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Two people sat on a bench overlooking Gloucestershire countryside

If you’re looking to holiday let your property, you need to know these holiday letting trends for the Cotswolds.

At Manor Cottages, we are proud to be a local Cotswolds holiday letting agency with the national backing of our parent company Sykes Holiday Cottages.

Each year, Sykes Cottages release their Staycation Index which offers insights and trends into the holiday letting landscape for that year.

Read on for our collective guide to holiday letting trends for the Cotswolds.


Top amenities guests look for when booking a holiday

Two people sat on a bench overlooking Gloucestershire countryside

The top 5 local amenities Brits look for when booking a holiday or when on holiday according to Sykes Holiday Cottages consist of:

  1. Go on coastal walks
  2. Go on countryside walks
  3. Explore local attractions
  4. Have a pub lunch
  5. Try local restaurants

The Cotswolds offers glorious walking and cycling routes, countryside and pubs equalling a desirable place for guests to want to book.

Paired with the fact it offers some of the most aesthetically beautiful cottages and properties, each season in the Cotswolds brings something different. Whether it’s snow, wisteria, poppies or lavender, the landscape of the Cotswolds is always appealing.


Top regions for British breaks during summer

According to Sykes Holiday Cottages’ staycation index, in 2023 the Cotswolds ranked 8 out of 10 for the fastest growing region for school holiday bookings.

Although according to the 2024 staycation index, the Cotswolds as a region did not rank within the top 10 summer trending locations, 43% of guests chose a staycation over a foreign trip due to ease. This is set to continue in 2025.

The top villages to stay in the Cotswolds remain: Bath, Castle Combe, Bibury, Stow-on-the-Wold and Burford, where the Manor Cottages’ office resides.

If your property is appealing to families, now is a great time to consider what else you can provide to make your guests’ stay even more enjoyable. Whether that’s providing card games, outdoor games such as a kite, giant jenga or twister, parents will thank you!


Booking trends

Move over city breaks and hello cosy Cotswold Cottages. Booking trends have changed since Covid, with more bookings becoming last minute and the duration shorter.

Sykes Holiday Cottages dubs these guests “staycation snackers” who are looking to book more breaks throughout the year, instead of investing in one showstopping holiday. This is also set to continue through 2025.

When looking at availability for your holiday property in the Cotswolds, it’s important to consider these new booking trends. Opting in for short term breaks and making your holiday home pet-friendly can really boost your occupancy rates.

If you manage your holiday let changeovers yourself, you’ll need to ensure you can keep up with the demand. Alternatively, you could appoint a Cotswolds holiday let agent like Manor Cottages to take over the managed services for you.


Cost of living crisis

Unique Cottage set along the river with its own water wheel

According to the consumer research of 2,000 UK adults conducted by Sykes Holiday Cottages, 48% are planning to re-visit a destination so they accurately plan costs.

Instead, guests are looking for a range of amenities to suit their individual needs based around location. Cotswolds holiday let property owners can take advantage of this.


Cotswolds Holiday Letting

As always, the landscape of holiday letting is ever changing. At Manor Cottages, we have the advantage of being a local company with the national backing of a national holiday let agency.

This means we can provide local support, recommendations and holiday let management such as cleaning and property maintenance.

We are accurately able to predict holiday trends based on research and insights gathered each year based on both Manor Cottages and Sykes Holiday Cottages booking data. We offer free pricing appraisals and property visits along with mortgage letters if you’re looking to invest in your first property.

Download your free owner pack and start your holiday letting journey with Manor Cottages today.

View the full Sykes Staycation Index for 2024 here.