Two of the best in the business reveal the secrets to success when owning a holiday let

Location is, of course, a key selling point for those booking but to be truly successful in this game, it takes much, much more.

Here, we ask two Yorkshire-based women who have excelled in the business for their advice on how to be the best while maximising repeat bookings and attracting glowing recommendations.

With the help of her husband, Josephine Anderson set up Croft Mill serviced apartments in Hebden Bridge 15 years ago and recently sold the property as a thriving going concern.

A former chef, she had witnessed the rise of the sector in city centres and knew it could translate to smaller, popular destinations.

She has witnessed a great deal of change in the industry since entering it and says:

“Fifteen years ago, the Visit Britain inspector ruled and while times have moved on from how many teaspoons you needed to provide per person, there was a framework and standards which are now totally lacking.

“Today it is a totally unregulated market where properties can be misrepresented with glossy pictures and misleading details posted on accommodation platforms.”

In her book property maintenance is key, though that doesn’t mean continually restyling. “Some of the best comments I’ve had over the years include ‘It’s the same as I remember it three years ago, home from home’.”

Josephine’s personal ‘meet and greet’ was also a winner and enabled her to share local knowledge on everything from public transport and walks to local events and where to eat out.

She also created her own information packs on the area. Another bright idea was a weekly newsletter to inform guests of local events and news plus, for fun, an action movie review courtesy of her young son.

“Guests loved it. One of our regular corporate visitors used to text the morning of his arrival to secure the latest action movie for that evening which we would duly drop off to his apartment,” says Josephine, who adds that cleanliness is a must for holiday lets.

“I decided what my standard was and put in place the structure to secure it. That included training of staff, quality, eco-friendly cleaning products, the right tools, spot checks and good communication regarding repairs and maintenance,” she says.

Hospitality packs with local artisan products also impressed guests as did her own Breakfast Recipe Handbook.

Keeping up with change is also important, according to Josephine, who was the first in Calderdale to win a Green Tourism gold award.

“I have seen many trends over the years and it is important to pick up on them. I created a DVD library 10 years ago but now guests want a 65” TV where they can log into Netflix.”

Going above and beyond the call of duty also helped garner great reviews. A prime example is the late night she spent washing clothes and steam cleaning a suit for an American executive who flew to Britain for a meeting only to find his luggage was missing.

Boosting bookings in winter was tackled with the addition of a Christmas hamper for guests, along with a handmade Christmas tree decoration from Gina B glass shop in Hebden Bridge.

Her attention to detail attracted performers playing at the Trades Club and stars, writers and crew of TV series, including Happy Valley.

“Sally Wainwright and Sarah Lancashire stand out. They were wonderful, very unassuming and never wanting a fuss,” says Josephine, who adds that, if you get it right, holiday and short-stay letting can be a wonderful and enjoyable career.

Luxury

Angela Graham is founder of Yorkshire company Beautiful Escapes, which specialises in managing and marketing luxury holiday lets for owners.

Some of her clients have migrated from listing on Airbnb and Booking.com to be with her. She says: “You can’t filter out what you don’t want on Airbnb so what you want can take a lot of finding, whereas if you are looking for a superb quality property in Yorkshire, you can find lots of them immediately on our website.

“Booking with us also means guests get a personal service. We live in Yorkshire and we know what the area has to offer them, we can book them a personal chef and we make them feel like they are being looked after. For property owners we take a lot of hassle away.”

At the top end of the holiday letting market, she says guests expect stylish decor and quality furniture and furnishing plus good bed linen.

A welcome pack with wine and local produce is a must, says Angela, who sends all guests a digital house book with a guide to the property and the surrounding area.

She also tempts people to book for the winter months with treats from Bettys. Most vital though is the Beautiful Escapes website with carefully crafted, compelling words and superb photographs. “That is the shop window and it is our most important tool. Investing in that is essential.” she says.