We are incredibly proud to share some fantastic news with our owners and partners. Devon Holidays has been recognised in the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards 2026, with four of our managed properties receiving this prestigious accolade. This achievement reflects the exceptional guest experiences being delivered across our portfolio and highlights the strength of collaboration between Devon Holidays and our property owners.
This award is not just a badge of honour — it represents guest trust, consistent service quality, and strong market positioning. Most importantly, it demonstrates that our shared commitment to delivering outstanding holiday experiences is producing real, measurable results.
In this blog, we want to explain what the Traveller Review Awards are, why they matter, what they mean for your property, and how we can work together to bring every lodge under Devon Holidays’ management to award-winning performance levels.
What Are the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards?
The Booking.com Traveller Review Awards celebrate properties that consistently deliver outstanding guest experiences. Unlike traditional awards judged by panels or industry insiders, these awards are based entirely on verified guest reviews left by travellers who have stayed at the property.
Each year, Booking.com analyses millions of guest reviews across its platform. Properties that maintain consistently high scores across categories such as cleanliness, comfort, facilities, staff/service, value for money, and overall experience are recognised with a Traveller Review Award.
To qualify, properties must achieve and maintain a strong review score, typically 8.0 or above, based on a large number of verified stays. This ensures that the award reflects sustained performance rather than one-off positive feedback.
For Devon Holidays, receiving recognition for four of our managed properties demonstrates that our operational processes, marketing strategies, and guest communication systems are successfully delivering high-quality holiday experiences.
Why This Recognition Matters
Awards like these play a significant role in the holiday letting marketplace. Today’s guests rely heavily on online reviews when choosing where to stay. In fact, review scores often influence booking decisions more than price or location.
Receiving a Traveller Review Award tells potential guests:
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The property is trusted and highly rated by previous visitors
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The accommodation delivers consistent quality
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Guests can book with confidence
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The property stands out against competitors
This recognition helps position Devon Holidays and our managed properties as reliable, high-quality holiday accommodation providers in Devon — one of the UK’s most competitive staycation markets.
The Direct Benefits for Property Owners
While awards are something to celebrate, they also provide very real commercial benefits. Properties that achieve and maintain high review scores often experience:
Increased Visibility
Booking platforms such as Booking.com use review scores as a major ranking factor. The higher the review score, the higher the property typically appears in search results. Higher ranking means greater exposure to potential guests browsing accommodation options.
Simply put, when your property appears nearer the top of search results, it is seen by more travellers.
Higher Booking Volumes
Increased visibility directly leads to more enquiries and bookings. Guests naturally gravitate towards properties with strong reviews, especially when comparing similar lodges or locations.
Improved Guest Trust
Holiday bookings represent a significant purchase for guests. Seeing strong review scores reassures them that their stay will meet expectations. Trust reduces booking hesitation and encourages guests to choose your lodge over competitors.
Potential for Increased Revenue
Higher demand allows properties to achieve stronger occupancy levels and, in many cases, command higher nightly rates. Properties that consistently perform well often experience stronger yield management opportunities, meaning improved overall returns.
Marketing Momentum Driving Success
At Devon Holidays, we are committed to proactive, forward-thinking marketing strategies designed to maximise property performance. Over the past year, we have launched and shared targeted promotional campaigns across social media platforms including Facebook and TikTok.
These campaigns have focused on showcasing key guest interests, including:
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Devon staycations
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Pet-friendly holidays
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Family and kids’ activities
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Fishing breaks
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Remote working from lodges
By promoting these themes, we are actively positioning Devon Holidays properties to appeal to modern traveller needs and trends. Guests are no longer simply booking accommodation — they are booking experiences, lifestyles, and memories.
Our social media campaigns ensure that we are not sitting back and waiting for bookings to arrive. Instead, we are actively driving awareness, engagement, and interest in Devon Holidays properties across multiple digital channels.
Four Award-Winning Properties — A Model for Future Success
The four award-winning properties demonstrate what can be achieved when high-quality accommodation, excellent presentation, strong maintenance standards, and outstanding guest communication come together.
These properties have shown that attention to detail truly makes a difference. From spotless cleanliness to well-maintained facilities and thoughtful guest touches, every aspect contributes to positive reviews.
Their success provides a blueprint that we aim to replicate across all lodges under Devon Holidays management.
Our Vision: High Performance Across the Entire Portfolio
While we are delighted with this achievement, our ambition goes much further. Our goal is to elevate every lodge we manage to high-performing status.
Achieving this benefits not only Devon Holidays but, most importantly, our property owners. A portfolio filled with consistently high-scoring lodges strengthens our brand reputation, attracts more guests, and increases demand across all properties.
The reality is simple:
Stronger guest reviews lead to higher rankings.
Higher rankings lead to more bookings.
More bookings lead to increased revenue for owners.
This is why maintaining and improving guest experience standards remains a top priority for our management team.
The Importance of Guest Experience
Guest experience sits at the heart of holiday letting success. Travellers remember how they felt during their stay, and their feedback directly influences future bookings.
Key factors that consistently drive positive guest reviews include:
Cleanliness
One of the most frequently mentioned elements in guest reviews is cleanliness. A lodge that is immaculately presented immediately sets a positive tone for the entire stay.
Comfort and Maintenance
Comfortable furniture, fully functioning appliances, and well-maintained interiors create a seamless guest experience. Small maintenance issues can quickly impact reviews if left unresolved.
Facilities and Amenities
Modern guests expect reliable Wi-Fi, quality kitchen equipment, comfortable bedding, and thoughtful extras such as welcome packs or family-friendly features.
Communication and Support
Fast, friendly, and helpful communication reassures guests throughout their stay. Our Devon Holidays guest support team plays a key role in ensuring guests feel supported from booking through to departure.
Working Together with Owners
Maintaining high guest experience standards is a partnership between Devon Holidays and our property owners. While we manage marketing, bookings, guest communication, and operational support, property standards rely on collaborative effort.
We encourage owners to:
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Keep furnishings modern and well-maintained
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Invest in periodic upgrades and refreshes
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Ensure property maintenance is addressed quickly
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Consider guest feedback as valuable improvement insight
Our team is always available to advise on property improvements, market trends, and guest expectations. We monitor review feedback carefully and share recommendations to help properties remain competitive.
Leveraging Reviews for Future Growth
Positive reviews do more than secure awards — they build long-term growth opportunities. Properties with strong review histories tend to:
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Achieve repeat bookings
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Benefit from word-of-mouth recommendations
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Build stronger brand recognition
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Attract higher-value guests
The booking marketplace is increasingly competitive, especially within popular destinations such as Devon. Strong reviews act as one of the most powerful marketing tools available to holiday properties.
The Road Ahead
Winning the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards 2026 is a milestone moment for Devon Holidays. It reinforces that our strategies, marketing activity, and operational processes are delivering strong results.
However, this is only the beginning. Our focus moving forward includes:
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Continuing aggressive digital marketing campaigns
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Expanding targeted social media promotion
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Supporting owners with performance insights
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Driving guest satisfaction improvements
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Growing booking volumes across all managed properties
We are confident that by working together, we can elevate every lodge to award-winning standards.
Thank You to Our Owners
We want to take this opportunity to thank our owners for their trust, partnership, and commitment to maintaining high-quality holiday accommodation. Your investment, pride in your properties, and willingness to collaborate play a crucial role in our shared success.
The Traveller Review Awards are a celebration of teamwork. Every positive review reflects the combined efforts of owners, housekeeping teams, maintenance staff, and the Devon Holidays management team.
A Shared Commitment to Excellence
As we celebrate this achievement, we remain focused on the bigger picture. Our mission is to position Devon Holidays as one of the leading holiday accommodation providers in the region, recognised for exceptional guest experiences and high-performing properties.
By maintaining high review scores, improving guest satisfaction, and strengthening marketing exposure, we can ensure continued growth, increased bookings, and stronger revenue performance for all owners.
Together, we are building a portfolio that guests trust, recommend, and return to year after year.
If you would like to discuss ways to enhance your property’s performance or explore improvement opportunities, our team is always happy to help. We look forward to continuing this exciting journey with you and celebrating many more successes in the years ahead.
Thank you for being part of Devon Holidays.