The Better Bookings Guide for holiday property owners

Better bookings

Holiday Villas & Cottages has one simple aim: to get holiday property owners more enquiries, bookings and sales per £ spent than with any other advertising method. Take a look through the magazine and you'll see we have around 300 pages of lettings advertisements. That’s partly because so many of our satisfied advertisers regularly re-book, but mainly because more and more property owners have turned to Holiday Villas & Cottages as word has spread that the magazine delivers exactly what it claims to.

Can’t I just sign up with an agency?

Most rental agencies do a great job. If you’re thinking of using one, here’s a tip: the agencies that try hardest for their clients advertise in Holiday Villas & Cottages.

A good agency will take much of the work and worry out of renting. That could well be the best solution for you. But their services naturally come at a price. And the terms and conditions could mean you can't use your own property when you want to, even in empty weeks.

If you take your own bookings, you may well be able to charge less and still be left with more profit. And if you advertise independently, you should be able to fill your property for much more of the year. People looking for off-season and long winter lets usually want to book direct, often using Holiday Villas & Cottages magazine.

Won’t a website do the job?

Yes, but the market for independent holiday lettings is increasingly dominated on the web by a few massive corporations, though they may hide behind a plethora of websites that look small, cosy and independent. Their stranglehold means that prices are rising (and the final cost of a listing can be a lot higher than the headline price). On the bigger sites – which could have up to 100,000 properties – individual homes can get lost amongst thousands of competing listings.

Navigating around websites is still a slow and boring business. Millions of people still prefer to leaf through a magazine, where your property will face far less competition. Remember, too, that almost half the population still doesn’t have internet access at home.

But of course to reach the other half you do need to have a web presence. Which is why if you buy our best value package, you get a year's advertising in the magazine and a year's listing on your choice of our associated websites, www.villaseek.com and www.holidaycottages.cc, with a free hyperlink to your own website.

Our websites bring the world to your advertisement. And they take Holiday Villas & Cottages to the world, via a free online version of the entire magazine.

How does Holiday Villas and Cottages magazine work?

We want to get your advertisement in front of as many people as possible. So as well as being on sale in newsagents and supermarkets, each issue is prominently displayed in 7,200 of the UK's busiest waiting rooms (doctors, dentists, hairdressers and so on). On average, 52 people a day spend time waiting in these areas. If just one in 20 picks up Holiday Villas & Cottages, that's 18,720 people a day or 487,000 a month (not counting Sundays). As each issue remains on display for two months, around a million people will read a copy.
It's also on sale throughout the UK in WH Smith, other newsagents, major supermarkets and thousands of independent outlets, and in Ireland through Eason's. Sales are backed up by a hard-hitting programme of retail promotions, involving special displays or additional stockists – our 2009 promotions included Tesco, Sainsbury's, WH Smith, McColl's and Borders Books.

With a great selection of top class editorial, the magazine is a good read as well as the best place to choose a cottage, villa or apartment holiday. And with six issues a year, there’s a new issue every two months. So unless a shop sells out there will always be copies on the shelf.

Not many people buy every issue – instead, they hang on to it and keep referring to it for months or even years. As a result, each new issue reaches a fresh group of potential customers.

Why do I have to book six issues?

You don't – you can book a single issue. But it's much more cost-effective to book a series because that way we minimise set-up and administration costs and can offer a really low price per issue. It's exactly the same as letting property by the week instead of by the day.

For a surprisingly low cost (probably less than you charge for a single week) you get a full colour sixth of a page advertisement in six issues, plus a year on our website. And if you want to make changes to your ad (including new photos) you can do so free of charge at any time – you aren’t stuck with the same out of date ad all year.

We want you to sign up for a year because we know enquiries and bookings will build up progressively during the year. We want you to have the time to discover just what a good job we can do for you.

We'll do the work!

You're very welcome to create your own advertisement, but many people find it a real chore. So why not take advantage of our free design service? Our experienced writers and designers will create a great advertisement from information in your own website, brochure or simply your notes, suggestions and pictures.
We'll send you a proof for you approval and make any changes you require, until it's exactly what you want. All free, all part of the service!

A great track record

Based in the heart of Somerset, we have been successfully publishing magazines since 1988. Despite our success we remain a small, independent company. You will be dealing with real people who understand your business, not anonymous voices in a call centre.

We have built the success of Holiday Villas & Cottages magazine (and its predecessors, Holiday Villas and Holiday Cottages) on efficiency, first class service and flexibility. We aim to work in partnership with our clients, and we are proud that a number of advertisers have been with us since the very first issue.

Display: Superbly targeted opportunities

For rental agencies and business advertisers who need to reach leisure travellers and holidaymakers, there is simply no publication as superbly targeted as Holiday Villas & Cottages.

People heading off on holiday are in spending mode. The opportunities are clear, not least in travel services. The no-frills flight revolution has really opened up the market. There are great opportunities for advertisers offering flights and ferries, insurance, car hire and airport parking. Then there are all the products holidaymakers need: leisure and outdoor clothing and gear; photographic and video goods; books, guides and maps; phrase books and language courses; beach and swim wear; suncreams and health and beauty products – the list is endless.

Our display advertising rates are pitched at a highly competitive level, making them simply too good to miss. Series discounts are particularly attractive.

Great editorial, great design, great promotion

We’ve put together a terrific editorial package that makes Holiday Villas & Cottages a must-read for anyone interested in renting or buying a holiday property. The clean, inviting design, distinctive cover and big 300 x 220mm format mark it out from any possible competitors. With a cover price of just £2.95, it’s outstanding value for money. The magazine benefits from widespread distribution and carefully targeted retail promotions.