the end of the summer?

[mascamps.com]

We've noticed a big dropoff in bookings for the remainder of August from "too much to cope with" of the last few weeks down to "manageable". Anyway, we were wondering if that drop is normal for this time of year?

Our really big rush this year has been between about July 15 and August 15 (skewed a bit as we'd a wedding booking for the 20th).

 

Arnold

 

[Alexis]

It is normal here Arnold.  It is as if someone has pulled a big plug out and taken all the tourists.

Same every year.

[Alan]

I have been flat out for the whole of July and up to the 19^th August, but now we have no one currently and no enquiries. Last year we were busy for the whole of august, but I think a lot of schools are starting back this week instead of the first week of september due to the new revised 4 day week. I know our children go back on Thursday, and so this has reduced bookings from French families I feel.

[Miki]

We only have the last three days of August with any rooms available and even a couple of those have gone this morning.

Around here hardly any schools are back until September 2nd.

The further South one is, the more normal it is that from "le quinze" (As Alexis stated) places start emptying like a plague has dropped on the region. Try around Sete and from the 15th the exodus back North happens like a magic signal has been set off and by the the following weekend, you can have ample elbow space in any of the hotels and campings !

[mascamps.com]

Interesting. I just looked at the details of the bookings over the next few weeks and it's basically "just" the French that are missing: all of 5% French in total vs our more normal 40% and back to a more normal (for us) 75/25 split on the website hits in favour of the english pages.

Any idea how we could put an extra storey on our place for the 15th to the 15th next year

In the meantime, are we safe enough starting to close up and get going on the painting & decorating now, or can we expect another uptick in occupancy in a month or two?

 

Arnold

 

[Cerise]

After being frantically busy since mid June, we have no-one at all (unless any passers by) until 4 September when we are busy again until October.  Same last year, last week in August was empty.  Schools here are back next Monday and everyone is busy with that.  New wave of English don't arrive until English schools are back.  Personally I'm OK with it as it gives us a week off and time to enjoy a bit of summer weather.

Last year we were also unexpectedly busy at beginning of November - no idea why.  It wasn't English half term and the guests were all English.

Just been to lunch in village - for the first time since May - and it is like Marie Celeste, whereas last week was packed out.

Maggi

[Coco]

We have a family arriving tonight for 4 nights then no one for 10 days before it starts up again til the end of September.  It was the same last year, when we were kept busy til mid October.  Like you Arnold, I'd like a few extra rooms just for that one month period!  I turned away so many people at the beginning of August it was untrue (and most upsetting )

[BJSLIV]

I wonder how the people who, earlier in the year,  were taking a stance against the "immoral" practice of charging more for high season are getting along?

[Lachouette]

We said goodbye to our last French guests yesterday and now have no-one until 1 September when we start again on a run of English guests.  This was the same last year, and if last year is anything to go by, we'll be busy but manageable until the end of October.  The nice thing about guests at this time of year is that they stay for a few days!  Having said that, we didn't have too many 1 nighters during July and August.

Jan

[mascamps.com]

Interesting the differences amongst us all at this time.

We're still about 50% occupancy or so at the moment but would have been a bit higher if we hadn't had to turn away a couple of bookings that crossed over our wedding last Saturday. There's a festival on in Perpignan at the start of September which brings us a fair chunk of trade but after that we're presently empty 'til the first week of October (a bit misleading as we almost always get bookings just two weeks ahead and that doesn't yet stretch into September week 2).

We were fortunate in being able to start using a room this summer that we'd thought wasn't useable and in theory we could run to two more rooms for short periods which is something we'll have to consider next year.

Hopefully we'll be turning away lots more next year As it was, this year we were running at one room more than what we normally consider as being 100% for about a week or so.

 

Arnold

 

[Mpprh]

Hi

This thread emphasises the importance of location.

Surprisingly, being on the beach doesn't always translate into more bookings.

However, those with winter sports, spas, or within reach of a cheap weekend trip can do much better.

And I wonder if searching out the "retired" peoples sites in GB, D, NL, B, SE, F, N, etc is worthwhile ?

 

Peter

 

 

[mascamps.com]

As usual, the moralists will have a few percentage points higher occupancy than the rest of us. On 'tother hand, we will have more money

Incidently, I ran three little pricing experiments with one of our reservation places which 'yall might be interested in...

Experiment 1: drop the prices WAY down. Can't remember the exact figures but it was roughly down to 30€ from 50€. What happened was that we got a few (very few: maybe three or four over a two month period) reservations on the discounted prices. Snag was that, with no exceptions, they were all "rubbish" guests. Not only did they not take any meals (not even breakfast) but a couple booked three or four people in our smallest (and cheapest) room and then complained that it wasn't big enough for more than two. Well, it is a double, so I don't know what they expected. Not only that but it's clearly marked on the system that they booked on that the maximum occupancy is two including any children.

Experiment 2: take the prices up above the norm (about  This reduced the number of bookings below what we were expecting. However, the guests tended to take both breakfast and evening meals so we made even more money than we were expecting.

Experiment 3: run at the "normal" prices. Reasonable quality of guest ie took breakfasts and sometimes meals.

 

We were nearly killed with the volume of one-nighters over some of the weekends. Ran out of sheets and towels altogether once or twice because of it too.

 

 

Arnold

 

[mascamps.com]

It's not necessarily a representative sample but I'm listed on one retirees site in the UK. I get some hits (2 or 3 a week at the peak) but haven't got any bookings from it. I even offer a discount to people quoting the ad so presumably anyone booking through it would tell me.

 

Arnold

 

[Miki]

"............As usual, the moralists will have a few percentage points higher occupancy than the rest of us. On 'tother hand, we will have more money"

Can you elucidate Arnold, not sure whether to be angry, confused or just laugh !!!