Giving guests more reasons to book: Patrick's experience with flexible cancellation

Patrick and his partner bought their holiday home in 2012 and fell for the old house, the barn, the open plot and the surrounding fields close to the sea.

Over time, they completely renovated the adjoining barn and created a natural swimming pond that guests can enjoy all year round. Sharing the place with others also gave them the chance to bring a long-held idea to life.

Since we had both always dreamed of opening a small hotel, we decided to make that dream come true on a smaller scale here, in this beautiful place.

Making it easier to book ahead

From the moment someone books, Patrick wants them to look forward to their stay and carry that feeling with them until they arrive.

That same approach shaped the way he thought about cancellation terms. Allowing guests the flexibility for plans to change simply felt aligned with the kind of host he wanted to be.

We believe flexibility is an important quality that is valuable throughout life. We want to extend that flexibility to our guests as well, and we have had very good experiences with it.

Patrick and his partner did not spend much time worrying about what more flexible terms might mean in practice. They chose to try them and see where it would take them.

Flexibility without the fuss

In Patrick's experience, cancellations have been rare and easy to handle.

Honestly, we never gave it much thought and simply took things as they came. For us, that turned out to be a very good approach, even in hindsight.

On the few occasions guests have cancelled over the years, Patrick has often been able to rent the dates to someone else, while the original guests simply found another time to visit.

Whenever we have had cancellations, we have been fortunate enough to rent those dates out to other guests, while the guests who cancelled booked another available period instead.

Offering more flexible terms did not change the way Patrick managed his calendar or communicated with guests. Instead, it is a simple way to give guests more freedom, while maintaining a balance that feels comfortable for both sides.

Finding what works for your home

Patrick sees cancellation terms as a personal choice that each host should consider in relation to their own home and way of hosting. But his own experience points in a clear direction.

We believe it is a very individual decision. Based on our experience, however, we would always recommend leaning towards greater flexibility.

If you would like to explore different cancellation options, you can review and update your policy in My Landfolk under Settings and General.