Thank goodness we can bid farewell to February. A month filled with stress and sleep deprivation.
Ever the optimist, we can be thankful for a few things this month, the main one being the recruitment of Amy as our Customer Relationship Manager. With a real baptism of fire, as the gas pipe was cut on the second day of her starting, she has really had to hit the ground running – and get stuck in. I have to keep reminding myself that she is still new as she has settled in extremely well, managing guests and suppliers, plus the interaction with yourselves.
February Booking Statistics
The table below shows the number of bookings added each month from 2022 to 2025. In February, bookings have seen a significant rise over the years. We had 13 bookings in 2022, increasing to 56 in 2023, then 64 in 2024. In 2025, bookings jumped to 118, marking an 84.38% increase from 2024, reflecting strong business growth.
| Month | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | % Change 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 49 | 81 | 156 | 92.59% |
| February | 13 | 56 | 64 | 118 | 84.38% |
Departures During the Month
The table below illustrates the number of bookings that stayed or departed during February across the years. Departures increased steadily from 15 in 2022 to 29 in 2025. The 11.54% increase from 2024 to 2025 suggests a consistent rise in guest stays.
| Month | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | % Change 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8 | 11 | 18 | 45 | 150% |
| February | 15 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 11.54% |
Nights Stayed
This table shows the total number of nights guests stayed in February across different years. While departures increased, the total nights stayed dropped significantly in 2025 to 161, indicating a shift towards shorter breaks.
| Month | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | % Change 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32 | 239 | 214 | 160 | -25.23% |
| February | 85 | 265 | 278 | 161 | -42.09% |
How Guests Booked
The following table provides insight into how guests booked with us in 2025. Booking.com remains the most popular platform with 42 bookings, followed by TripAdvisor with 18 and Sykes with 48. The Sykes increase was after a long meeting that was held with their account management and senior management at the start of February.
| Month | AirBnb | Booking.com | Owners | Repeat | Trip Advisor | Word of Mouth | Visit South Devon | Sykes | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29 | 75 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 156 |
| February | 5 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 118 |
Gas Leak
As you are aware, the gas leak consumed a significant amount of our time this month. Not only were we liaising with Park management, but also the guests, booking centres, and yourselves.Following our hard work, Airbnb, Booking.com, and Sykes finally agreed to waive any cancellation fees and guest moving fees. This involved a lot of work and negotiations with senior management within these companies. We also had one guest from Booking.com who took great umbrage at the cancellation of her holiday, one day before her half-term break, and gave us a 1.0/10.0 rating on Trip Advisor. Feeling the injustice, we embarked on another crusade to have this removed. Booking.com initially disagreed and refused to take it down, and it was only following our involvement of senior management that they recognised the injustice and the review was finally removed.I have supplied everyone with the bookings and details of the outage. We expect you will be asked to supply, within your claim, where it states that the resort is responsible for utilities. With this information and the data you provide, your legal protection will be able to claim back any lost revenue as well as any loss of facilities suffered for the seven days that it was down.
Lost and Found
Since February, we’ve been working with several owners whose leases were due to expire. Unfortunately, we said goodbye to three lodges in December 2024—one in the Brambles and two in Templar Rise.
Another lodge in the Brambles also departed after consultation, though we were able to transfer its nine 2025 bookings among our remaining lodges.
On a more positive note, we are pleased to welcome three “new” lodges into our family. Hawthorns Lodge in Woodland View joined us in January with a quick turnaround, and A-Frame lodges 18 and 68 are set to start hosting guests beginning in July 2025.
These additions bring us back to a total of 16 lodges, which feels like a very comfortable number
Housekeeping
As you know, we have been working with The Devon Cleaning Company for over a year. Their service goes beyond basic cleaning—they share their contact number with guests and respond promptly should any issues arise.
In January, we met with them to discuss ways to improve guests’ perceptions and address the occasional housekeeping-related feedback. They recently hired two new staff members who are currently in training. Once fully trained, Shireen and Lucy can step back from day-to-day cleaning to focus on more detailed spot checks. Combined with Amy’s personal greeting upon arrival, this should further enhance the first impression and guest reviews.
Due to increased operating costs—rising prices for cleaning products, wage increases, higher laundry expenses, and escalating utility and rental fees—The Devon Cleaning Company has no choice but to increase their rates. Overall, their outgoings have grown by 8.3% compared to 12 months ago, so they will be raising the cleaning fee by 7%. Hot tub cleaning will remain at £40, and the £3.50 daily chemical check fee stays the same — despite higher chemical costs.
We appreciate this isn’t welcome news, but it’s the first accepted cleaning fee adjustment since 2018, and it reflects the broader rise in living costs.
The updated fees are now £75 for a one-bedroom property, £97 for a two-bedroom, and £122 for a three-bedroom, including a full clean, linen laundering, and sweeping of the front and decking to ensure guests arrive to a welcoming environment.
Maintenance
As you may know, we’ve been using Steve Barton for maintenance work over the past ten months. Since retiring, Steve and his friend Dennis have handled various jobs—from basic fixes and boiler re-pressurisation to pest control. Unfortunately, Steve has been in and out of hospital since before Christmas, and despite regular follow-ups, we hadn’t received any invoices from him since October.
Last week, he had someone scan and send over the outstanding invoices; reconciling them against the jobs raised took me over a day, as there were instances of duplicate charges and incorrect figures.
Because of these delayed invoices, your February statement—already lower due to the gas issue—will reflect Steve’s late billing
.In the short term, I’ve arranged for Steve to provide invoices to Amy every Friday so she can scan and process weekly payments. I have also informed him that any invoice submitted more than one month late will not be paid. While this arrangement works temporarily, we’re now exploring alternative, longer-term options for maintenance.
Guest Reviews
One of Amy’s recent tasks has been to proactively encourage more guest reviews. Currently, fewer than 15% of our visitors share any feedback. For instance, one lodge received nearly 30 bookings on Booking.com, yet only three reviews were submitted. All three were older, low-scoring reviews, which don’t reflect the actual quality of this premium lodge—especially since Trip Advisor and Airbnb consistently rate it very highly.By actively requesting reviews on Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Google, and Facebook, we hope to gather more genuine, balanced feedback that will help potential guests choose us.
Here are a few recent examples of guest comments:
Booking.com
“It was all good. We had a problem with no hot water one morning, but it was sorted straight away. The property was close to everything—just a short walk to shops, the swimming pool, and the spa.”
Finlake Resort and the Sirona Spa are very well kept. We enjoyed the pool and especially the spa. It’s family and dog friendly, with spacious lodges in lovely woodland, near Dartmoor and other beauty spots. The lodge itself had some upgrades, like new bedroom furniture, sofas, and kitchen units. I had a few concerns, but Devon Holidays apologized and assured me they’d be addressed before the next guests arrive.”
Airbnb
“Great location, lovely lodge with fantastic views over the woods—very private. Would recommend!”
“Lovely cabin in a beautiful setting. The only issue was that it was difficult to find with the map provided.”
TripAdvisor
“My family and I stayed at Orchid Lodge with our dog in November. It was very relaxing, and we loved the hot tub! The lodge was spotlessly clean. We met the housekeeper and the hot tub maintenance person—they were both really friendly and gave us tips about the local area. We booked through Devon Holidays; Jason and Leigh were very helpful throughout. We would definitely return.”
Payments and Invoices
We sincerely apologise for the delay in providing the January reconciliation. The extended working hours outlined above placed additional pressure on our day-to-day operations.
With Amy now managing guest relations, supplier coordination, and owner communications, normal business routines are gradually returning.
Charity Appeal
For anyone who hasn’t heard, this Easter, William, Agata, and I will be heading to South Africa. In addition to volunteering at an elephant and monkey sanctuary, we’ll be spending time at the Mother of Peace Orphanage in North Riding.Our goal is to raise £2,000 to support critical improvements at the orphanage. Every pound you donate will directly help provide cooler classrooms, better facilities, and the tools these children need to build confidence and hope for the future.
How can you help? We’ve set up a crowdfunding page where every contribution will be passed directly to the orphanage, improving living conditions for both children and staff.William and I are also collecting pre-loved football shirts of all sizes, from children to adults. While we’re there, we plan to run a football training camp and host a few small matches—especially meaningful since football is something we and the children both love.
Any support you can offer—no matter how small—would be greatly appreciated.Finally, thank you for all the kind words of encouragement from so many owners during a difficult and challenging month. We’re glad to have come out on the other side, and we’re looking forward to the brighter, warmer days ahead.
Looking Ahead
Thank you all for your understanding and support during what has certainly been a turbulent and trying month. Your patience, resilience, and dedication have been invaluable in helping us weather the storms we faced. As we step into March, we do so with renewed determination and optimism—ready to embrace calmer days and brighter opportunities. In the words of Winston Churchill, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Let’s keep going together into a far more promising month ahead.
Best regards,
Jason Treeby