Staycations, our new business, help and feedback appreciated
Discussion
I feel people are getting their wires crossed, someone has said 10K income per lodge is optimistic and someone has said building one for 10k is unlikely.
I've never said how much I am expecting as an income per lodge and certainly didn’t say I could build one for 10k, no chance in hell of that.
Id rather keep the money/income/build costs chat off this thread for now though if that’s ok, when i have an idea of property purchase costs i will start a thread in the business chat, I’m just trying to get some feedback on the idea from a holidaymakers point of view for now.
I've never said how much I am expecting as an income per lodge and certainly didn’t say I could build one for 10k, no chance in hell of that.
Id rather keep the money/income/build costs chat off this thread for now though if that’s ok, when i have an idea of property purchase costs i will start a thread in the business chat, I’m just trying to get some feedback on the idea from a holidaymakers point of view for now.
tighnamara said:
Great idea and 100% somewhere we would visit.
Stayed here last year, very impressed. May give you some pointers / ideas.
Possibly same sort of vision but totally different end of the country.
www.eaglebrae.co.uk
Wow thanks, that looks great and pretty much what we are hoping for just on a much smaller scale.Stayed here last year, very impressed. May give you some pointers / ideas.
Possibly same sort of vision but totally different end of the country.
www.eaglebrae.co.uk
Check out the availability calendar too, pretty much all 7 are fully booked and they are charging £780 for 2 nights in a one bed place, crazy money.
Despite being the complete other end of the country and a lot bigger than we are hoping for, a great site and we may have to book a visit for research purposes.
Hi There
Ive come over from the Barnstaple thread - im not sure this is the right location for you but I didn't want to upset my friends who live there. Its a tough balance, you wont afford the land in the South Hams / south Devon. I'd maybe look closer to Exeter.
I looked at letting complexes when I first moved down, but spending 1.25m on a complex of 6-7 barns with an annual profit of £30k didn't seam viable if you have to borrow.
Your option is unusual, and what worries me is just that. The key to success will not be the summer season but the off-season booking rate, on that basis I like your ideas but you cannot just use seclusion as your USP, if people are driving down from London they will want to see some of the locality & for me Barnstaple doesn't do it for me. I'd go closer to Exeter/Honiton or Cornwall.
Im not your target market as I have 2 kids & don't want to smell the stink of other peoples wet dogs when I check in, so don't worry too much about my opinion. But just consider carefully the commercial aspects and the location is vital. I would consider East Devon or Cornwall to give you the most attractive locations with the amount of land available. Have you looked in to planning regs ?
I use places like this now, bigger lodges with 3-4 beds and have restaurant & leisure facilities, not just for the kids but for me. My idea of hell is complete seclusion with no wifi and flatscreen, sorry.
https://retallackresort.co.uk/
My final point - people with high disposable income, don't go to Barnstaple. They go to Salcombe,Dartmouth Fowey, Rock. This may not matter when you are secluded but think about what they will search on google.
Ive come over from the Barnstaple thread - im not sure this is the right location for you but I didn't want to upset my friends who live there. Its a tough balance, you wont afford the land in the South Hams / south Devon. I'd maybe look closer to Exeter.
I looked at letting complexes when I first moved down, but spending 1.25m on a complex of 6-7 barns with an annual profit of £30k didn't seam viable if you have to borrow.
Your option is unusual, and what worries me is just that. The key to success will not be the summer season but the off-season booking rate, on that basis I like your ideas but you cannot just use seclusion as your USP, if people are driving down from London they will want to see some of the locality & for me Barnstaple doesn't do it for me. I'd go closer to Exeter/Honiton or Cornwall.
Im not your target market as I have 2 kids & don't want to smell the stink of other peoples wet dogs when I check in, so don't worry too much about my opinion. But just consider carefully the commercial aspects and the location is vital. I would consider East Devon or Cornwall to give you the most attractive locations with the amount of land available. Have you looked in to planning regs ?
I use places like this now, bigger lodges with 3-4 beds and have restaurant & leisure facilities, not just for the kids but for me. My idea of hell is complete seclusion with no wifi and flatscreen, sorry.
https://retallackresort.co.uk/
My final point - people with high disposable income, don't go to Barnstaple. They go to Salcombe,Dartmouth Fowey, Rock. This may not matter when you are secluded but think about what they will search on google.
One other possibility to add eventually is shepherd huts. These are slowly starting to become more common as an alternative to camping or glamping as they're made of wood, so better at keeping out the worst elements should you have a rainy summer. I believe you can also fit them with log burners, which increases your "season" from late winter/early spring through to the end of autumn.
You can also get them fitted with wheels so you can move them across your site to suit circumstances, useful if you've had people with dogs who have left a bit of a mess or if you want to reseed grass areas that have been walked over too many times, or if you want to move them closer to "base" in the winter so you don't need to go far to check up on them and do a deep clean.
Just a thought
You can also get them fitted with wheels so you can move them across your site to suit circumstances, useful if you've had people with dogs who have left a bit of a mess or if you want to reseed grass areas that have been walked over too many times, or if you want to move them closer to "base" in the winter so you don't need to go far to check up on them and do a deep clean.
Just a thought
Weird that so much talk is about dogs.
My experience , living in rural West Berkshire, is that the place is packed with professional people with plenty of income who are often desperate for a weekend option away by the sea where they can take their labradors / spaniels and still have comfort and a change of scene.
Keep a couple of lodges dog free for sure, but I think you'll find that you will get plenty of business from dog owners and from those who don't really care provided the places are clean and immaculate; dogs or no dogs.
Being near a good pub is vital. A decent small town with a smattering of restaurants and a Waitrose nearby is probably a good way of telling if the area is "right" for your target market.
My experience , living in rural West Berkshire, is that the place is packed with professional people with plenty of income who are often desperate for a weekend option away by the sea where they can take their labradors / spaniels and still have comfort and a change of scene.
Keep a couple of lodges dog free for sure, but I think you'll find that you will get plenty of business from dog owners and from those who don't really care provided the places are clean and immaculate; dogs or no dogs.
Being near a good pub is vital. A decent small town with a smattering of restaurants and a Waitrose nearby is probably a good way of telling if the area is "right" for your target market.
Sounds great, are kids still a no no? If the buildings are a decent space apart I would have thought kids in at least some would be ok and would not disturb the others. My kids are better behaved and quieter than most groups of adults... get the pricing right and you should get well behaved families...I know, harsh
Midlifecrisis71 said:
Hi There
Ive come over from the Barnstaple thread - im not sure this is the right location for you but I didn't want to upset my friends who live there. Its a tough balance, you wont afford the land in the South Hams / south Devon. I'd maybe look closer to Exeter.
I looked at letting complexes when I first moved down, but spending 1.25m on a complex of 6-7 barns with an annual profit of £30k didn't seam viable if you have to borrow.
Your option is unusual, and what worries me is just that. The key to success will not be the summer season but the off-season booking rate, on that basis I like your ideas but you cannot just use seclusion as your USP, if people are driving down from London they will want to see some of the locality & for me Barnstaple doesn't do it for me. I'd go closer to Exeter/Honiton or Cornwall.
Im not your target market as I have 2 kids & don't want to smell the stink of other peoples wet dogs when I check in, so don't worry too much about my opinion. But just consider carefully the commercial aspects and the location is vital. I would consider East Devon or Cornwall to give you the most attractive locations with the amount of land available. Have you looked in to planning regs ?
I use places like this now, bigger lodges with 3-4 beds and have restaurant & leisure facilities, not just for the kids but for me. My idea of hell is complete seclusion with no wifi and flatscreen, sorry.
https://retallackresort.co.uk/
My final point - people with high disposable income, don't go to Barnstaple. They go to Salcombe,Dartmouth Fowey, Rock. This may not matter when you are secluded but think about what they will search on google.
Thanks for your input MLC, you make some good points and seems like you know your stuff. We are also looking at a couple of places on the outskirts of Exeter, its a lovely City and will be a good selling point.Ive come over from the Barnstaple thread - im not sure this is the right location for you but I didn't want to upset my friends who live there. Its a tough balance, you wont afford the land in the South Hams / south Devon. I'd maybe look closer to Exeter.
I looked at letting complexes when I first moved down, but spending 1.25m on a complex of 6-7 barns with an annual profit of £30k didn't seam viable if you have to borrow.
Your option is unusual, and what worries me is just that. The key to success will not be the summer season but the off-season booking rate, on that basis I like your ideas but you cannot just use seclusion as your USP, if people are driving down from London they will want to see some of the locality & for me Barnstaple doesn't do it for me. I'd go closer to Exeter/Honiton or Cornwall.
Im not your target market as I have 2 kids & don't want to smell the stink of other peoples wet dogs when I check in, so don't worry too much about my opinion. But just consider carefully the commercial aspects and the location is vital. I would consider East Devon or Cornwall to give you the most attractive locations with the amount of land available. Have you looked in to planning regs ?
I use places like this now, bigger lodges with 3-4 beds and have restaurant & leisure facilities, not just for the kids but for me. My idea of hell is complete seclusion with no wifi and flatscreen, sorry.
https://retallackresort.co.uk/
My final point - people with high disposable income, don't go to Barnstaple. They go to Salcombe,Dartmouth Fowey, Rock. This may not matter when you are secluded but think about what they will search on google.
Im not so keen on the type of lodges you have referred too, A) because there is so much competition, B) Because we lose the USP, and C) you would need the infrastructure to back up that kind of client (pool with slides, restaurant, shop etc) just not what im aiming for.
Im more setting myself as a half way point between Glamping and a cottage, back to basics, but with all of the comforts you need to be comfortable all year round.
What with the underfloor heating, log burning stove, hot tub and hot shower in the ensuite, I feel there will be enough of an appeal to get people coming in all seasons. If anything the height of winter is when they will really come into their own. Im not saying we will be booked all year, but I don’t feel this is going to be a summer trade only set-up.
We will be starting with just the one, to test the market, so we can amend and tweak the business model as we (hopefully) grow.
cailean said:
Sounds great, are kids still a no no? If the buildings are a decent space apart I would have thought kids in at least some would be ok and would not disturb the others. My kids are better behaved and quieter than most groups of adults... get the pricing right and you should get well behaved families...I know, harsh
This is something we can look to re-consider if the adults only thing doesn’t seem to be working/take off. We are starting with a smaller one bed place. But the 2nd place will be a 2 bed to sleep 4 people, this is initially still going to be for adults only, friends and family, but we have the option to experiment if we are turning down too much family business. toppstuff said:
Weird that so much talk is about dogs.
My experience , living in rural West Berkshire, is that the place is packed with professional people with plenty of income who are often desperate for a weekend option away by the sea where they can take their labradors / spaniels and still have comfort and a change of scene.
Keep a couple of lodges dog free for sure, but I think you'll find that you will get plenty of business from dog owners and from those who don't really care provided the places are clean and immaculate; dogs or no dogs.
Being near a good pub is vital. A decent small town with a smattering of restaurants and a Waitrose nearby is probably a good way of telling if the area is "right" for your target market.
You are right, most of the places that we go too are dog friendly and they seem to be doing great, never seen so much as a single dog hair or whiff of any previous dogs when we have arrived, so cant really see the issue. My experience , living in rural West Berkshire, is that the place is packed with professional people with plenty of income who are often desperate for a weekend option away by the sea where they can take their labradors / spaniels and still have comfort and a change of scene.
Keep a couple of lodges dog free for sure, but I think you'll find that you will get plenty of business from dog owners and from those who don't really care provided the places are clean and immaculate; dogs or no dogs.
Being near a good pub is vital. A decent small town with a smattering of restaurants and a Waitrose nearby is probably a good way of telling if the area is "right" for your target market.
However enough people on here are of the opinion that they wouldn’t stay in one if there had been a dog there so im willing to listen to the feedback and trial a dog free lodge and see if there is the demand for it.
And yes you are right, Location is key.
MentalSarcasm said:
One other possibility to add eventually is shepherd huts. These are slowly starting to become more common as an alternative to camping or glamping as they're made of wood, so better at keeping out the worst elements should you have a rainy summer. I believe you can also fit them with log burners, which increases your "season" from late winter/early spring through to the end of autumn.
You can also get them fitted with wheels so you can move them across your site to suit circumstances, useful if you've had people with dogs who have left a bit of a mess or if you want to reseed grass areas that have been walked over too many times, or if you want to move them closer to "base" in the winter so you don't need to go far to check up on them and do a deep clean.
Just a thought
Im always up for trying different things, and shepherd huts are something I would be willing to consider. Not at first, and in a way I hope I dont have to consider them, but at the end of the day the client is always right and if I try one and its getting booked then so be it. You can also get them fitted with wheels so you can move them across your site to suit circumstances, useful if you've had people with dogs who have left a bit of a mess or if you want to reseed grass areas that have been walked over too many times, or if you want to move them closer to "base" in the winter so you don't need to go far to check up on them and do a deep clean.
Just a thought
Firstly I’d like to say thank you to everyone that contributed to this thread so far, you have been a great help in shaping how we wanted to take the business forward and I have all of you to thank for that.
So we have some updates......
We have just had our offer accepted on a stunning place, with a fantastic 12 acre woodland, it feels like you are in paradise (and a bit like jurassic park
), there is nothing to be seen or heard apart from a crystal clear trickling stream a pond and lots of flowers and wildlife.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
we have also "refined" the cabin design somewhat and have decided to settle on proper, handmade log cabins, a bit like this, we have had plans made up and are in talks with a few companies.
So it’s all slowly taking shape.........
So we have some updates......
We have just had our offer accepted on a stunning place, with a fantastic 12 acre woodland, it feels like you are in paradise (and a bit like jurassic park
), there is nothing to be seen or heard apart from a crystal clear trickling stream a pond and lots of flowers and wildlife.http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
we have also "refined" the cabin design somewhat and have decided to settle on proper, handmade log cabins, a bit like this, we have had plans made up and are in talks with a few companies.
So it’s all slowly taking shape.........
Edited by sidekickdmr on Wednesday 30th March 16:36
Oh and it's walking distance to a lovely pub, walking distance to the sea, which has the famous Tarka trail and SW coast paths for cycling and walking, as well as being only 10 mins drive from Woolacombe for the beach and surfing and 10 mins from Ilfracombe for the harbour, shopping and seafood.
It's in an area of outstanding natural beauty so the whole area is STUNNING!
It's in an area of outstanding natural beauty so the whole area is STUNNING!
sidekickdmr said:
Oh and it's walking distance to a lovely pub, walking distance to the sea, which has the famous Tarka trail and SW coast paths for cycling and walking, as well as being only 10 mins drive from Woolacombe for the beach and surfing and 10 mins from Ilfracombe for the harbour, shopping and seafood.
It's in an area of outstanding natural beauty so the whole area is STUNNING!
Oh you've bought in Lee Bay. Know it well. It's in an area of outstanding natural beauty so the whole area is STUNNING!
By the time you get your business up and running they should have finally developed the old empty hotel too, which will help.
Nice pub in the village, and like you say the Tarka Trail heads off to Woolacombe or Ilfracombe. Stunning scenery along there but you need to be fit - its steep. Properly steep.
Good luck with it. Always good to see new business ventures happening in our neck of the woods
sidekickdmr said:
Oh and it's walking distance to a lovely pub, walking distance to the sea, which has the famous Tarka trail and SW coast paths for cycling and walking, as well as being only 10 mins drive from Woolacombe for the beach and surfing and 10 mins from Ilfracombe for the harbour, shopping and seafood.
It's in an area of outstanding natural beauty so the whole area is STUNNING!
and not a million miles from some decent mountain biking and the west country evo triangle that is exmoor.It's in an area of outstanding natural beauty so the whole area is STUNNING!
BenWRXSEi said:
Ooooooooooh. Now that I like 
Thanks I like it too! The house needs a bit of work and we will need an extension over time but its the land I'm interested in for the business really.boyse7en said:
Oh you've bought in Lee Bay. Know it well.
By the time you get your business up and running they should have finally developed the old empty hotel too, which will help.
Nice pub in the village, and like you say the Tarka Trail heads off to Woolacombe or Ilfracombe. Stunning scenery along there but you need to be fit - its steep. Properly steep.
Good luck with it. Always good to see new business ventures happening in our neck of the woods
Yes I've been reading up on the old hotel and the plans, seems they are almost there planning wise, will improve things.By the time you get your business up and running they should have finally developed the old empty hotel too, which will help.
Nice pub in the village, and like you say the Tarka Trail heads off to Woolacombe or Ilfracombe. Stunning scenery along there but you need to be fit - its steep. Properly steep.
Good luck with it. Always good to see new business ventures happening in our neck of the woods
Thanks for the well wishes, lovely area you live!
egor110 said:
and not a million miles from some decent mountain biking and the west country evo triangle that is exmoor.
Im going to try and get back into my mountain biking more, so this is good news!eliot said:
Just round the corner from Croyde bay - my favourite place.
What was the decision on dogs then? As i wouldn't touch the place if it's had stinky dogs in the cabins.
One cabin will be completely dog free, so no "stinky dogs" if thats not your thing What was the decision on dogs then? As i wouldn't touch the place if it's had stinky dogs in the cabins.
We stayed in a lodge just outside of York, in an acre or so field with around 10 other lodges each with its own hot tub.
The fellow that owned the park had bought the house with the field, just built himself a lodge. He moved into the lodge and sold the house with a small garden. He then used the cash from the house to build the other lodges.
He worked around 1 hour a day cleaning the hot tubs and making small talk with the guests. Living the dream!!
The fellow that owned the park had bought the house with the field, just built himself a lodge. He moved into the lodge and sold the house with a small garden. He then used the cash from the house to build the other lodges.
He worked around 1 hour a day cleaning the hot tubs and making small talk with the guests. Living the dream!!
A wet (but not stinky) black Lab owner here, checking in!
We spent the Easter weekend in a chalet (portacabin) by a lake in Berkshire.
The break was great, the facilities were fairly terrible and you couldn't keep the floor dry/ clean
We don't like leaving the beast with friends/ family as she's a bit clingy to me and usually makes herself slightly ill if we're gone for more than a couple of days so we're always looking at dog-friendly cabins for a break away.
So, this would be EXACTLY up our street and looks great!
We spent the Easter weekend in a chalet (portacabin) by a lake in Berkshire.
The break was great, the facilities were fairly terrible and you couldn't keep the floor dry/ clean
We don't like leaving the beast with friends/ family as she's a bit clingy to me and usually makes herself slightly ill if we're gone for more than a couple of days so we're always looking at dog-friendly cabins for a break away.
So, this would be EXACTLY up our street and looks great!
russ_a said:
We stayed in a lodge just outside of York, in an acre or so field with around 10 other lodges each with its own hot tub.
The fellow that owned the park had bought the house with the field, just built himself a lodge. He moved into the lodge and sold the house with a small garden. He then used the cash from the house to build the other lodges.
He worked around 1 hour a day cleaning the hot tubs and making small talk with the guests. Living the dream!!
Sounds great, however as much as I'm after a change of lifestyle and setting, I couldnt cope with 1 hours work a day, I'll be finding plenty to keep me busy and will be spending a lot of time with the marketing/advertising side to ensure im fully booked The fellow that owned the park had bought the house with the field, just built himself a lodge. He moved into the lodge and sold the house with a small garden. He then used the cash from the house to build the other lodges.
He worked around 1 hour a day cleaning the hot tubs and making small talk with the guests. Living the dream!!
toppstuff said:
Very nice. But if the lodge does not come with its own live red deer stag posing on the balcony, then I'm not coming.
Cardboard cutout ok? dom9 said:
A wet (but not stinky) black Lab owner here, checking in!
We spent the Easter weekend in a chalet (portacabin) by a lake in Berkshire.
The break was great, the facilities were fairly terrible and you couldn't keep the floor dry/ clean
We don't like leaving the beast with friends/ family as she's a bit clingy to me and usually makes herself slightly ill if we're gone for more than a couple of days so we're always looking at dog-friendly cabins for a break away.
So, this would be EXACTLY up our street and looks great!
Fantastic, would be very happy to welcome you and the black "beast" anytimeWe spent the Easter weekend in a chalet (portacabin) by a lake in Berkshire.
The break was great, the facilities were fairly terrible and you couldn't keep the floor dry/ clean
We don't like leaving the beast with friends/ family as she's a bit clingy to me and usually makes herself slightly ill if we're gone for more than a couple of days so we're always looking at dog-friendly cabins for a break away.
So, this would be EXACTLY up our street and looks great!
If all goes to plan with the planners etc we are hoping to have lodge one open for christmas
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