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Small changes to improve your holiday home blog

Have you wondered what you could do to improve your holiday home reviews? Often it’s the little added touches that can ‘wow’ your guests and show them you have thought of everything. Making just a few small changes to your property can set you apart from the crowd, add to your guests’ experience, improve your holiday home reviews and encourage repeat bookings.

For many people, an online review is as important as a personal recommendation. First-hand feedback helps your guests to identify whether your holiday home is suitable for them, meaning they can book with confidence. It goes without saying that positive feedback will result in peace of mind for your potential customers, in turn increasing your bookings.

improve your holiday home reviews


Looking for something in particular? Use our quick links below to navigate the content or read on for our top tips on how to improve your holiday home reviews…


Here are our top 8 tips to improve your holiday home reviews:

1. Provide a welcome pack

Remember, first impressions count! Whilst guests are aware that holiday properties are self-catering, providing some basic essentials in readiness for their arrival will be highly appreciated.

Wow, what a superb place to stay with family!
Everything is thought of and the quality of everything is so high. I would say it’s the perfect place to chill, all of our group said how relaxed they felt at Butterwell Barn. Such a warm welcome from the owners and the cream tea was enjoyed by all. I would definitely recommend Butterwell Barn and we hope to visit again.

For guests that have travelled a long way to your holiday home, arriving to find a welcome pack will create a positive first impression. Even the smallest and simplest gesture can make a big difference. Consider leaving a supply of tea, coffee, milk and biscuits to welcome your guests, or perhaps a selection of logs and firelighters if you have a wood fire. Some owners even choose to provide a welcome hamper or Devonshire cream tea, to help their guests settle in. Depending on the time of year, you might also consider adapting your welcome offering to be more seasonal, for instance leaving mince pies around Christmas, or a Simnel cake at Easter.

To further help your guests settle in, provide a comprehensive holiday home guest information pack to introduce your guests to the area, and provide them with important property information on how to work the heating, appliances and more.

None of these extras need to be costly, but thoughtful gestures go a long way to making a good impression on guests, bettering their experience and improving your holiday home reviews.


2. The importance of comfort

7 top tips to improve your holiday home reviews

Ensuring your guests’ comfort is key to your holiday let’s success. In order to gain more positive reviews, it is vital you create a space for guests that is truly a relaxing and inviting oasis, allowing them to feel revitalised and rested during their stay.

Things always seem rosier when you wake up on the right side of a comfy bed, so it’s well worth investing in good quality beds and mattresses, or at the very least a luxurious mattress topper. Strive for no squeaks, no lumps and no bumps!

Good quality bedding is also a sound investment as high-thread count linen will last well and provide a luxury experience. Guests often expect beds and linen to be of a higher quality than they enjoy in their own home, and the comfort and cleanliness of beds, linen and towels are regularly commented on in holiday home reviews.

Coast & County Cottages is able to offer owners peace of mind by providing a linen hire and laundry service via our dedicated laundry unit, Travel Lite, based in Salcombe. Hiring linen ensures that everything is of a consistent standard and high-quality, without the hassle of having to regularly replace old or damaged bedding and towels. All our Travel Lite linen is regularly updated and of an excellent standard.


3. Ensure your holiday let is spotlessly clean

The importance of a high standard of cleanliness in a self-catering property is now more than ever vital to its success, and will highly impact how positively your guests will feel about their overall experience on holiday.

The cleanliness of a holiday let creates an overall first impression of a property and is often mentioned in subsequent reviews. Guests invariably expect the property they are staying in to be immaculately presented and spotlessly clean, particularly following the pandemic. For details on how to ensure your property is ready for guests, read our blog on cleaning, housekeeping and laundry. We’ve also put together some top tips for deep cleaning your holiday home, to help you plan your cleaning procedures in this post-Coronavirus world, keeping both you and your guests as safe as possible


4. Don’t forget to supply holiday home essentials

7 top tips to improve your holiday home reviews

Making sure all the basics are provided for guests to make them feel at home will certainly help boost reviews for your holiday let. It can often be the essential items that are forgotten, so by ensuring you have the basics covered, guests are less likely to give an undesirable review, which could create a negative impression around your property.

So, what should be provided to enhance the experience of your guests? Consider simple things like making sure there is sufficient toilet roll, a good supply of cleaning equipment, adequate seating for all guests, and even a selection of spare light bulbs available. It may seem trivial, but it’s these important basics that will influence your guest’s impression of your holiday property.

In today’s world, offering good WiFi coverage is becoming high in demand. People now rely on WiFi for both entertainment and remote working – something which has become a lot more prominent recently. Strong, reliable WiFi is what guests have come to expect.


5. Equip your holiday let to a high standard

improve your holiday let reviews

Once you’ve got the basics covered, one of the easiest ways to ensure happy guests and improve your holiday let reviews is to invest in additional features and equipment to make your holiday home extra special.

Having a well-equipped kitchen is one area in particular that this applies to. Ensure that your guests have all the equipment they need to make self-catering a pleasure. Don’t underestimate the difference sharp knives, decent chopping boards and champagne glasses can make when guests are making themselves at home. Simple and affordable additions such as a coffee machine can make the holiday a more relaxing experience for guests – indeed, now that many people have one at home, we are often asked if a coffee machine is supplied.

Additional entertainment services like Sky, Netflix or alternatively a smart TV with USB ports or HDMI connections can help keep guests entertained on a rainy day.

Luxury facilities and features such as log fires, hot tubs and swimming pools will certainly guarantee that your property has an edge over the competition. Offering a luxury experience is likely to increase guest satisfaction, which could result in positive reviews.

Careful consideration on how you equip your holiday let can go a long way to helping guests enjoy their stay. Read our blog for more tips on  how to furnish a holiday let.


6. Cater for family holidays and pets

If you cater for family holidays, adapting your property to be more child-friendly could not only increase the appeal of your holiday home to guests, but help parents to have a stress free and enjoyable break, resulting in a positive holiday experience and feedback in turn.

Kids loved the den!
Dory Cottage is a beautiful place to stay in Salcombe. Fully equipped wit everything you need…kids loved the den. We’ll definitely be back!


Simple additions like blackout blinds and night lights in children’s bedrooms make for nice extra touches. Including useful items such as cots, stairgates and high chairs in your holiday let will give parents a helping hand, reducing the amount they need to bring from home.

One of the simplistic joys of a family holiday is sitting down together to play games. Providing a small selection of board games can occupy the whole family during the evenings or when the weather isn’t the best. For more top tips on making a holiday a breeze for parents, read our blog on creating a child friendly holiday home.

Thanks for accommodating our border terriers
We had a fantastic week at The Old Wash House…thanks for accommodating our border terriers – they really appreciated the blankets and the biscuits.

With the ever-increasing demand for dog-friendly holidays, choosing to make sure that pets are cared for at your property with little extras for ‘man’s best friend’ makes perfect sense. After all, a happy pooch means a happy owner… and positive reviews.

7 top tips to improve your holiday home reviews

Dog blankets, towels, beds, treats and poo bags are good staples to consider providing in a dog-friendly cottage. Supplying your guests with everything they need, whether it be dog bowls or local walking guides, will increase the chances of your property receiving positive feedback.

Are you still undecided as to whether you should accept dogs? Read our blog should I make my holiday home dog-friendly to find out whether accepting pets is the right option for your property.


7. Attention to detail

7 top tips to improve your holiday home reviews

Often it’s the little things that make the most difference. Let your guests know that you have thought of everything by providing the things they may have forgotten to pack. Optimistic travellers may have even come without an umbrella, so consider having a few to hand. Is your holiday let on the coastal path, or near the beach? If so, think about equipping your holiday let for guests that love the outdoors. If there is a key-safe, make sure that there is a sensor operated overhead light for easy access. Does your holiday home boast stunning views? Help guests make the most of the wonderful scenery by providing binoculars.

Going above and beyond to delight your customers is perhaps the most impactful thing you can do to help you achieve repeat business, glowing reviews and word-of-mouth referrals.


8. Provide excellent support

One of the best ways to ensure happy customers, encourage repeat bookings and outstanding reviews is to offer excellent support. Occasionally, there might be a problem, but it’s the way in which it’s handled that will reflect in the subsequent reviews. If guests do encounter issues during their stay, it’s imperative to make sure things are sorted in an effective and timely way, exceeding expectations and ensuring a positive outcome.

At Coast & Country Cottages, we strive to offer our property owners the best possible service, so you can enjoy your holiday letting experience. Whether you choose to be involved on a day-to-day basis and take care of the finer details yourself, or you live away from your property and would rather let our local team do the work for you, Coast & Country Cottages are here to help. We offer two holiday let management options; owner or agency managed service. Whatever you decide, we have a tailored holiday home management solution to suit you and your property. Part of this service is that our experienced local team are on hand to answer emergency calls from guests, 24-hours a day. Good service means good reviews and feedback. Head over to our Holiday Let Services page to find out more.


Just a few thoughtful touches could go a long way to help improve your holiday home reviews. If you’d like any more ideas on small changes to maximise the potential of your property, our locally based team are always on hand to offer advice.

Whether you are considering letting your holiday home or you already have a holiday letting business, the following owner guides may be useful to you:

Are holiday lets a good investment?

Choosing a holiday home letting agency in South Devon

How to make your holiday let eco-friendly

To find out more about holiday letting with Coast & Country Cottages, request your FREE Owners Guide today or call our team of holiday letting experts.

Request your Owners Guide