My Favourite Vacation Rental Sites – Updown Cottage, Shaftesbury, UK

I’m beginning a series on the blog this week featuring what I think are the best vacation rental websites. These are individual sites – not agencies, or listings from Home Away – they are what, in my opinion, sets the standard for owners in developing their own sites. This is not to say these sites are perfect overall – some could do with a little more work on design or navigation perhaps – but what they all have is sticking power. That is, there is something there that may capture a visitor for more than a few seconds, and could have the power to get them to explore the site in more detail and even bookmark it.

These are not critical reviews, although I will say what I like and what bugs me, and no-one has submitted their sites for inclusion. Mostly, I have found them on Twitter or Facebook or they are sites I’ve just stumbled across in forums or searches. You may not like what I like, or think there are better ones out there I could have featured and I appreciate that. I’m just sharing what rocks my boat. I think you’ll find there’s an eclectic mix and if something in each one gives you, even a small idea for your own site, it’s been a worthwhile read.

First up is Updown Cottage in Dorset, England. In fact, seeing this site was inspiration for this series as there are aspects of it that I found mildly irritating, but these were overtaken by a powerful pull to keep looking and moving around the site. This is what makes a site ‘sticky’.

The first thing that grabbed me was this:

“They’ve thought of everything” Sally Shalam, Guardian

Now I was never a Guardian reader however my first instinct was to click on that link and see what had been said. It led me to a 2007 newspaper review and I was immediately hooked.

“everything has been carefully chosen, from umbrellas and a shopping bag in the hall to writing paper and envelopes in the sitting room, from rainy day distractions – jigsaws, Nespresso coffee machine, piles of magazines – to travel toothbrushes and White Company bathroom toiletries.”

So back to the web site to settle down and take a leisurely look at the photos. The minor problem was when I tried to find that home page again I came up with another that had a different link to a small review in Times Online so I had to go off and read that too:

“It is cute, beamed and Aga’d up, with eyefuls of lush, rolling countryside through every window, but it’s tucked amid the cobbles of the busy hilltop town of Shaftesbury, in Dorset, and only a stone’s throw away from a deli selling gourmet goodies.”

As a potential renter, I have now been sold on this cottage because it’s been written up in two of the UKs most well known newspapers. I can read any number of reviews written by previous renters, but a piece by a journalist still gives more clout for most people. After all that is what grabbed my attention in the first place.

It might be more helpful to have both those links on one page because I found it mildly confusing that there appears to be two similar home/welcome pages. This then brings me to the irritation of the site itself which I’ll now get out of the way. With a whole page to fill, why is it confined to a little box in the centre? I’m no techie but I’m sure there must be a way of making all those beautiful photos fit the whole page and give us the chance to see bigger pictures and larger text without having to scroll down. For someone viewing on a netbook or smaller devices the text may be impossible to read.

So, onto the photos which are the real selling points. I bang on all the time about making bedroom images stand out and these do it. The text alongside each one captures the imagination and creates a sense of ‘being there’. I could almost feel the pillows, the fluffy duvets, smell the freshness of the rooms and hear birdsong from outside. Romanticising? Yes, of course, but that is what a site with good images does for me.

“Piles of soft, white pillows, fresh aqua fabrics, a window seat heaped with cushions, all set against antique furniture and beams. Aqua overlooks the famous Gold Hill which has cheated the march of time by remaining free of vehicles… except for the odd ‘Hovis’ bicycle!”

(For those not in the know, Gold Hill features in the 1973 "Boy on Bike" television advertisement  for Hovis bread, that has been voted Britain’s favourite advertisement of all time)

Mmmmm….I’m there!

‘Sticky’ features – reviews in known publications; gorgeous bedroom photos – I kept coming back to them; enticing and appealing text, and a whole slew of ‘extras’ not normally found in a holiday rental. I got the impression that the owner really wants guests to feel welcome and at home. Visually it is very attractive and would be even more so if it was enlarged. The photographs are excellent and staged in a way to fire up the imagination and senses.

The downside – the site was confusing to navigate and it was hit or miss in finding all the photos. I would have liked to see either a gallery of photos or the rooms clearly labeled with a set of photos for each one. It wasn’t until I clicked on Tariff that I found all the facilities which are very comprehensive and should be more prominent. Even with the lovely images it would be important to me to quickly find out if there is high speed internet access. I could also have been sold by some of the other features – wood burning stove, grand piano etc but they were not obvious. If I hadn’t clicked first on the media reviews I might even have missed them altogether. The white text on dark background also made it difficult for me to read the text.

Verdict – This site doesn’t have much information on the area, nor does it really capitalize on the location – the ‘Hovis’ hill – so I think there are some opportunities missed here. However, not even the downsides can detract from the visual aspect and the reviews, which together create that ‘must have it’ factor. The learning points for owners are:

• Reviews from travel journalists featured in newspapers and magazines are a powerful magnet for potential rental clients
• Spend time staging photos for bedrooms using attractive furnishings or have them professionally done
• Use text that triggers the senses – i.e. mix visual, auditory and kinaesthetic words – describe what could be seen, heard and felt