#data incoming... 💡 📊 🇬🇧 Amongst our Key Data clients, we've seen the pace of sales for the #UK #STR industry pick up since we checked last week 🌟 . From 1 Jan - 16 Jan (compared to 2025), we're +5.4% in bookings for arrivals confirmed to stay in the UK. So good news?? However this is an average, and the data tells a different story when you dive into regions and different sizes of properties. A short #summary, let's look at country level first for all sleeps: #UK: +5.4%, #England: +3.8%, #Wales: +6.9% and #Scotland: +15.2%. Plus, there are further variations at a regional level; #Highlands: -13%, #Northumberland: -0.6%, #Lake District: +0.8%, #Devon: +3.4%, #Dumfries and Galloway: +4.7%, #Pembrokeshire: +2.5%.. so where are you based and how do your sales compare to the local market?? And let's go one level deeper. We took a look at the #UK to see if the year on year sales differed by sleeps... and it does 🧠 🔍 #1&2 beds: +8.3%, #3&4 beds, +1.6% and #5+ bedrooms: -2.1%.

I got into a great conversation yesterday in my group about how AI is changing Search. The world is starting to realize how powerful AI is in getting people into our places. Here's the scenario to consider. I once had a guest reach out to me and asked how large the toilet seats were in my sites. How in the world I could optimize my website for that, beats me. In the AI world her ChatGPT would know this very personal detail, be able to see photos of our bathroom, and spit back to her my glamping site based on the photo the AI scanned. The bathroom example is pretty weird, but very real. AI will do a better job searching for ideal spaces based on their preferences. What do you think? Is AI doing this for you?

Guests have left so it is bed stripping and hot tub emptying. No guests tonight so clean in the morning. Maybe a little bit of Zen kindling for 3O minutes Then a check through our booking software, we use ResNexus as it does a great job synching our prices with other OTAs and adjust our margins accordingly. ResNexus.uk It does a lot of other things as well.

I have been off line for a bit and turned off all my social media. You never know when posting how the person receiving it is. You may assume they are in control and bullet proof please don’t. Running a business is mentally challenging, especially a small one. You are expected to be everything for everyone with little safety net. I had a bad experience recently, at just the wrong time, which pushed me off the cliff I was perched on. It is not the first time falling, it doesn’t get any easier. So again for this page and any others you are connected to please, please, be kind 🙏

“Guest Idiosyncrasies: The Good, The Mad, and The Marshmallow-Obsessed” You can have the best welcome pack, the clearest signage, and the fluffiest robes this side of Soho Farmhouse—and still be blindsided by a guest who microwaves a croissant or asks if the compost loo has Bluetooth. Welcome to the wonderful world of guest idiosyncrasies. Here’s how to survive (and maybe even enjoy) them: 🧼 1. The Clean Freak Who Brings Their Own Marigolds They’ll wipe down your already-immaculate surfaces, tut at a single cobweb, and ask if the hot tub was “triple-filtered with Himalayan salt.” Smile. Nod. And maybe offer them a job. 🔥 2. The Pyromaniac Who Thinks Firepits Are Bonfires They’ll build a flame visible from space, toast 47 marshmallows, and ask if they can burn leftover sausages “for fun.” Solution: clear fire rules, a sand bucket, and a gentle reminder that you’re not hosting Burning Man. 📸 3. The Influencer Who Needs 17 Angles of the Shepherd’s Hut They’ll rearrange your furniture, hang fairy lights on the alpacas, and ask if the outdoor shower “looks rustic enough.” Let them be. Just make sure they tag you. 🧘 4. The Wellness Warrior Who Brought Their Own Gong They’ll do breathwork at dawn, ask if your site is aligned with the solstice, and complain that the compost loo “interrupts their chakra flow.” Offer herbal tea. Avoid eye contact during the naked yoga. 🧃 5. The One Who Thought It Was a Spa They’ll arrive with a suitcase of serums, ask where the treatment room is, and look horrified when you say “eco toilet.” Redirect gently: “We’re more wild luxury than wellness retreat. But the birdsong’s free.” 🧠 6. The Neurodivergent Guest Who Needs Clarity, Not Chaos They’ll ask detailed questions, need clear instructions, and might struggle with sensory overload. Your job? Respect, adapt, and design with dignity. Universal design isn’t optional—it’s overdue. 🧺 7. The One Who Brings Their Entire Kitchen Slow cooker, air fryer, NutriBullet, and a suspicious amount of Tupperware.