Get Fully Booked

What does it actually feel like to give up a 35-year London career, say yes to a seven-acre farm you’ve never run before, inherit fifteen animals you’ve never looked after, and move to a county you’ve never lived in, all in under four months? Nicky Cooper is about to tell you.

Nicky is one of Sarah’s 2026 Bootcampers and the new owner of Tredarrup Farm Holiday Cottages: a stunning North Cornwall farmstead near Port Isaac with four converted holiday cottages, fifteen animals (sheep, goats, running ducks and more), and views over the Allen Valley that she describes as genuinely hard to put into words. She moved in just a few months ago, having first spotted the property in September last year and fallen completely in love with it on the very first visit.

In this conversation, Nicky shares the story behind the leap: from her corporate sales and management background, the slow-building restlessness that made her start googling “places in Cornwall with holiday potential” on a bad day at work, and how an accidental Savills recommendation led her to a property that was over budget, completely off-brief and absolutely perfect.

They talk about the very practical side of buying an established holiday business: why taking on a going concern rather than building from scratch was so important, how to find these properties (more straightforward than you might think), why having a solicitor who understands both commercial and agricultural conveyancing matters and the huge advantage of inheriting existing goodwill, guest databases and marketing assets.

Nicky is also brilliantly honest about the learning curve: the never-ending to-do list, the tech stack that suddenly has no IT department behind it, the challenges of going from colleagues to business partners with the person you live with and the importance of scheduling time off-site before the business completely takes over.

She talks about how coaching has helped her stay grounded, why community (like the bootcamp) has been invaluable when things get lonely and why a sense of humour has proved just as essential as any business skill.

If you’re a host who’s ever wondered what it’s really like to make the leap, or if you’re thinking about it and want a genuinely honest account from someone in the thick of it, this one is for you.

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Key Takeaways

• Buying an established holiday business gives you a running start — existing bookings, goodwill, guest data and marketing assets mean you’re not building from a blank page, which is a huge advantage if you’re brand new to hosting.
• You don’t have to use specialist agents to find holiday businesses for sale — Rightmove covers most live-on-site opportunities, since they’re often listed as residential properties with the business as ancillary income.
• Make sure you love where you live, not just the business opportunity. Running a hospitality business is full-on, and if the property doesn’t work for your life outside of hosting, it will eventually catch up with you.
• The tech and systems involved in running a short-term rental are consistently underestimated — especially by people coming from corporate roles where there was always a team doing it. Build in time to learn, and don’t be too proud to ask for shortcuts.
• Scheduling regular time off-site isn’t a luxury — it’s how you reset, stay creative, and remember why you made the leap in the first place. Nicky and her partner built this in from early on.
• Community matters more than people expect when they start out. The solo nature of running a property business can be isolating, and finding your people — whether a bootcamp, membership or local network — makes the whole journey more sustainable.

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Find out more about Tredarrup Farm Holiday Cottages

Visit the website: https://tredarrup.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tredarrupholidaycottages

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tredarrupholidaycottages

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

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If the words “marketing metrics” make you want to switch off immediately, I get it. Numbers and spreadsheets weren’t what drew most of us into hospitality. But this episode might just change how you feel about them — because the hosts who track the right things are the ones who stop making decisions based on panic and start making them based on evidence.

In this solo episode, I’m walking you through the marketing metrics that I think every short-term rental host should have an eye on. Not vanity metrics. Not “look how many followers I’ve got” metrics. The ones that tell you whether your marketing is ACTUALLY working.

We start with your website and why your conversion rate can reveal far more about your marketing effectiveness than your occupancy rate ever will. I explain why lots of traffic with low bookings isn’t always a traffic problem, and what it might actually be telling you instead.

Then we move into email marketing, an area I will always champion because unlike social media, your email list is an asset you actually own. I cover the numbers you should be watching, why a high open rate with no clicks is a red flag, and the single biggest mistake hosts make with their email marketing.

Finally, we get into booking behaviour — booking windows, average length of stay, repeat guest percentage and direct booking ratio. These are the numbers that help you spot trends before they become problems and shape your marketing campaigns with intention rather than pure guesswork.

One quiet week in February does not mean your business is failing. But patterns matter. This episode shows you exactly what to look out for.

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Key Takeaways:

• Your website conversion rate is more revealing than your occupancy rate — it tells you whether your marketing is convincing the right people to book, not just visit.
• Lots of traffic with few bookings isn’t always a traffic problem. It could be a messaging, pricing, usability or trust issue — and you won’t know until you look at the numbers.
• Your email list is one of the most valuable marketing assets in your business. Social media reach can disappear overnight; your email database is yours.
• Don’t just email when you’re desperate for bookings — guests can feel that energy. Build a consistent relationship and the bookings follow, often weeks or months later.
• Booking window trends tell you a huge amount about consumer confidence. Shorter booking windows don’t mean demand has gone; they often mean people are delaying commitment.
• Marketing becomes far less stressful when you stop relying on gut feeling. Track consistently, spot patterns early, and market with intention instead of desperation.

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Is your marketing actually working? Find out with a Marketing MOT with Sarah

This intensive 2.5-hour Zoom session is a full audit of your current marketing capability and KPI performance. We discuss your goals, and I advise on immediate improvements to get you there quicker. You receive a video recording of the call and an Action Plan with next steps to keep you on track.

Find out more and book your Marketing MOT here

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

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When the market feels uncertain, it’s very easy to assume your business is failing.

The quieter inbox.

The later bookings.

The random gaps in the diary that suddenly appear where they never used to.

And meanwhile, social media is full of hosts apparently having their “best year ever” while you’re wondering whether everyone else is somehow in a totally different economy!

So today, I’m talking about what’s actually happening in the UK short stay market right now and why many hospitality business owners, like you, are feeling unsettled.

Because the truth is, the market hasn’t collapsed. But guest behaviour has changed dramatically.

I’m also sharing in this episode why I think some of the pressure hosts are feeling comes from comparing today’s market to the unusually exceptional post-pandemic travel boom and why that may be creating unrealistic expectations around typical occupancy and bookings.

This episode is about perspective, adaptability and learning how to market your holiday cottage or glampsite confidently during uncertain times instead of making emotional decisions based on one quiet week.

Because different doesn’t mean doomed. But it does require a smarter strategy.

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Key Takeaways:

• The UK short stay market in 2026 is broadly flat overall, but booking behaviours have changed significantly
• Guests are booking later, staying shorter and becoming more spontaneous with travel decisions
• Shorter stays are growing rapidly, meaning flexibility and gap-night strategies matter more than ever - I share my tips with you.
• OTAs and Airbnb are gaining market share in late bookings while direct bookings become harder to secure last minute
• Many hosts may still be benchmarking success against the unusually high demand seen during the post-pandemic travel boom
• Consistent visibility, email marketing and repeat guest strategies are increasingly important in a more competitive market
• Successful hospitality businesses in uncertain times are often the most adaptable, not necessarily the biggest or fanciest

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Looking for more support?

If you're looking for a supportive community and the latest marketing advice for our turbulent times - I have something for you. Take a look at my marketing club membership here.

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

---

Connect with Sarah:

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If you've ever wondered whether growing a portfolio of properties makes marketing harder, Clare from Suffolk Coastal Escapes is about to give you a very reassuring answer.

This week I'm chatting with Clare, a long-standing member of my membership, The FULLY BOOOKED BUSINESS CLUB, who manages 11 holiday cottages on the Suffolk coast - an area she describes as a hidden gem that most people have never even heard of.

She started with one apartment back in 2017, grew her own portfolio during Covid, and has only recently begun taking on other owners' properties. And she's done it properly... getting her own marketing house in order first before expanding.

The results speak for themselves. When Clare first joined my membership, she was around 90% OTA dependent. She's now at 75% direct bookings with a 40% repeat guest rate. Those are numbers worth paying attention to.

We talk about what's actually driven that shift, and it's not one big thing; it's a combination of really nailing her ideal guest (couples with dogs), obsessing over her website and SEO, and building a blog section she genuinely loves writing. She's just tipped over 100 blog posts, and every single one feeds her social media content and monthly email campaigns too.

There's also a brilliant tip about how she uses a hyper-local guest guide to convert OTA bookers into lifelong direct guests, and how her blog, now called Explore the Suffolk Coast, does the same job before people have even booked.

Clare also shares what it's actually like managing other people's properties alongside your own, the challenges she didn't anticipate, and why being a fellow host and a true local expert is her biggest competitive advantage over 'the big boy' agencies.

A brilliant episode to close out season five. See you in a few weeks for season six.

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Key Takeaways:

• Growing your portfolio doesn't have to mean more marketing work
• Getting clear on your ideal guest first is the foundation on which everything else is built on.
• A hyper-local guest guide is one of the most underrated marketing assets a host can have - Clare sees at least 75% of OTA bookers hand over their email address in exchange for hers.
• Blogging consistently - Clare has just passed 100 posts - pays dividends across multiple channels at once, fuelling social media content, monthly email campaigns and SEO results from a single piece of work.
• OTAs are a discovery tool, not a crutch - Clare uses them to get found, then works hard to capture guest details and convert one-time OTA bookers into returning direct guests.
• Going from 90% OTA reliant to 75% direct bookings doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen - consistent effort on your marketing and guest relationships is what moves the needle over time.

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Find out more about Suffolk Coastal Escapes

Visit the website

Like them on Facebook

Follow them on Instagram

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

---

Connect with Sarah:

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Here's a question for you. When did you last actually stay in your own short-term rental?

If the answer is "never" or it's been a very long time, this episode is going to make you uncomfortable. In the best possible way.

I'm talking today about why staying in your own property is one of the most important things you can do as a host, and why relying on your best friends or family to test it first is a terrible idea. (They love you too much to tell you the truth. You need someone who will actually say the mattress is awful after you spent a small fortune on it!).

Because here's what the research tells us, guest satisfaction in hospitality is disproportionately affected by tiny inconveniences, not by big standout features. The low pressure shower. The WiFi code that took ten minutes to find. The annoying bin in the wrong place. The curtains that don't quite block out the 5am sunrise. Those are the things that end up in reviews.

I'm also sharing why staying in other people's properties - competitors, boutique hotels, glamping businesses - is genuinely the smartest market research you'll ever do. And yes, it is tax-deductible too.

This isn't just about fixing snagging issues. It's about understanding what your space actually feels like from the guest's point of view because until you've lived it, you're guessing. And you can't market a feeling you've never experienced yourself.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Trial guests are non-negotiable before you open your doors, but choose carefully
2. Guest satisfaction is disproportionately impacted by small inconveniences, not big features
3. Staying in your own property properly reveals the micro irritations you simply cannot spot during a changeover, from a humming fridge to a bin in the wrong place
4. Staying in other people's properties two or three times a year, not just competitors but boutique hotels and other glamping businesses, consistently throws up ideas to elevate your own guest experience
5. Once you've genuinely experienced your own space as a guest, your marketing becomes easier and more confident

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

---

Connect with Sarah:

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I have to be honest, this episode genuinely made me smile from start to finish.

This week I'm joined by Wendy from Acorn Glade Glamping, one of my longest-standing Fully Booked Business Club members and a fellow host who has quietly built something really rather special just outside York in the UK. And when I say special, I mean four completely unique glamping units, a mirrored dome with a bespoke circular bed (Wendy reveals which celebrity has the same one), and a mullet-sporting alpaca called Hobnob who has become something of a social media superstar.

But beyond the brilliant quirks, this is a genuinely insightful conversation about what it actually takes to grow a glamping business with no previous experience, especially when you're starting with very limited marketing knowledge and figuring it out as you go.

Wendy talks honestly about where she started (70% OTA reliant) and where she is now (65% direct bookings and growing), how she approaches social media as entertainment rather than advertising, and why she's started sending WhatsApp messages to guests the day before arrival with brilliant results.

We also get into the clever techniques she uses to encourage repeat bookings, how having four completely different accommodation types gives guests a reason to keep coming back, and why building a personal connection with your guests - rather than hiding behind your brand name - is one of the most powerful things you can do for your direct booking strategy.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Going from 70% OTA-reliant to 65% direct bookings doesn't happen overnight
2. Having different accommodation types at different price points gives guests a compelling reason to come back for more!
3. OTAs aren't the enemy - used tactically as a discovery tool, they can work in your favour. Learn how from Wendy.
4. Email open rates dropping? Wendy's WhatsApp pre-arrival message experiment is well worth stealing!
5. Social media works best when you treat it as entertainment, not advertising
6. Building a personal connection with guests builds the kind of trust that makes them book direct next time rather than return to the OTA.

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Find out more about Acorn Glade Glamping York:

Visit the website

Like on Facebook

Follow on Instagram

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

---

Connect with Sarah:

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I've seen it so many times, and it genuinely breaks my heart.

Someone pours £80,000, £100,000, or even more into a beautiful cottage renovation, cabin, shepherd's hut, or glamping site. Blood, sweat, tears—the lot. Then they open their doors to nothing. Tumbleweed. Silence. And that desperate, sinking feeling that something has gone very wrong.

It's not because their property isn't gorgeous. It's because nobody knew it existed.

This episode is one of my all-time favourite topics because getting your launch right can make an enormous difference to your first year in business, and getting it wrong can cost you thousands.

I'm walking you through the biggest mistakes I see hosts make when they launch - starting with the classic "I've built it, and they will come" trap - and why a zero marketing budget is a false economy, no matter how much you've spent on the hot tub!

More importantly, I'm giving you five practical ways to launch (or relaunch) properly. From building a waitlist and creating founding guest offers, to countdown campaigns, launch day tactics, and how to use local PR and influencers to get people talking.

And if you want to take action straight away, I've got a free guide for you: Your 7-Step Marketing Launch Blueprint, with templates, checklists, and email ideas to help you do this properly. The link is in the show notes.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Your launch should begin long before your doors open. From the moment you break ground or get planning permission, start building an audience and document your journey.
2. Visibility has to be created; it doesn't just happen because you've listed on Airbnb.
3. Marketing is not an afterthought or a leftover budget item - it's what turns your investment into actual income.
4. Professional photography is non-negotiable - it's your shop window, and your first impression, and poor photography makes the rest of your marketing an uphill battle.
5. Building an email list before you launch is one of the most powerful things you can do - when the Hudnalls Hideout went live, 500 email subscribers helped generate 50 bookings in the first 19 days.
6. If you've already launched quietly and it didn't go to plan, you're absolutely allowed to relaunch - create a campaign, build some momentum, and go again with intention.

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Extra resources:

Download my FREE Launch Marketing Blueprint

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

---

Connect with Sarah:

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Five years. Can you believe it?

Get Fully Booked is officially five years old, and I'm not letting this one slip by quietly. Because if I've learned anything from working with hundreds of hosts, it's that we are absolutely terrible at celebrating our own wins. We hit a milestone, give ourselves a quick nod, and then crack on as if nothing happened. And I'm calling us out today!

This episode is a little bit different. Yes, I'm celebrating, but it's also evidence. Five years in business is no small thing when you consider that almost half of all businesses don't make it this far.

But beyond the celebrations, I want to give you something genuinely useful to take away.

Business milestones are a seriously underused marketing tool. Whether you're approaching your first year, just had your 100th direct booking, or you've just landed your 50th five-star review, there is real marketing gold in that moment if you know how to use it.

I'm walking you through why celebrating publicly actually builds trust with future guests, how to use milestones to deepen connection and drive engagement, and the practical ways you can turn your next business anniversary or achievement into a proper marketing moment - not just a one-and-done Canva graphic.

And yes, I'm sharing a little of my own journey too - the highlights, the hard bits, and why after 30 years in marketing, I'm still absolutely not done.

Here's to the next five. 🥂

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Key Takeaways:

1. Business milestones aren't just something to feel good about - they're a powerful trust signal that shows guests and potential clients you're the real deal and here for the long haul.
2. Almost half of all UK and US businesses don't survive to year five, so if you've hit a significant milestone, that is something worth shouting about.
3. Celebrating publicly isn't showing off - it's evidence of your experience, consistency and commitment, and in a market saturated with AI-generated listings and faceless businesses, that really matters.
4. Don't let a milestone pass with a single post and a quiet nod - plan it, build content around it, and use it to create genuine engagement with your audience.
5. Milestones are a brilliant excuse to look forward as well as back - share what's coming next in your business to keep your audience hooked and following your journey.
6. Whatever your next milestone is - your first direct booking, 100 Google reviews, a fully booked month - grab it with both hands and make it count for your marketing.

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

---

Connect with Sarah:

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This week, I'm chatting with Ben Makin, who runs a lighthouse keeper's cottage near Wick in Scotland – possibly the most remote location of any of my marketing club members.

Ben's got a really interesting guest mix, with around 38% of her bookings coming from overseas visitors. She's worked out exactly who her ideal guests are and has even given them names. There's Christine, her UK off-season guest who comes with her husband and a couple of dogs, and Christophe, the European family road-tripper who books nice and early.

What's brilliant about Ben's approach is how data-driven her marketing is, but not in a boring way. She uses a simple paper questionnaire that's working incredibly hard for her business, giving her insights into what guests searched for, what they valued, and what they loved about their stay. This information has completely transformed her marketing messaging.

We get into the nitty-gritty of hosting international guests versus UK visitors – their booking patterns, how long they stay, and what they need from their experience. Ben shares some really practical ideas like using Google Translate for guest communications, having translated activity sheets, and even writing welcome messages on a chalkboard in guests' native languages.

On the marketing front, Ben's got a pragmatic approach to OTAs. She doesn't hate them because she's worked out how to use them strategically, particularly for attracting US guests who really love Airbnb and Booking.com.

If you're thinking about how to appeal to overseas visitors or are more off the beaten track than most, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone who's actually doing it successfully.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Know your ideal guest avatars in detail – Ben has two distinct profiles with names and booking characteristics.
2. International guests often book earlier and at higher prices, filling your calendar before UK guests start booking.
3. Around 70% of US guests use OTAs versus only 20% of UK guests – understand these different booking preferences.
4. Add OTA commission fees on top of your rates so you still get your full amount.
5. Use the strictest cancellation policy on OTAs to prevent excessive cancellations.
6. Mine your data from website analytics, social media insights, and guest feedback to inform your marketing activity.

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Find out more about the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage Noss Head:

Visit the website

Like on Facebook

Follow on Instagram

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

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Connect with Sarah:

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In this episode, I tackle something I hear constantly – "I don't want to spam people." I'm tackling this mindset head-on because it's holding so many short-term rental and glamping site owners back from using one of the most powerful marketing tools available to them. Yes, even more powerful than social media!

I'll walk you through what actually counts as spam, how GDPR actually works for your business rather than against it, and why a small engaged list will always outperform a massive uninterested one. We'll also cover the three questions you should ask before hitting send on any email campaign.

If you've been avoiding email marketing because you're terrified about being annoying your past guests or getting GDPR wrong, this episode will help you see it differently.

Email marketing isn't spam when it's done right – it's just good old hospitality.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Sending emails to subscribers who opted in is NOT spam – it's permission-based marketing
2. Email marketing returns £36-42 for every £1 spent, compared to £2.80 from social media
3. A small engaged email list will always outperform a large uninterested one
4. Always include a working unsubscribe link and make it easy for people to opt out
5. Before sending any email, ask: Is it timely? Is it relevant? Is it permission-based?
6. Don't fear people unsubscribing – you don't want to pay to email people who aren't interested in hearing from anymore!

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Further resources:

Start email marketing with ease using Mail Chimp - access step-by-step training in my marketing club membership

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Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?

No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.

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Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?

Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!

---

Connect with Sarah:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

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