Listing copy
How to Write a Holiday Let Description That Books
A simple formula and four examples you can adapt for your own hut, pod, tent or cottage.
You’ve got a hut, a pod or a cottage, and a blank box that says “describe your property”. Most owners either list the features and stop, or write something so vague it could be anywhere. A good holiday let description is simple. It opens with what the guest will feel and places them in the setting. Then it shows what the stay is like and ends with the practical details they need to say yes.
Below is a five-part formula for how to write a holiday let description. You also get four examples to adapt today, and tips on reusing the copy on Airbnb, CoolStays, Canopy & Stars and your own site.
How to write a holiday let description: the five-part formula
A good description has five parts, in this order. Each one answers a question the guest has in their head while they scroll.
- The hook. One or two sentences on what makes this stay different. A hot tub under the stars, a hut in a meadow, a pod you can bring the dog to. Lead with your strongest point.
- The place. Where it is and what it feels like. Name the nearest town or landscape, and say how private it is.
- The stay. What it’s like inside and out. Beds, heat, kitchen, outdoor space. Describe how it feels to use them, not just that they exist.
- The extras. Local walks, pubs, beaches, stargazing, or anything on site that’s a bonus.
- The practical details. Who it sleeps, whether dogs are welcome, minimum stays, check-in and anything unusual such as a shared shower block or a short walk from the car.
Be specific
“Cosy and rustic” tells a guest nothing. “A wood burner, a double bed with a view of the field and a kettle within reach of the pillow” tells them exactly what they’re booking. Swap every general adjective for something a guest could picture.
Holiday let and glamping description examples
The best way to write a glamping description is to see one. These four examples use made-up details, so swap in your own. Each sticks to the formula and shows a different choice.
Shepherd’s hut with a hot tub
Wake up in a handmade shepherd’s hut at the edge of a quiet meadow, with the hills in front of you and nobody else in sight. Inside there’s a proper double bed, a wood burner and a small kitchen with everything you need for a slow breakfast. Outside, your own wood-fired hot tub is lit and ready when you arrive. The nearest pub is a ten minute drive, and the footpath from the gate takes you straight onto the hills. Dogs are welcome. Sleeps two.
The hook is the setting. The hot tub is the standout feature, so it gets its own sentence rather than being buried in a list. The last lines are short and practical.
Pods on a farm
Three cosy pods on a working farm, each with its own deck and a view across the fields. Children can meet the resident sheep in the morning, and there’s a fire pit on every deck for evenings when the sky clears. Each pod has a double bed and a pull-out bed for a child, a mini fridge, a kettle and a toaster. The shower block is a short walk away and is cleaned daily. The beach is twenty minutes by car. Sleeps up to three.
Families want to know about the animals, the beds and the walk to the shower, so they all appear. Being upfront about the shower block avoids a surprise on arrival.
Bell tent for a simple stay
A spacious bell tent in a sheltered corner of the orchard, furnished and ready for you. Inside there’s a double bed with proper bedding, rugs, lanterns and a small table. Cook on your own gas stove or walk five minutes to the village shop and cafe. Toilets and hot showers are in a shared block close by. Open from May to September. Sleeps two.
Honest about what’s shared. Guests booking a tent expect shared facilities, but they want to know how far away they are.
Holiday let cottage
A stone cottage on the edge of the village, with two bedrooms, a log fire and a garden that catches the evening sun. The kitchen has everything you need to cook a proper Sunday dinner, and the village pub is a two minute walk away. It’s an easy base for walks straight from the door, and there’s off-road parking for two cars. Sleeps four. One well-behaved dog welcome.
Longer stays and groups care about the kitchen, the parking and the number of bedrooms. They go in early because they decide the booking.
Write the first two lines for mobile
The first two lines are the part most guests read, so they need to carry the whole pitch. Many guests browse on their phone, where long descriptions are cut off behind a “show more” link. If your best detail is in the fourth paragraph, many people will never see it.
A quick test is to read only the first two lines. You should be able to tell what this stay is and why it’s special. If you can’t, move your hook up.
SEO tips for a glamping listing description
Search keywords belong in your description, but only the ones guests actually say. Use the unit type (shepherd’s hut, pod, yurt, treehouse), the area or nearest town, and the features people search for, such as hot tub, dog-friendly or off-grid.
- Put the unit type and place near the start. “A shepherd’s hut near Presteigne” does more than “a lovely retreat”.
- Use natural phrases. If you wouldn’t say it to a guest on the phone, don’t write it.
- Mention what’s nearby. Nearby towns, walks and beaches are things guests search for, and they help your page match those searches.
- Keep one unit per page on your own site. If you have three pods, give each its own page and its own wording. Don’t repeat the same text three times.
On Airbnb and similar platforms, most of the ranking is done inside the platform, so the description matters mostly for converting the guests who click through. Your own website is where the keywords really help you show up on Google.
Adapting one description for Airbnb, CoolStays and your own site
Write one full version first, then trim and reword it for each place. The facts stay the same. The length, tone and order change.
| Where | What to do |
|---|---|
| Canopy & Stars | Follow the listing’s prompts. Lead with the setting, since guests browsing there are looking for the experience. |
| CoolStays | Keep it story-led with a clear sense of place. Put the practical details in the sections the listing gives you. |
| Airbnb | Keep the first lines short and strong. Put the hook first, then the practical details in the shorter blocks. |
| Booking.com | Be direct and factual. Lead with sleeping arrangements, facilities and rules. |
| Your own website | Go longer and more personal. Add the story, the local area and answers to questions guests would otherwise email you about. |
Each platform has its own character limits and layout, so check the box before you paste. Don’t just copy and paste the same text everywhere.
Why your own site needs its own version
Listings don’t stop guests looking for you directly. Even when someone finds you on a directory or marketplace, they often search for your own site afterwards, hoping for a better deal or because they know you keep more of the money. When they land on your site, they should find more than they saw on the listing, not the same paragraph again.
A holiday let website gives you room for the full story, more photos and a booking calendar. We built Millie the Hut’s site so the booking page holds the availability calendar, a short enquiry form and the seasonal rate card together. That means the description can focus on the feel of the stay, because the prices and dates are right there.
If you’d rather not write the copy yourself, we can write it for you, or you can bring your own. A CoolStays or similar listing description is a helpful starting point.
Mistakes that cost bookings
Read your description aloud before you publish. Anything that sounds like a brochure is worth rewriting in your own words.
FAQs
How long should a holiday let description be?
Around 150 to 300 words works for most listings, with the best details in the first two lines. Your own website can go longer, because you have room for detail and photos. Short enough to read on a phone, long enough to answer the questions guests would otherwise email you.
Should I use the same description on Airbnb and my own website?
Write a separate version for your own site. Identical text on several sites can make it harder for any of them to show up on Google. Reuse the facts and the best phrases, but reword the rest. Your own site can also be longer and more personal.
Should I put keywords in my holiday let description?
Yes, but only the ones guests would naturally say, like shepherd’s hut, hot tub, dog-friendly or the nearest town. Use them where they read naturally. If a sentence sounds odd read aloud, rewrite it. Guests and Google both prefer clear, specific wording.
Can I use AI to write my glamping description?
It can give you a first draft, but it tends to produce generic phrases that could describe any stay. Feed it your real details, then rewrite until it sounds like you. Check every fact, because AI tools sometimes add features your unit doesn’t have.
How often should I update my description?
Update it whenever something changes, such as a new hot tub, a new pet policy or different minimum stays. It’s also worth a quick read before each season. Old details that no longer match the stay lead to disappointed guests and poor reviews.
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