How to Decorate your Holiday Let for the Festive Season

With the festive season upon us, making sure your property is ready for the seasonal period is key.

Guests arriving at this time of the year more than any will be looking forward to spending quality time away with friends and family, so making sure your property is catered for the festivities will be a real plus point upon arrival.

Read more to find out our tips on how to decorate your holiday let during the festive period.

First Impressions Count

Creating an environment that gives your guests an amazing reaction upon arrival to your property is a perfect start to any holiday, especially during the festive period. Sometimes it is the small details that count. For instance, if your property has an outside light, make sure it is either turned on and ready for the guests, or on a timer during the winter months. This will be useful as some guests may be arriving during the later hours.

If you have a key safe at the property, an extra light around the lockbox will also be helpful. Extra items around the house can increase the festive feel even more, such as a Christmas tree, decorations and festive foliage, from holly to mistletoe. Tableware is also another nice option, which can include items such as napkins table coverings and crackers.

Please note: Before adding any festive items to the property, it may be worth speaking to the guests before their arrival to see if they require certain things for their stay, e.g., decorations or maybe a Christmas tree. This is due to the fact that some guests may not want any during their holiday.

Festive Hamper

Another item that is sure to leave guests happy on arrival at the property is a festive hamper with a couple of seasonal treats waiting for them.

This can include items such as mulled wine for the adults, hot chocolate for a nice cosy option and any extra treats on top such as marshmallows and cinnamon for the colder winter nights. Supplying your welcome pack with treats from the surrounding area throughout the year is always a nice option, highlighting local delicacies or locally sourced items. But during this time of year, preparing the hamper with festive treats produced in the local area is a nice touch.

If your property accepts pets, then supplying a bag of treats will help you go that extra mile. Visit our article on our top 10 essentials to include in a guest information pack for more information.

Highlight local events

During the festive period, there are bound to be a number of events taking place in the local area of the property, from markets to festive events building up to the big day. There may even be a boxing day swim in the area if you feel up to it.

Offering a ‘what’s on guide’ for the area will help guests plan any activities they might want to do during their time at the property.

Extra recommendations on top can include restaurants that are open on Christmas Day if the guests fancy going out for Christmas dinner.

The distance from the main towns and cities for any last-minute purchases is also a good point to add, if you have some nice boutique shops in the local village to the property also, highlight them.

Another nice option is a guide to the best walks from the property, for people wanting to stretch their legs after a festive meal. This is also perfect if your property does allow pets, maybe highlight the best dog-friendly beaches as well if your property is close by.

Letting guests know the best place from the property to celebrate the New Year is also an excellent option.

Kitchen Utensils

Cooking during this time can be a stressful experience, so making sure guests have all the appropriate cookware they need for the occasion is something to bear in mind.

This can include all major kitchen utensils as well as smaller items such as bottle openers, wine glasses, roasting trays and enough bowls to fulfil all the extra touches on the big day.

Depending on the size of the property, crockery will also be in high demand during the week, so making sure you have a couple of spare items will come in handy.

Preparing for every eventuality

The festive season usually sees large groups come together for the holidays, and this is the time that sees a lot of games being played.

Offering a collection of board and card games for guests at the property is a nice touch. This can be a perfect afternoon activity, especially if the weather decides to be classically British.

If your property caters towards larger groups and children, having colouring books available at the property is a nice alternative.

Note: With the amount of paper used during the festive season, making sure you have the right plans in place regarding recycling is important. Make a little note in the welcome folder to explain to guests how and where they can recycle any wrapping paper or packaging, to make sure the rubbish is disposed of correctly.

Extra treats

Some nice extra touches can include items such as fairy lights. These can be hung across doors, walls or even over the fireplace, and they can just make the area extra cosy. Outdoor lights for the garden are also a nice option for guests to chill out in the evening if they can brave the cold.

Note: Please make sure all additional lights are PAT tested before adding to the property.

If you have a log burner, providing extra logs for the heating during the winter months is always a nice feature. But during this period, with store opening times being varied, providing a little extra during festive weeks will go a long way for a positive review.

Any other touches can include items such as additional blankets, to be used in the living rooms or any cosy rooms in the property. This can be a nice touch for small families or for properties that cater for couples.

Summary

A holiday during this time of the year can be an amazing experience for family members of all ages and having the property perfectly prepared for this will make it a time away to remember.

Having any of these extra features in place for the holiday will be sure to see the guests enjoy their stay, even more, this will also hopefully see the guests share their amazing experiences in their feedback for future holidaymakers.

Note: Please make sure guests are consulted before arrival if they require any decorations during the festive season.