Holiday Cottage Handbook
Holiday Cottage Handbook
We share everything you need to know about the short-term rentals sector.
We will help take your holiday home investment to the next level.
Visit our website: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Download our free e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book
Email the show: [email protected]
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Top 10 Holiday Cottage Handbook Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Holiday Cottage Handbook episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Holiday Cottage Handbook for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Holiday Cottage Handbook episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
HCH Bitesize 009: Arthur Colker: Achieve more bookings with branded Wi-Fi
Holiday Cottage Handbook
11/12/24 • 11 min
In this episode of HCH Bitesize, a podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we delve into essential topics for the short-term rental industry. Each week, we invite expert guests who share valuable insights and practical advice to help you enhance your knowledge and build a successful property management business.
This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Arthur Colker, Founder and CEO of StayFi, to the show to share his top five tips for maximising your marketing impact through branded Wi-Fi. Don’t miss his insights to take control of your guest experience and boost your bookings.
1:49 Tip 1: Collect and organise your guest data
2:58 Tip 2: Use automation for marketing
4:38 Tip 3: Have a direct booking website
5:29 Tip 4: Do not neglect the power of billboarding
7:05 Tip 5: Have a compelling reason for guests to return
9:05 Book a StayFi demo: https://meetings.hubspot.com/arthur46/stayfi-sales-demo?uuid=3808bc29-0b49-4571-bc21-6324b25d84a7
Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
HCH: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Arthur Colker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acolker/
StayFi: https://stayfi.com/
HCH060: Andy Fenner: Why the government should pause FHL tax plans
Holiday Cottage Handbook
10/17/24 • 37 min
Andy Fenner, CEO, Short Term Accommodation Association, is the special guest on today’s show.
During the episode, Andy discusses lobbying efforts in relation to government proposals to abolish the furnished holiday lettings tax regime. He outlines the potential impact of the policy and calls on Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves to pause the plans until the government has gathered important data about the industry, including the number of operators.
The episode includes sponsor mentions for HCH Financial Services, Your AirHost, Zeal, and Key Data.
3:40 Andy’s journey in the tourism industry: from Zambia to short-term rentals
7:10 The Short Term Accommodation Association
9:42 Furnished holiday lettings tax regime lobbying efforts
13:37 The potential impact of FHL tax changes
16:32 Airbnb/EY report about impact of short-term rentals in the UK
21:03 Andy’s message to the UK government: get the facts first
23:55 How people can support lobbying efforts
31:35 Favourite brand: holiday letting in general
32:28 Individual shout-outs: Diane Lloyd and Mike Ortegon (and all the STAA team)
34:48 No. 1 lesson learned: work together
Links:
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free ticket for Your Air Success on 8 November: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/yourairhost
New e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book
Property Management Masterclass podcast series: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/property-management-masterclass
Andy Fenner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyfenner2024/
Short Term Accommodation Association: https://ukstaa.org/
Short Stay Summit 2025: https://ukstaa.org/blogs/staa-short-stay-summit/
Sponsor links:
HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/ Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: [email protected]
Your AirHost: https://www.yourairhost.co.uk/
Zeal: https://gozeal.co.uk/services/industries/hch-furnished-holiday-lets/
Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook
Enjoy the show?
Please subscribe, rate, and review!
Email the show: [email protected]
HCH056: Jenn Boyles: My top five direct booking tips
Holiday Cottage Handbook
09/19/24 • 38 min
Direct booking expert Jenn Boyles is the special guest on today’s show.
Jenn shares her top five direct booking tips, discusses industry trends, and talks about how to achieve trust as a host and property manager.
Jenn named Superhog as her favourite brand and gave Catherine Ratcliffe a special shout-out.
She also previewed the online Direct Booking Success Summit, which will take place on 8-10 October. Sign up (for free) here: https://directbookingsuccesssummit.com/
The episode includes sponsor mentions for HCH Financial Services, Your AirHost, Key Data, and Minut.
3:45 Jenn’s journey as a host and STR professional
7:44 The pitfalls of being listed on a single platform
9:26 Where should you list your rentals when starting out?
11:12 How do you turn an OTA guest into a direct booker?
13:35 This is hospitality, people!
14:36 How to achieve trust as a host
16:50 Jenn’s top hospitality tips
18:38 Trends in the STR world: over-saturation, regulation, and AI
23:25 The best locations for STRs
24:53 Jenn’s top five direct booking tips
33:36 Favourite brand: Superhog
34:32 Individual shout-out: Catherine Ratcliffe
36:12 No. 1 lesson learned: you are not alone!
Links:
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free ticket for STR Zone on 4-5 October: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/str-zone
Free ticket for Your Air Success on 8 November: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/yourairhost
Priority list for new e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book
Property Management Masterclass podcast series: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/property-management-masterclass
Jenn Boyles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennboyles/
Direct Booking Success: https://directbookingsuccess.com/
Direct Booking Success Summit: https://directbookingsuccesssummit.com/
Free guide: 10 ways to drive guests to your website instead of Airbnb: https://directbookingsuccess.com/10-ways-to-drive-guests-to-your-website-instead-of-airbnb/
Mentions:
Superhog: https://superhog.com/
Catherine Ratcliffe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratcliffecatherine/
Sponsor links:
HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/ Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: [email protected]
Your AirHost: https://www.yourairhost.co.uk/
Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook
Minut: https://www.minut.com/?utm_campaign=holidaycottagehandbook&utm_source=partners
Enjoy the show?
Please subscribe, rate, and review!
Email the show: [email protected]
HCH Bitesize 010: Joseph Cox: Boost revenue at your rental with upselling strategies
Holiday Cottage Handbook
11/14/24 • 12 min
In this episode of HCH Bitesize, a podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we delve into essential topics for the short-term rental industry. Each week, we invite expert guests who share valuable insights and practical advice to help you enhance your knowledge and build a successful property management business.
This week, we're excited to welcome Joseph Cox, Director of Business Development at Hostfully, who’s here to reveal his top five upselling strategies for short-term rental hosts and property managers. Tune in to learn how to enhance your guest experience, increase bookings, and unlock new revenue opportunities!
1:55 The definition of upselling
2:36 How hosts should offer upsells
3:32 Utilise a Hostfully digital guidebook to offer upsells
4:36 Earn more revenue
5:29 Location and season are key
6:40 Upsell No.1: early check-in and late check-out
7:01 Upsell No. 2: mid-stay clean
7:18 Upsell No. 3: food and drink
7:37 Upsell No. 4: local experiences
8:32 Upsell No. 5: transportation
9:20 Communication is key
10:07 You don’t have to deliver upsells yourself
11:51 Book a Hostfully guidebook demo: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Joseph Cox: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmicox/
HCH Bitesize 003: Direct Booking with Liam Carolan
Holiday Cottage Handbook
10/01/24 • 17 min
Welcome to HCH Bitesize – a new podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully!
This weekly show delves into various topics essential to the short-term rentals industry. Episodes feature expert guests from across the STR space who share their insights and practical advice. These industry leaders help listeners enhance their knowledge and build successful and sustainable property management businesses.
Today’s episode features Liam Carolan, Head of Customer Success at Boostly, sharing his top five tips for attracting direct bookings.
1:39 Why direct bookings are so important
2:50 You need your own direct booking website
5:15 Billboard your website
7:27 Prioritise email marketing
10:01 Drive direct bookings through social media
14:16 Network to attract guests
Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Liam Carolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamsacarolan/
Boostly: https://boostly.co.uk/
Got a comment or interested in being a guest on the show? Email [email protected].
HCH058: Pierre-Camille Hamana: Run your business on autopilot with Hospitable
Holiday Cottage Handbook
10/03/24 • 55 min
Pierre-Camille Hamana, Founder and CEO of Hospitable, is the special guest on today’s show.
During the episode, Pierre-Camille outlines his story in the industry, the importance of understanding your target guest, and industry trends.
He also explains which type of hosts Hospitable caters for and how the platform can help you to run your short-term rental business on autopilot.
Pierre-Camille named PriceLabs as his favourite brand and gave special shout-outs to Pierre Becerril and Francois Gouelo.
The episode includes sponsor mentions for HCH Financial Services, Your AirHost, Key Data, and Minut.
5:00 A streak of happy accidents – from law to short-term rentals
9:56 Pierre-Camille’s hosting experience in the early days of Airbnb
13:24 Understanding your target guest
14:02 Starting on Airbnb and growing from there
15:42 Hospitable is built primarily for self-managers
19:46 The onboarding experience
22:31 How Hospitable can make your life easier
26:16 Head to hospitable.com for details. Solution available from $29 per month
31:18 How can a good host become a great host?
34:25 The industry trends you need to know, starting with AI
37:31 Small is beautiful in the STR world
40:16 Guest expectations
41:49 What the STR industry will look like in future
46:09 Favourite brand: PriceLabs
47:52 Individual shout-outs: Pierre Becerril and Francois Gouelo
50:27 No. 1 lesson learned: every six months my role changes
Links:
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free ticket for Your Air Success on 8 November: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/yourairhost
New e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book
Property Management Masterclass podcast series: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/property-management-masterclass
Pierre-Camille Hamana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pchamana/
Hospitable: https://hospitable.com/?utm_source=hchc&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hch
Email: [email protected]
Mentions:
PriceLabs: https://pricelabs.co/
Pierre Becerril: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbecerril/
Francois Gouelo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgouelo/
Sponsor links:
HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/ Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: [email protected]
Your AirHost: https://www.yourairhost.co.uk/
Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook
Minut: https://www.minut.com/?utm_campaign=holidaycottagehandbook&utm_source=partners
Enjoy the show?
Please subscribe, rate, and review!
Email the show: [email protected]
HCH061: Rudy Abrahami: It's not rocket science, it's hospitality!
Holiday Cottage Handbook
10/24/24 • 45 min
Rudy Abrahami, Founder and CEO of both Maveriks and HolyGuest, is the special guest on today’s show.
During the episode, Rudy talks about scaling a property business, how to deliver a great guest experience, and what you need to do in order to drive direct bookings. He also talks STR trends, including daily rates and regulation.
Rudy named SCALE as his favourite brand and gave Richard Vaughton a special shout-out.
The episode includes sponsor mentions for HCH Financial Services, Your AirHost, Zeal, and Key Data.
3:36 Rudy’s journey in the short-term rentals world
6:12 How to scale a property management business
9:32 It is critical to get your hands dirty
11:39 How to deliver a great guest experience
14:58 How to maximise revenue
17:51 Drive more direct bookings
21:17 How to achieve great reviews
24:14 It’s not rocket science, it’s hospitality!
27:21 Maveriks: Giving tools to CEOs to grow their businesses
34:03 STR trends, including daily rates and regulation
40:28 Favourite brand: SCALE
41:21 Individual shout-out: Richard Vaughton
42:22 It’s not personal and enjoy the journey
Links:
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free ticket for Your Air Success on 8 November: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/yourairhost
New e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book
Property Management Masterclass podcast series: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/property-management-masterclass
Rudy Abrahami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudy-abrahami-21622368/
Maveriks: https://www.maveriks.com/
HolyGuest: https://www.holyguest.com/
Sponsor links:
HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/ Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: [email protected]
Your AirHost: https://www.yourairhost.co.uk/
Zeal: https://gozeal.co.uk/services/industries/hch-furnished-holiday-lets/
Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook
Enjoy the show?
Please subscribe, rate, and review!
Email the show: [email protected]
HCH Bitesize 006: Data with Sally Henry
Holiday Cottage Handbook
10/22/24 • 19 min
Welcome to HCH Bitesize – a new podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully!
This weekly show delves into various topics essential to the short-term rentals industry. Episodes feature expert guests from across the STR space who share their insights and practical advice. These industry leaders help listeners enhance their knowledge and build successful and sustainable property management businesses.
Today’s episode features Sally Henry, Vice President of Business Development at Key Data. During the show, Sally outlines the STR jargon every host needs to understand and shares her top tip for utilising data in order to build a successful property management business.
1:53 ADR (average daily rate)
2:57 Occupancy
4:40 RevPAR (revenue per available rental)
7:31 ALOS (average length of stay)
8:35 Booking window
10:03 Take control of your own data
11:28 Understand supply in your area
12:44 Understand your performance against the market
13:42 Track your competitors
14:55 Understand the channels which are working for you
16:08 The importance of pricing
17:53 Find out more about Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook
Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Sally Henry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-henry-3516229/
Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook
Got a comment or interested in being a guest on the show? Email [email protected].
HCH024: Robert Kennedy: Take SuperControl of your rental!
Holiday Cottage Handbook
02/09/24 • 30 min
This week’s special guest is Robert Kennedy, the Co-Founder and Product Director of SuperControl – a long-established property management solution based in the UK.
Robert charts his journey from hosting in Scotland to developing a simple booking channel and eventually creating a PMS which takes £50 worth of bookings every second.
Robert’s favourite brand shout-out went to Premier Cottages, while his individual shout-outs went to Fiona Campbell, from the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, and Alistair Handyside, from PASC UK.
3:42 The story of SuperControl
9:11 What makes SuperControl stand out
11:51 The growth of PMS options on the market
14:15 Will we see consolidation in the PMS space?
15:53 Why hosts should consider SuperControl
17:52 Starting out as a host has been key to the success and growth of SuperControl
19:40 Tips for hosts: pricing, presentation, and partnerships
21:37 Head to www.supercontrol.co.uk to sign up for a free trial
23:13 Favourite brand shout-out: Premier Cottages
25:04 Individual shout-outs: Fiona Campbell and Alistair Handyside
27:01 Best advice to a new company
Links mentioned:
Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)
HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: [email protected]
Holiday Cottage Handbook website
Sign up for our free weekly newsletter
Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers
Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers
Enjoy the show?
Please subscribe, rate, and review!
Email the show: [email protected]
HCH059: Moriya Rockman: Villa Tracker: A new frontier for the STR world
Holiday Cottage Handbook
10/10/24 • 39 min
Moriya Rockman, Co-Founder of Smiling House Group, is the special guest on today’s show.
During the episode, Moriya discusses the launch of Villa Tracker – a new platform which is linking legacy travel businesses, such as travel agents and VIP clubs, with the short-term rentals industry.
Moriya also discusses how luxury properties can stand out, the amenities you need to appeal to a large number of guests, and which upselling opportunities to offer.
The episode includes sponsor mentions for HCH Financial Services, Your AirHost, Key Data, and Minut.
3:47 How the luxury short-term rentals sector is performing in 2024
6:01 Villa Tracker – a platform for legacy travel players
9:58 Targeting seven industries within legacy travel companies
14:41 It’s mostly for luxury properties
16:29 Travel professionals: head to www.villatracker.com for further details
18:38 Guesty users can push their properties to Villa Tracker now
19:49 Luxury property owners can list on Smiling House and be pushed to Villa Tracker
21:50 How luxury properties can stand out
24:35 The amenities luxury properties need to stand out
27: 05 The upselling opportunities for luxury rentals
33:16 Short-term rental trends
36:11 Regulation
Links:
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free ticket for Your Air Success on 8 November: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/yourairhost
New e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book
Property Management Masterclass podcast series: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/property-management-masterclass
Moriya Rockman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moriya-rockman-a3467a13a/
Villa Tracker: https://villatracker.com/
Smiling House: https://smilinghouse.ch/
Triangle Luxury: https://triangle-luxury.com/
Sponsor links:
HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/ Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: [email protected]
Your AirHost: https://www.yourairhost.co.uk/
Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook
Minut: https://www.minut.com/?utm_campaign=holidaycottagehandbook&utm_source=partners
Enjoy the show?
Please subscribe, rate, and review!
Email the show: [email protected]
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FAQ
How many episodes does Holiday Cottage Handbook have?
Holiday Cottage Handbook currently has 79 episodes available.
What topics does Holiday Cottage Handbook cover?
The podcast is about Entrepreneurship, Property, Investing, Podcasts, Business and Airbnb.
What is the most popular episode on Holiday Cottage Handbook?
The episode title 'HCH044: Mark Shepherd: Virtual tours, drone videos, and direct booking websites' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Holiday Cottage Handbook?
The average episode length on Holiday Cottage Handbook is 32 minutes.
How often are episodes of Holiday Cottage Handbook released?
Episodes of Holiday Cottage Handbook are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Holiday Cottage Handbook?
The first episode of Holiday Cottage Handbook was released on Sep 8, 2023.
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