Sykes Owner Stories - Offa’s Dyke Escape

A unique holiday accommodation set in the beautiful landscape of North Wales, Offa’s Dyke Escape provides a quirky getaway from your everyday life.

The pod is situated in an elevated position above the owner’s home, surrounded by an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within walking distance from the famous Offa’s Dyke footpath, you may even catch a glimpse of Mount Snowdon.

This adult-only property is perfect for a countryside getaway. Owners Alistair & Anna give their experience of holiday letting so far and tips for anyone looking to begin their holiday let business.

Can you tell us about the meaning behind the name of your property?

Alistair: So, Offa’s Dykes Escape at the very beginning, we were toying with the idea of maybe calling it Snowdonia View because you can see Snowdon from the pod. Then it was a flip of a coin between Snowdonia View and Offa’s Dyke and then we went with that, purely because Offa’s Dyke actually runs adjacent to our land here and we are on the last stage of the walk. So it goes from Bodfari to Prestatyn, which is the last 10 miles, and then we went with Offa’s Dyke and here we are today with it.

"One of our favourite things is that were able to offer an escape for people"

When did your first open your doors to guests and how did it feel when you welcomed your first guests?

Anna: So, we first opened our doors to guests in May 2021. We were just coming out of another lockdown in Wales so it was all a bit uncertain as to whether we would be able to have guests but luckily, we were, and we were quite apprehensive about the first feedback we would get.

'Have we thought of every eventuality?', 'Have we prepped the pod appropriately?'. So I guess that was the feeling and when we did get feedback and it was lovely, it was such a nice feeling to think, 'Okay we’ve done all the prep now, and someone has enjoyed staying here', and then it has been the same with every guest really, making sure that we are listening to feedback and acting on anything that comes up.

So it is always really lovely when people say they’ve had a wonderful stay here, that they feel refreshed, that they leave here having had a lovely break, there is a sense of pride in doing that. So that’s one of our favourite things is that we're able to offer an escape for people, we live in a beautiful part of the world, and we have guests that come from living in a city and they just come to escape here, it’s a really lovely feeling that we’ve been able to share our little piece of treasure with somebody else.

"We’ve even had a proposal here a couple of months ago, which was really exciting"

What kind of holiday makers come to your property?

Alistair: So here at Offa’s Dyke Escape, we get a variety of people. So, we get mainly couples because we are an adults only project, but we get all different types of ages coming through, from the ages of 18, I think we’ve had guests in their 80s come here. But we’ve had a lot of honeymooners, we’ve had a lot of wedding anniversaries, we’ve even had a proposal here a couple of months ago, which was really exciting.

How has holiday letting changed your life?

Anna: I think for us, knowing we have the security of an additional income, that’s been lifechanging. So if our child ever needed me to give up work to care for them, we have that kind of security to fall back on and it’s always nice thinking ahead for the future, to make sure that we have this investment for us, for our retirement and for our children’s future as well. So, I think for us that’s how it’s changed our lives.

"The view, obviously, is something the guests really enjoy and then we’ve got the hot tub for people to relax in"

How long did it take to get the property up to this level?

Alistair: So, in all, it did take a bit of time, I would say it took about 14-15 months in total. So, a lot of work has to go in it at the very beginning, from the planning stages, up to getting the site ready and then actually getting the pod here.

So, I think, the view obviously, is something the guests really enjoy and then we’ve got the hot tub for people to relax in.

What do you think makes your property stand out?

Anna: I think my favourite part of the building, it’s such a beautiful building, I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan, so it’s made by My Shire Houses and that ticked all the boxes for me because it does feel a little bit like Bilbo Baggins’ hideaway. But I really love the staircase and the way that they fashioned a natural tree trunk to form part of the staircase, that was new I think for our pod and it’s just so beautiful.

"I really love the staircase and the way that they fashioned a natural tree trunk to form part of the staircase"

Alastair: We always make sure that it is comfortable for our guests, so we always give them a nice bottle of bubbly, bread, crisps, and biscuits. We just make sure that it’s nice and comfortable when the guests arrive here.

What’s your favourite thing about letting out your property?

Anna: I think for us, it’s a fun experience, we want it to be fun for others. We really love and are passionate about our local areas, so for us it’s an opportunity to showcase that and to recommend places we’ve enjoyed going too.

What was the most difficult part of getting the property set up for letting?

Alistair: I think the biggest problem we had was actually the logistics of getting the pod here. So My Shire Houses, they’ve been brilliant with us, who are based down in Cheltenham, who actually designed and built the pod. The day that it came to site, it had to come down a little road here and it was difficult to get through, so there was a telegraph pole on one side and a tree on the other and it was a tight squeeze to get through.

"The biggest problem we had was actually the logistics of getting the pod here"

Is holiday letting what you expected?

Anna: I think to a degree, holiday letting is what we thought it would be. I think there is a lot of work that goes in behind the scenes that when you go on holiday, you’re not necessarily aware of that, so I think we are more aware now and we’ve been away since opening Offa’s Dyke Escape and we are appreciative of all the work that goes on behind the scenes. So, I think that is something that we weren’t aware of before doing this but it’s a new enterprise for us.

I think if we were to do things differently, going from scratch before we had the business, we would have gone and looked around other similar holiday rentals, have chance to go and view other places but I think if we were to do it again from scratch that is something we would recommend.

Do you have any tips for prospective owners thinking of getting into holiday letting?

Alistair: In the end we employed a planning consultant and we found that very useful, so they could point us down the right direction, we found that very beneficial to get somebody who knows what they are doing because it is not everyday that you go and put planning in for something, so it was all new to us as a family.

What is your experience of using Sykes Holiday Cottages?

Anna: So, Sykes have been amazing, really clear communication, nothing is too much trouble. When we contact, we hear back. The website, we’ve booked through Sykes, and we find it really easy to book, use and to navigate. So, we are grateful that our customers also have that experience.

It is hard work and the investment at the outset was big and all the planning, making sure that everything was done in a timely way so that it could be opened, that was a big piece of work. But the benefits of that do out way all of the work that went in, so we have no regrets.

"I think for us, it’s a fun experience, we want it to be fun for others"

View full version of the Offa's Dyke Escape Owner Story.