important - with the most important factor.... to be away from the phone!...I have only been asked once in 3 years if we have internet access & 3 times if we have a phone...all from Americans.....not once from a British person.
We certainly won't be taking a switched on phone with us on our holiday!
The reason I ask is that we have been 'retired' from London stress city jobs for over 4 years, so we are 'out of the loop' now, a holiday was incredibly important - with the most important factor.... to be away from the phone!...I have only been asked once in 3 years if we have internet access & 3 times if we have a phone...all from Americans.....not once from a British person.
We certainly won't be taking a switched on phone with us on our holiday!
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Tansy,
My experience tells me that you are right about the Internet and telephones. All guests appear to arrive with mobile phones but most have them so that they are not "out of touch". Having 24/7 broadband Internet connection is for my convenience as is having a wireless network. Having the network is a bonus for guests if they want to use it but only one ever has. I wouldn't put any of it in for guests alone.
Alan
My experience tells me that you are right about the Internet and telephones. All guests appear to arrive with mobile phones but most have them so that they are not "out of touch". Having 24/7 broadband Internet connection is for my convenience as is having a wireless network. Having the network is a bonus for guests if they want to use it but only one ever has. I wouldn't put any of it in for guests alone.
Alan
I think Alan's point is a good one - there is a difference in providing things for your own pleasure/convenience and then having them available for guests too. This is exactly our approach with the sauna ( correct spelling this time!!) and the spa - if we didn't want them we wouldn't invest in them just for the gites. Often it's a question of budget and return on investment.
Off to pay my impôts ( taxes) !!!!!!!
Off to pay my impôts ( taxes) !!!!!!!
mascamps wrote: "I could easily be talked into a holiday at Eagle Crest, but I think it'll be quite a while before the French equivalent has anything like the level of facilities that you guys have. Even quite large gites over here wouldn't have the floor space for most of the things that you list."
I'm not sure I agree with this. Most of the facilities mentioned don't really take up that much space. Not that I would necessarily want to provide them. Large screen home cinema systems aren't really my cup of tea, but I would have plenty of space for them if I wanted to.
I agree with the statement that we are in the holiday business and not just the gite business, and I treat my advertising and guests accordingly. However, perhaps there is a difference between those of us who do this for a living, and have no other income, and those who do it to finance their second home, retirement etc. Not that either one is better than the other, just that if you rely on the income completely you are more likely to treat it as a "business" and to look closely at all types of competition.
Ju
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Christine Kenyon
- Posts: 623
- Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:58 am
- Location: Glenridding, Ullswater Valley, Lake District, UK
- Contact:
I agree with Tansy about the provision of telephones.
Up until December 2004, we were in the 5% of the UK that wasn't covered by any mobile network. This was a definite advantage for many of our guests who loved the fact that no-one from work (or elsewhere) could get hold of them. A few of the teenagers were maybe a bit disgruntled at the thought of life without texting, but it was available within a 10 mile radius!
We've now got Vodafone coverage - and we keep that a secret if it suits our guests! When on holiday, most people just want to get away from having to communicate with everyone 24/7.
Up until December 2004, we were in the 5% of the UK that wasn't covered by any mobile network. This was a definite advantage for many of our guests who loved the fact that no-one from work (or elsewhere) could get hold of them. A few of the teenagers were maybe a bit disgruntled at the thought of life without texting, but it was available within a 10 mile radius!
We've now got Vodafone coverage - and we keep that a secret if it suits our guests! When on holiday, most people just want to get away from having to communicate with everyone 24/7.
Christine
holiday cottages in Glenridding, Ullswater
http://www.stybarrowcottage.co.uk
http://www.grisedalelodge.co.uk
http://www.grisedalecottage.co.uk
holiday cottages in Glenridding, Ullswater
http://www.stybarrowcottage.co.uk
http://www.grisedalelodge.co.uk
http://www.grisedalecottage.co.uk
As for phone it is a MUST. Just think ... someone is staying at your place cooking a nice batch of cookies and they fall asleep. The next thing you know is the kitchen is on fire and they can't get a hold of anybody because there is no phone! By the time they run next door and find a neighbor or figure something out bye bye rental. There are many other examples of injuries etc. that really necessitate having a phone.
The internet is for three reasons. 1. I am running this business and also am a software engineer at a small firm so getting away from connectivity just means I have to drive somewhere else and find it when the sky starts falling. 2. Many others are in my same position OR are like me and if they want to find info it is easiest for them to find it on-line 3. We offer discounts to fellow geocachers who use the internet to locate which caches to visit so it is a nice thing for them.
My theory for technology is don't put it in their face (therefore the armoires and cabinets to hide the tech.) and you won't annoy the people who hate it but WILL be able to get those who can't live without it.
The internet is for three reasons. 1. I am running this business and also am a software engineer at a small firm so getting away from connectivity just means I have to drive somewhere else and find it when the sky starts falling. 2. Many others are in my same position OR are like me and if they want to find info it is easiest for them to find it on-line 3. We offer discounts to fellow geocachers who use the internet to locate which caches to visit so it is a nice thing for them.
My theory for technology is don't put it in their face (therefore the armoires and cabinets to hide the tech.) and you won't annoy the people who hate it but WILL be able to get those who can't live without it.