Did you have a good year?

[Val_2]

Summer is all but over now with the schools starting back in a fortnight or less. Just wondering how those of you with holiday rentals fared this year as many people have remarked to me recently about the lack of tourists this summer, not just french but other nationalities too. There have hardly been any germans or italians in this area and that is very unusual and the brits have been lacking too. It may also serve as a warning to anyone thinking of going down this road to exist on rental incomes that you cannot rely on every year bringing lots of clients.

[Quillan]

Don't know how the Gite side is going but on the B&B side it's poor. Early estimates are down 60% in Aude. Due to some shrewd advertising we have been mostly full but if we had to rely on passing trade we would have been better of closing as it's just not around. To put this in to context , last year we had no advertising in place as it was our first year and had only passing trade and we were full all summer until mid Sept.

Chris

http://www.chambresdhote.com

[Deby]

This is our first year and so far so good. Been booked all summer, but we are still wanting to attract business out of season too, this is what we have to work extra hard at.

Btw we had some fantastic guests - Parisians - they never left our place once (only for provisions) their children were polite and well mannered, two of the party were chefs and invited us round for fantastic dinners. When I gave them courgettes they returned them in a gratin, when I gave them blackberries, they returned them in a pie. When they left they insisted on washing the sheets and making the beds. But the best bit was they were lovely and really enjoyed our home which made all our hard work worthwhile. Please I want them back, who said Parisians were arrogant! Must remember not to stereotype ever again!

Deby

[Frogslegs]

This is our third year and have improved on last years bookings due to heavy advertising but have just one week for September! What with the cost of cotistations, obligatory pension, health fees and top up fees...running a gite and chambre d'hote is not for the faint hearted. In our area alone Deux Sevres there are 8 gite complexes up for sale which were bought within the time we have been here here?
Bonne Chance
http://www.le-tilleul.com

[Lf]

Our gites are full as ever - hardly a nice family amongst them though. Definitely a strange year from a booking point of view - bookings came in very late and nothing much has come in for September. I thint the season is going to continue to get shorter except perhaps in the short breaks for couples area.

As Chris (Quillan) points out in another thread the anticipated occupancy rate for BandB is about 19% and I think this figure applies to self catering as well. Based on this, anyone spending their life savings (and more) on a 'ready to go' gite complex and expects to make a viable year on year living should seek psychiatric help.

Regards

Charles
http://www.hautefortrenovation.com

[JP1]

hi All,

This refers to our b&b , not gites sorry.

Well we've had a great year and its not over yet, still got bookings in place till the end of september, we started the summer season this year on the 4th June (closed in May for family visits) and been full pretty much every night since then. We've decided to close in October again to have some sleep and a rest before the ski season starts in mid November.

You can make a living from this it just depends on one important thing (well, three)

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION !!!!

regards.

JP

 

 

[Miki]

[quote]hi All, This refers to our b&b , not gites sorry. Well we've had a great year and its not over yet, still got bookings in place till the end of september, we started the summer season this year ...[/quote]

Yes, location is all important but to make a living, in my mind you really need;

1. 4-5 Rooms

2. Table D'Hôte

I must say, you really will be cream crackered if you open all year round and are full for a fair amount of the time but having said that, the best of luck, it's good to hear of success stories.

How many rooms do you let and do you do meals?

Miki

[Geranium]

This has been our first year and it's been OK, not fantastic. we have a village house to let out and do it through www.holiday-rentals.com.  I read about the Parisian guests with interest. Can you - and others - recommend where to advertise to attract such clients, and of course germans. 

Many thanks

 

[JP1]

Yes, location is all important but to make a living, in my mind you really need;

1. 4-5 Rooms

2. Table D'Hôte

I must say, you really will be cream crackered if you open all year round and are full for a fair amount of the time but having said that, the best of luck, it's good to hear of success stories.

How many rooms do you let and do you do meals?

 

Hi Miki,

In answer to your questions

4 rooms

yes we offer table d'hôte

Thanks, it is hard work but well worth it and we reap the benefits

regards.

JP

[Miki]

JP,

I agree it is b---y hard work, we have 5 rooms and do table d'hôte and we are slowly wilting after another hard season.

We had rather hoped for a quieter than normal September but now from what looked quiet, the dates are now filling up. So now we may have to look to October until a possible little break (a day by the seaside even  ) but we always shut after Armistice Day (11th Nov) and try to stay that way until March 1st but last year we had so much demand from house seekers, that we opened early.

Probably why we are feeling tired earlier than normal !!

Miki

 

 

[Goo_Rat]

Hi

We were full this summer (eventually!)

Summer seems over, what with the rain today and last week

Guest numbers are dropping off rapidly now.

Gives us a chance to get on with more renovations though.

Agree you need plenty of gites to make a living

[Coco]

Well, I was about to say that I have been rather disappointed with this year compared to last (when we only started in mid-July with little advertising).

However, if Chris's comments on formula are anything to go by then we are doing OK.  From January to date we have had 147 days booked for 2 rooms, therefore exceeding the 70 days per room figure by 7 days and we also have 16 days booked for September.

Our local tourist office phoned on Friday and asked me how things had gone (as far as they are concerned the season is already over) and when I said that it hadn't been as good as I anticipated they told me that it had been the same for all their other chambres d'hotes listings, so I am not alone.

If the average occupancy rate is only supposed to be 19% then for a first FULL season I am doing exceptionally well!  Especially as I have only internet advertising and no roadside signs (yet!) and our tourist office is closed three days a week, including, would you believe.... Saturday afternoons! (so not a lot of help there!!)

I've cheered up now

[GRT17]

[quote]Well, I was about to say that I have been rather disappointed with this year compared to last (when we only started in mid-July with little advertising). However, if Chris's comments on formula are a...[/quote]

Coco

Re. Closure of Tourist Office.

Back in June / July I read an article in Sud-Ouest and gather that the closing of Tourist Offices is all to do with local funding. It's a shame when it can't supply the much needed service.

Gill

P.S. I tried to enclose a quote from Coco's posting but I don't think it has worked, haven't quite found my way around the new look forum.

Well I seem to have enclosed a quote but not the one I wanted! Oh well, I will just have to keep on trying to improve my skills

[Coco]

Currently experiencing the same problems Gill.   Don't seem to be able to take a section from a quote.  YOu have to start at the begining and take the whole thing!   Not necessarily what I want.

However, back to the subject of the thread - improved September weather seems to be working wonders on the bookings - that's one of the advantages of being near the UK!!

 

[GRT17]

[quote]Currently experiencing the same problems Gill. Don't seem to be able to take a section from a quote. YOu have to start at the begining and take the whole thing! Not necessarily what I want. Howe...[/quote]

This wonderful September weather

Well, here's a quick plug for the dear old homeland!

I have been out and about in West Sussex today and it was glorious, with the temperature around 23C. I even found myself thinking, I could be very happy with a little cottage out here on the South Downs, with stunning landscape but near enough to visit places of interest and the sea.

Doesn't a nice day make all the difference!

Gill

[Musicmonkey<ADDRESS><STRONG>Musicmonkey<STRONG><ADDRESS>]

[quote]This wonderful September weatherWell, here's a quick plug for the dear old homeland! I have been out and about in West Sussex today and it was glorious, with the temperature around 23C. I even found m...[/quote]

Ah, but you are forgetting that you would have to compete with thousands of other people with the same idea. Try to park near Brighton or Hove beach?....and if you can find parking it will set you back £3 per hour now in Brighton.  But that is East Sussex, maybe things are different in West Sussex?

[Russethouse]

>>>Ah, but you are forgetting that you would have to compete with thousands of other people with the same idea. <<<

In September ???

[GRT17]

[quote]>>>Ah, but you are forgetting that you would have to compete with thousands of other people with the same idea. <<Well there were more than enough cars in Chichester but I managed to navigate the one-way system quite easily. Try many French tourist areas in season and I think problems would be the same.

I think there will always be a price to pay for parking in large towns almost anywhere. Park and Ride is a great invention.

I just enjoyed the country drive over the South Downs (to work!) and a visit to West Dean (business lunch!) on the way home.

BTW it was "Red sky at night" this evening, so I am hoping for another sunny day tomorrow.

Gill

[Coco]

A month on from the original posting and we have found September to have been fantastic.  MUCH better than I anticipated.  Each booking I take I expect to be the last of the season, but they just keep coming.  No kids now, but then that's fine by me

We have another full week next week and I've had to turn people away this weekend. And to top it all we're coming into the Aussie holiday season, or so it seems, bookings for October and December recently reserved from Down Under!

[Liz]

As the final couple have just departed I think I'm now in a position to reply to the original posting. It has been really good this year not only from the quantity, people in January, February and March, which is unheard of, but in 'quality'. In the 2 or 3 previous years, although we had more or less the same number of weeks booked each time I had the distinct impression that a number of the families that came were seeking something from their holiday that they did not find. We offer a quiet, rural/seaside, old fashioned sort of holiday and although, in principle, this is what they were seeking, in practice it didn't quite seem to suit them.

This year we have had more genuine holiday makers (rather than property hunters) who have really enjoyed themselves, in spite of indifferent weather in some cases, and have left copious favorable comments in the visitors book. One family who came for 2 weeks this year have booked for 3 weeks next summer - whoopee!

It makes it all worthwhile.

Liz (29)

[passiflora]

Hi

Well our first year is coming to an end final guests leave at the weekend.  I have to say it has been better than expected as September has been fully booked albeit at the last minute

Most of our visitors were really nice and true holiday makers who loved  our rural farmhouse and especially the pool.  The only lot who didn't like it were the househunters and unfortunately my very first visitors so I did not get off to the best of starts.  They criticised everything from the traditional style finish to the walls which left some brick dust to the chickens in the neighbours garden. 

I am now absolutely exhausted and leap with joy at the thought of not having the linen from 15 beds to wash over the winter.

Hooray it is holiday time for us now

Carole S (16)

[Goo_Rat]

Hi Carol

Where in Charente are you as a matter of interest?

Always good to know other gite owners in the area, especially ones with a shared passion for gardening

[passiflora]

Hi David

Well have now have had time and checked out your website - your property looks lovely. We are not far away from you in fact our gites are just in Dordogne near Verteillac although we live in 16.

CaroleS 16

www.erminea.org.uk