Changeover day - to compromise or...

[pepsipuss]

I know it is early days for summer bookings but we all know how difficult the season is likely to be..

I have had an (English) enquiry for 13 to 27 Aug in a two bed beach apartment belonging to friends. Second ever English enquiry from any source (both within last 24 hours from Travel Library which is free). Our peak season changeover day is Saturday which would be the 15th. If it were any other period or only for a week under present circs would let them have it, but the 15th is THE biggest holiday weekend of the year in Spain and I know that I should be able to fill it later. The fact that it goes on until the 27th means that in a year when I should easily be able to do 28 days consecutive booking in August I risk ending up with only 21.

Anyone got a crystal ball??

[Marks]

I don't have a crystal ball but I do not stipulate a change over day. Last August I had 4 'empty' nights.

Just had a look at my enquiries so far for 2009, well into double figures and not a single Saturday to Saturday enquiry. Having just had my one March week cancel today (illness) I'll take anything that comes my way at the moment.

[pepsipuss]

Thanks Marks

The heat has gone out of it anyway because there was a misunderstanding over our high season price and it is out of his budget.

Our experience has always been that the Spanish guests prefer weekend to weekend and as nearly all our bookings are Spanish that suits us very well - although it is a bit of a struggle with the cleaners ! The Brits are flight-dependent which probably explains why you haven't got so many Sat bookings?

[Marks]

Mainly Brits, Scandanavians and Irish. I did once have a Spanish guest but she was from London so doesn't really count

[scaliwells]

Just having a discussion with my OH about the same topic. We got an enquiry for 1st July (weds) but we do saturday changeover during peak season. I was wavering, but the other half says NO, too early to start compromising. This year is our first full year and we are still testing the water. I think he is right, but can't help wanting to close a deal.

Anyone else compromising, or is it too early?

[Mountain Goat]

We always have done, although it can hurt a bit - the cleaners dream of each non-Saturday arrival.

Some arrivals, say from Belfast or Dublin, just have to travel mid-week to Geneva, it's their only possible flight.

MG

[Big Sis..]

Hi Pepsi heres another thread on it......

viewtopic.php?t=7292&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

But I know what youre saying its a difficult year and brave decisions might need to be made.

[pepsipuss]

Thanks Ros, have now perused that thread - lots of interesting stuff.

I think I am going to stand firm for our villa but be rather more flexible with the apartments because there is going to be so much competition this year for 'non unique' properties.

[christinedavid]

Last year I accepted bookings for whatever changeover day people wanted for my villa in Turkey. The result? I ended up with 21 nights not filled, because of days here and there. This year, I'm sticking to my guns for peak season.

[e-richard]

I ended up with 21 nights not filled, because of days here and there.

I wonder how many empty nights you would have had if you'd been less flexible ?

Its a very hard balancing act.

[pepsipuss]

Apart from that middle two weeks of August, because of the crucial nature of the 15th, we have generally been willing to be a bit flexible with the apartments (although less so with the house, but somehow it rarely arises with that, maybe they read the information about changeovers before enquiring - wow ). I am wondering though with the 15th falling on a Saturday this year whether it might not pay to be more flexible as people may not want to travel at all on that day? Or even declare the changeover day to be Sunday? Having said all that our first house booking is for the 1-15th!!

It has usually worked quite well because with people arriving by car (from Spain or France) we can negotiate the odd days via special deals. So if I am left with a nine day gap and someone wants a week, provided they can take the time workwise, they will usually grab an extra two days for the price of one. All three apartments went through last summer with no dead days at all (and very little discounting) until (weirdly) the end of August when it was really hard to fill the last week.

[Giddy Goat]

Now there's a canny pussycat!

[Big Sis..]

I think the last week in Aug can be a bit sticky in comparison to the other peak weeks..
Think people want to get back to sort out going back to school stuff and things like that.
I have the last week left at the mo, but had an enquiry for that week and the first week in Sept so that would be handy.

[Giddy Goat]

Ooh yes, I hope you manage to persuade them to book!

I agree, that last week in August is a challenge when your property attracts families as opposed to couples. We've taken it ourselves this year!

[pepsipuss]

This last week of August thing is a relatively new problem with Spanish guests. Up until five years or so ago they would think nothing of taking the WHOLE MONTH away. Then it shrank to two weeks or ten days - when questioned they all said the same thing - big credit commitments, mainly mortgages. When we were shopping for a new car in 2007 a dealer told us that he had quite a few Spanish customers taking out 10-year loans just to get a big new car!

Last year they were booking single weeks as the norm, with two weeks being the exception. So the credit crunch is alive and kicking here.