# Websites for holiday lets

> Websites for holiday cottages and self-catering lets that take direct bookings from returning guests and word of mouth, instead of paying a platform or agency on every stay.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/industries/holiday-lets
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-27

There are 6,605 holiday lets and other short-stay accommodation across 325 UK local authorities (ONS UK Business Counts, SIC 55209, 2025, OGL v3.0).

## How customers choose

Holiday let guests plan further ahead and in bigger groups than hotel guests. A family books the summer week in January; a group of friends books a hen weekend months out. Most start on Airbnb, Vrbo or a cottage agency, filtering by sleeps, dates, dogs and hot tub, and then a meaningful share search the property name to find a direct site. Returning guests are the heart of a good holiday let business: a family who loved the place will book the same week next year and tell friends, and none of that should cost platform commission. Guests read everything - the sleeping arrangements, how steep the stairs are, whether the garden is enclosed for the dog, what is in the kitchen, whether there is a travel cot, how far the beach really is. They want to see the calendar and the total price before they send anything.

## What most websites in this trade get wrong

Many owners with a single cottage decide a website is not worth it and stay entirely on the platforms, accepting the fees and the platform’s rules on cancellation and guest contact. Those who do build a site usually stop at a gallery and a contact form, which asks the guest to email and wait - a step most will not take when the platform shows availability instantly. A direct site needs a real availability calendar synced with every channel, a clear total price including cleaning and any dog fee, a secure deposit and balance payment, and a stated reason to book direct. The other trap is photography that flatters the view and hides the bedrooms: guests arriving to a box room they did not expect is how bad reviews start.

## What the website has to do

- **Direct booking with deposit** - Keeps the whole booking value and gives you the guest relationship.
- **Returning guests rebooking** - The cheapest and most loyal bookings a let will ever get.
- **Shoulder and short-break bookings** - Direct offers fill the gaps the platforms leave empty.

## Pages

- **Home** - Sleeps, the setting, availability and a book-direct reason.
- **The property** - Every room photographed, floor by floor, with bed sizes.
- **Availability and prices** - Live calendar with the full price including extras.
- **Book** - Deposit, balance date and cancellation terms.
- **Local guide** - Beaches, pubs, walks and shops with real distances.
- **Guest information** - Arrival, parking, wifi, dogs, and what to bring.

## Features that matter

- **Availability calendar synced with Airbnb, Vrbo and any agency** - Double bookings are the fastest way to lose a guest and a review.
- **Total price shown before enquiry, including cleaning and pet fees** - Surprise extras at the end are why guests abandon direct bookings.
- **Secure deposit and balance payments** - Guests will not bank-transfer a stranger for a week in August.
- **Floor-by-floor photographs and a sleeping plan** - Groups need to know who sleeps where before they book.
- **Clear house rules on dogs, parties and changeover day** - Sets expectations and filters out the wrong bookings.
- **A returning-guest route to rebook** - Makes next year’s booking a two-minute job.

Trust signals: VisitEngland star rating, where assessed; Complete photographs of every room; Clear cancellation and deposit terms; Named owners or local housekeeper.

Seasonality: School summer holidays sell first and furthest ahead, typically booked in the first weeks of the year. Christmas, New Year and half-terms follow; winter midweeks are the gaps to fill.

## Local authorities with the most

| Local authority | Businesses |
|---|---|
| Cornwall | 310 |
| Highland | 255 |
| North Yorkshire | 240 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 160 |
| City of Edinburgh | 125 |
| South Lakeland | 120 |
| Dorset | 100 |
| Somerset | 100 |
| Cumberland | 95 |
| Argyll and Bute | 90 |

## The offer

- **Monthly**: £299 upfront, £99/month (the upfront is a setup fee), 12-month minimum term. We build it, host it and look after it - and after 24 monthly payments, it is yours.
- **Own It**: £1,795 upfront, £49/month, no minimum term. Buy the website outright. It is yours to keep, move or cancel.
- **Pro**: £6,950 upfront, £299/month, 12-month minimum term. No limits. For large, multi-site and fast-growing businesses.
- Payment: The setup fee is paid when you book, and it starts the design. Monthly fees are collected by Direct Debit, covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee, from the day your site goes live.
- Guarantee: You see your finished design on your phone and approve it before anything goes live, with two full rounds of changes included. Nothing launches until you are happy with it. The Monthly plan runs for 12 months from launch.
- Bolt-ons: Google Business Profile management £29/month; Local SEO pack £49/month; Business email £5/month. Coming soon, not yet on sale: Missed-call text back, Review booster.
- VAT: We are not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add to these prices.

## Questions

### Is a website worth it for a single holiday let?

Often yes, because returning guests and word of mouth can then book without platform fees. You do not need to leave Airbnb or your agency; the website sits alongside them, synced to the same calendar. A single cottage with loyal guests can fill a meaningful share of its weeks directly over a few seasons.

### How do I take deposits and balances safely through my own site?

Use a booking system with card payments that takes a deposit at booking and collects the balance automatically before arrival. Guests are wary of bank transfers to a private owner, and card payment through a recognised provider reassures them. Your cancellation and refund terms should be shown clearly before they pay.

### How important is photography, really?

In visual trades it is the entire decision. Customers shortlist from photographs and read the words afterwards, if at all. It is worth paying a photographer for half a day once a year - it will change the size of the jobs you are asked to quote for more than anything else you could spend the money on.

### Can you add online booking?

Yes. Every plan includes a booking-request form, live-availability booking can be added to any plan (quoted on your call) and comes as standard on Pro, and we can connect whichever booking system suits your business rather than forcing you onto ours. For appointment businesses it is usually the highest-return feature on the site, because the phone going unanswered while you are working is a constant source of lost bookings.