If you are holiday letting your property, there are many benefits of having a dog-friendly holiday let. The Cotswolds as a destination is one of the most dog-friendly places in the UK.
With an abundance of countryside and public walks, along with dog-friendly cafes, attractions and pubs, it’s no wonder so many guests are choosing to take their dog on holiday with them.
Properties who accept dogs are more likely to get more bookings as many guests look to ditch the kennels.
The most dog friendly areas in the Cotswolds
The top 6 locations
| Rank | Area | Number of open spaces | Number of Vets | Number of dog friendly trails | Number of Dog friendly pubs |
| 1 | Gloucestershire | 42 | 128 | 45 | 68 |
| 2 | Wiltshire | 160 | 123 | 41 | 21 |
| 3 | Oxfordshire | 93 | 71 | 27 | 47 |
| 4 | Warwickshire | 64 | 93 | 12 | 54 |
| 5 | Worcestershire | 87 | 59 | 16 | 46 |
| 6 | Somerset | 77 | 45 | 36 | 20 |
If you have a second home that you currently are or hope to holiday let in any of these counties, by opting to accept dogs you’re welcoming a whole new demographic of guest.
Most of these guests are likely to be families or couples looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, for a relaxing break in the countryside with their pet.
How to make your holiday let dog friendly
Property owners are sometimes anxious about opening bookings to allow pets which is understandable. However, Manor Cottages’ policy states that pets aren’t allowed to be left in the property alone.
To holiday let your property, you’ll need suitable insurance. If you’re accepting dogs or other pets, (some guests do bring house cats), you’ll need to have insurance to cover wear and tear or accidental damage by these pets.
You can add restrictions to your holiday let such as no dogs upstairs or on soft furnishings and cordoning off a part of the garden only to be used by dogs. Stairgates are also helpful in creating boundaries for pets in holiday homes.
You could look to install a dog cleaning station at one of the entrances to your home to wash off any muddy paws.
Welcoming dogs to your holiday let
Guests will be very appreciative of any little touches you leave for their pets. A good first impression counts, even by a dog’s standards!
A food and water bowl, fresh towels for paws, treat jar and a bed are all great things to leave in your holiday property for dogs. You may wish to create a little pet corner with the items, so they have their own space.
Making sure your garden is secure is a great way to ensure your guests and their dogs enjoy their stay. You could also include dog-friendly recommendations and a list of nearby vets in case of emergency.
Flexibility on bookings
By choosing to opt into short breaks, you’ll encourage more guests to book too. Most guests who are looking to bring their dog on holiday will likely want a 2–3-night stay as opposed to a week long stay.
Managing changeovers
When looking to accept pets into your property, you’ll need to do a more in-depth clean of your property after each changeover. This means washing any pet bedding you’ve provided, towels and walk through areas dogs or pets have access to.
At Manor Cottages, we have different levels of managed services of which we can help with your changeovers.
Fully managed services is a great option for property owners who may live away or don’t want the maintenance of looking after their holiday let. This looks after changeovers, cleaning and maintenance of the property.
Partially managed services looks after the changeovers and cleaning of the property. This allows you to enjoy the income from your holiday home without needing to be present for every changeover.
If you choose to be owner-managed, you will need to ensure your property is fully cleaned and ready to go for the next guests, along with any maintenance / replacements.
Get your free pricing appraisal
If you’re looking to holiday let your property in the Cotswolds and have flexibility over your bookings, contact the Manor Cottages team today on 01993 223310 (option 2).
Furthermore, you can download your free owner pack here.
Methodology:
To uncover which areas in the Cotswolds are the best for a dog holiday, researchers calculated the number of open spaces, vets, dog-friendly trails and dog-friendly pubs in each county in the Cotswolds.
The locations were then scored for each category, the areas with the highest overall score were ranked the best.
Sources:
Beaches – https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/
Open spaces – https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/
Trails – https://www.alltrails.com/
Pubs – https://www.useyourlocal.com/pubs-in-wiltshire/?dogs_allowed=18