Guest positioning
Holiday Let Target Market and How to Pick Your Guest
Pick one main guest, and your photos, words and website all get easier to write.
You’ve got a beautiful place and a calendar with gaps in it. Someone told you to “know your target market”, and it didn’t feel very helpful. The simple version is to pick the one type of guest your place suits best, then make everything you write and show speak to them.
Your holiday let target market is the group of guests most likely to love your property and book it. You can work it out from what you already have, which is the property, its location and how many it sleeps. Then it changes your photos, your words and your website.
What a holiday let target market is
A holiday let target market is the type of guest you aim your marketing at, such as couples on a short break, families with young children or people travelling with dogs. It isn’t a rule about who can book. It’s a decision about who you’re talking to.
This matters because guests choose in seconds. A listing that tries to suit everyone reads like it suits nobody. A listing that says “a quiet hot tub hideaway for two” lets the right guest say “that’s us” straight away.
Who your guest could be
Most holiday lets and glamping sites fit a handful of groups. The table shows what each one usually cares about and what to show them.
| Guest | What they care about | What to show |
|---|---|---|
| Couples | Privacy, romance, a treat, a short break | Hot tub, bed, views, no neighbours, midweek and weekend stays |
| Families | Space, safety, things for children to do | Sleeping layout, outdoor space, nearby walks and activities |
| Dog owners | Where dogs can go, fenced space, nearby walks | Dog rules in plain words, secure garden, walks from the door |
| Accessible stays | Step-free access, bathroom layout, parking | Honest detail about steps, door widths and bathroom setup |
| Wellness and quiet | Switching off, nature, calm | Hot tub or sauna, stargazing, slow mornings, low signal if true |
| Groups of friends | Sleeping numbers, shared space, price per head | Clear beds layout, communal area, check-in details |
If you’re after glamping niche ideas, this is the list to start from. A single shepherd’s hut will suit couples far more than families. Three pods on a farm might suit families and dog owners well.
How to choose your main guest
Choose your main guest by looking at what you can’t change first, which is your property, your location and how many people you sleep. Your preferences come after that.
Work through these in order.
- The unit. A double bed and a hot tub points to couples. Bunks and a fenced garden point to families.
- The setting. Coast, moorland, farm or woodland each pull in different guests. A site next to good walking suits dog owners and active couples.
- Your reviews. Read what guests already say. If three people mention how peaceful it was, that’s your guest telling you.
- Your past bookings. Look at group size and trip length. If most stays are two guests for two or three nights, you already have a couples property.
- What you enjoy offering. If you love hosting dogs, lean in. It shows in the way you write.
What changes on your website
Your target market changes the first thing a visitor sees, the photos you lead with and the questions you answer. A clear guest makes each of these easier to decide.
Headline and opening line. Name the guest or the feeling. “A hot tub hideaway for two on a Herefordshire hillside” does more than “Welcome to our holiday let”.
Photos. Lead with what your guest cares about. Couples want the bed, the tub and the view. Families want the garden and the sleeping layout. Dog owners want to see a dog on the grass.
Copy. Write the way your guest talks. Answer their worries before they ask, such as whether dogs can stay on the sofa, how far the pub is or whether the path is step-free.
Booking page. Match the stay to the guest. Couples often look at midweek and short breaks. Families look at school holidays and need bedroom detail. Make the calendar, rates and minimum stays easy to see on one page.
If you’re working on a cottage or holiday home rather than glamping, the same thinking applies. Our page on holiday let website design covers what that looks like.
What changes in your marketing
Your marketing gets simpler because you know where your guest spends time and what they want to hear. You stop posting about everything and start posting about the things they care about.
- Listing sites. Write your title and first lines for your guest. Put the feature they’d search for in the first sentence.
- Social media. Show moments your guest imagines for themselves. Couples want the evening glow and the tub. Dog owners want muddy paws and woodland paths.
- Your own website. Many guests find you on a listing and then search for you directly, hoping for a better deal or knowing the owner keeps more. A site that speaks to the same guest as your listing keeps them with you.
- Local links. Work with nearby pubs, farm shops and walking routes your guest would use.
Dog friendly holiday let marketing is a good example. Say clearly how many dogs can stay, whether there’s a fenced area and where the nearest walks start. Guests with dogs scan for rules first, so put them where they can be found rather than burying them in the small print.
Marketing to couples works the same way in reverse. Fewer practical details, more of the feeling. Show the quiet, the privacy and the little extras you provide.
Don’t narrow too far
Pick one main guest, but leave the door open for others. Narrowing doesn’t mean turning people away. It means your headline and hero photo are for one group while your page still welcomes the rest.
A shepherd’s hut aimed at couples can still take a friend travelling solo or a couple with a dog. A family cabin can still say “dogs welcome”. Put those messages lower down the page, not in the headline.
Millie the Hut is a good example of a place that is clear about who it’s for. The site brought 42 direct bookings in its first year, saving the owners over £3,000 in commission.
If you run properties in more than one part of the country, our pages on Scotland and Wales cover what owners there often need, and our UK locations overview has the rest.
FAQs
Can a holiday let have more than one target market?
Yes, but pick one main guest and one or two secondary ones. Your homepage, hero photo and headline should speak to the main guest. Others can still book, and a short section lower down can welcome them without watering down the main message.
How do I find out who my guests are?
Start with your property and location, then check your past bookings and reviews. Look at group size, trip length, and what guests mention most, such as dogs, views or quiet. Ask guests at checkout how they found you and why they chose you.
Will choosing a niche mean fewer bookings?
Not usually. A clear niche makes your listing and website more relevant to the right guests, who are easier to convince. You can still accept other guests. The aim is to stand out, not to turn people away.
Does my target market change my website?
Yes. It shapes your headline, photos, copy, the questions you answer and even the order of your pages. A couples retreat and a family farm stay need very different homepages, even if the units are similar.
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