4 Ways to Make your Holiday Cottage Dog Friendly
Increase potential bookings by going dog friendly
We’re a team of dog lovers here at Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire, and so are our guests. We welcome over 4,000 dogs every single year and the market for dog friendly holiday accommodation is booming, to say the least.
That’s why we always encourage properties to become dog friendly holiday cottages, so they can be welcoming of the entire family – humans and dogs alike. Around 40% of our current collection is dog friendly, and we’re keen to increase this so we can welcome even more travelling dogs and their families in the years to come.
Why Become a Dog Friendly Holiday Cottage?
Whilst we understand that being a dog friendly holiday cottage is not for everyone, we strongly urge you to consider making your property pet friendly. Not only does this create an extra selling point for your cottage but it can help to extend your letting season and bring in bookings outside of the usual peak times of the school holidays. It opens your holiday cottage up to a wider pool of visitors, many of those travelling with dogs like the low season when there are no beach restrictions to contend with.
Now more than ever, people appreciate their pets and hold them firmly in place at the centre of the family. After all, our pets have been there to keep us company during lockdown when we haven’t been able to see our other loved ones.
When looking to make your holiday cottage dog friendly, there are a few key factors to consider before it’s ready to market.
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Enclosed Gardens
This is a big must for most who are travelling with dogs. A garden allows guests to take the dog out without having to leave the property, which may be a luxury to some who live the rest of the year without an outdoor space – for instance, those who live in city flats.
Making sure the garden is fully enclosed provides that added peace of mind that their pooch won’t stray afar as they are contained within the cottage garden. You may already have a fenced garden with a gate, but is there room for a small canine to slide out underneath?
Simple changes like swapping a gate to one which stretches to the floor might be all it takes to make your cottage dog friendly.
Hard Flooring
There are many reasons to opt for hard flooring when decorating a dog friendly holiday cottage. It’s not a must of course, but it can make things easier all around.
Hard flooring makes for easy cleanup. A quick hoover will remove hair and remnants of sand from days spent at the beach whilst also ensuring there are no lingering dog odours. This way, you can make sure your holiday home is spotlessly clean for the next guests who remember, may not be bringing a pet along.
Think about Stairgates
Everyone knows stairgates are designed to keep small children from roaming free throughout the house but have you considered that this can apply to dogs too? Stairgates are a perfect solution if you want to keep sections of the house dog friendly and other sections dog free.
Pop one at the bottom of the staircase to keep the canines out of the upstairs bedrooms or place one in a doorway to prevent them from entering a carpeted room.
A Doggy Welcome Pack
Just as you might leave out a bottle of local milk, a jar of honey or some locally made Welsh cakes; consider leaving a little something extra for your four-legged guests too. It need only be a clean dog bowl and a biscuit, but an added touch like this cements the notion that your property is not only accepting of dogs, but it is welcoming of dogs.
If you’re not sure of what to put in for your visiting canines or simply don’t want the hassle of providing a welcome pack yourself (whether it be just for dogs or for the whole party), let our Concierge Team take this on for you. We already offer a range of dog packages and would be happy to ideas and budgets to create something just right for your requirements.
Looking for a holiday property letting agency in Pembrokeshire?
If you would like to discuss letting your holiday Cottage with Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire, please feel free to call us on 01437 765765. Remember we all live and work in the heart of Pembrokeshire. If you are passing, feel free to drop in for a coffee.
