Unique Holiday Homes – The Growth of Unusual Holidays
Kate Paulwell from UniqueSleeps.com looks at how the rise of unique holiday homes and quirky accommodation has rocketed over recent years. What started out as just one or two unusual places to stay has quickly turned into a market trend that is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
What is an Unusual Place to Stay?
When Unique Sleeps was first created it was with the vision to showcase just quirky accommodation. Properties like the incredibly popular Dog Bark Park Inn, a guesthouse in Idaho in the shape of a giant Beagle. The other unique holiday homes to stay that we originally started with were those similar to the converted railway carriages in Cornwall. However, over the last few years a new contender has joined the ranks of Unique Sleeps, the ever so popular trend under the name of glamping.
What is Glamping?
The term ‘glamping’ has grown to encompass all things luxury in the world of camping. For those of you who haven’t heard of this term it is quite simply glamorous camping (glamour + camping = glamping.) This trend has grown at a phenomenal rate as owners realise that they can pretty much convert or build anything and turn it into a marketable glamping break. Think yurts, tipis, tree houses, gypsy caravans and many more. We even have a converted horse lorry which is located on a working farm in Oxfordshire. The owner gives visitors a ride to the local pub on his tractor. It is these kind of extra touches that are making the whole glamping experience a tempting one for holiday makers. Farmers and landowners are making use of the spare space they have to place safari tents and other glamping properties to turn their sites into glamping holidays.
What type of visitor is attracted to Unique Sleeps?
I think people are searching for a little more magic from their precious time away. Perhaps they are celebrating a special occasion and want to make it a more memorable one. For many the thought of a camping trip where they can get back to nature is a tempting one, but in reality the logistics of lugging a car load of camping equipment and setting up a tent (sometimes in rather unpredictable and damp conditions!) is not an appealing one. Why wouldn’t you go for the (albeit more expensive) option of arriving at your site with a tent or caravan already erected, wood burning stove warming the place up and dinner being prepared?
Marketing unique holiday homes
Marketing an unusual place to stay is probably slightly easier than a normal holiday rental. The out of the ordinary and uniqueness of a property can often sell itself. This is especially true of the more unique and quirky places. A recent listing on Unique Sleeps is The Big Green Bus, a converted double decker bus, sleeping 6 people. They have already been featured on Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces, been in national newspapers and are appearing on BBC radio. The fact is, out of the ordinary makes a good story. A good story attracts lots of visitors. It goes without saying that you should have your own website. Most people will do their research before booking unique holiday homes and a good website is something that they expect to see. To compliment this it is wise to list on a few suitable listing sites, as you would with a more traditional holiday rental. There are now a variety of places you can choose from to showcase your unusual property, just remember to check out what services they are offering and at what price.
The future of quirky accommodation
I think quirky accommodation is here to stay. There will always be a market for people who want to try something different and unique. As for glamping, well I can’t imagine that will ever decrease in popularity. People always want to experience the great outdoors and if they can do it whilst getting to sleep in a kingsize bed under canvas why not?
Visit UniqueSleeps.com if you need help in marketing your unique holiday homes.