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New Cornish last minute site puts heads on un-let beds

28th June 2012 Print

With a major amount of empty holiday properties in Cornwall and Devon in an unpredictable travel climate, the new professional service of latelettings.com, already with a portfolio of 100 self-catering cottages and properties, has helped owners take control of their income.

Engaging the cream of the South West’s accommodation industry in its launch campaign in May this year, the UK’s first one-stop-shop for truly last minute self-catering holidays is well on the way to becoming the number one service provider for instant deals on last-minute self-catering accommodation.

Already listing 350 holidays from quality properties available nationwide, the site has quickly gained interest from accommodation overseas. Its success is the result of an innovative booking system which allows owners to upload properties through a secure personal login at any time – even if they’re advertised elsewhere. Unlike other online holiday booking services, the Late Lettings’ owner is completely in control. They decide the dates they wish to sell as well as the discretionary discount options which can be variable or fixed. What’s more, the site is free to use with only a small commission fee, payable once the property is let.

This successful concept has been created by Newquay-based business woman, Emily Franklin who thought of the idea from her personal experience as owner of Country View Cottages, “I looked around for a late availability site where I could list any properties that hadn’t let close to the booking date – and there just wasn’t anything dedicated to this market, or to providing the kind of control that I was seeking as the owner. So rather than get involved with a service that either demanded a massive commission or high charges, and that also demanded a certain level of prices for the consumer, I decided to set-up my own.”

Cornwall alone has over 14, 500 self-catering properties, some of which are really struggling for regular bookings in the current economic climate, yet many owners have quickly seen the results of listing through Late Lettings.
Amy Keyter of Retallack Resort is one Cornish proprietor who has benefited from the launch of latelettings.com, “Many of our luxury 5* self-catering properties are let to the last-minute market so being able to easily advertise availability for free with a locally based site which speaks to our target customer has been ideal. We had bookings within the first weeks of its launch and I’m continually using the site to maximise sales opportunities.”

For hassle-free holidays, Late Lettings also speaks to savvy searchers who simply wish to book, pay and go, all through one easy, secure site.

Emily has kept all business connections local, choosing local PR agency, Excess Energy Communications, Noodle online marketing in addition to Cornish cleaning companies and local tradespeople. Emily says, “I’m overwhelmed by the success of the Late Lettings Launch. We have many guests searching the site for quality holidays and we are currently looking for more properties to fulfil this demand.”

From snug, romantic hideaways to roomy family homes, from a base for walking, surfing or golf to a dog's idea of heaven, Late Lettings’ wide range of global accommodation with no hidden costs, features properties to fit all tastes, ages, seasons and budgets.

For more information and to list and promote a property, visit latelettings.com.