Why Short-term Lets are the Perfect Xmas Choice

 

 

 

Spending Christmas away with family and friends in a holiday short term let is a magical way to spend the festive season. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same place you return to year after year, or somewhere you’ve never been before; relaxing together and catching up is the best part. And then, of course, there’s all the excitement of unwrapping presents and singing along to festive favourites. 

 

Just getting away from the everyday and familiar surroundings can feel special. If you’ve never been to the Home Counties before, then here at Tempstay, we have lots of gorgeous apartments and houses for you to rent over the upcoming holidays. You can book our upmarket accommodation for a few days, a week or even up to a fortnight - from Christmas to New Year. Make sure you do so early enough to avoid any last-minute disappointments. After all, Christmas is mere weeks away, and plenty of people will have the same idea. 

 

 

 

Our luxury rentals here at Tempstay include cosy country cottages, contemporary apartments, modern villas and rustic houses (complete with Tudor-style beams). You can also choose from a countryside setting with plenty of bracing woodland walks to look forward to or a city location with trendy bars and restaurants offering a mixture of cuisines right at your fingertips. That’s because we have several properties to rent in Slough, Reading, Uxbridge and Windsor – and London. 

 

 

 

We also provide a full concierge service by our teams, who all live locally. So, whether you need a ride from the airport to your rental or a restaurant recommendation, feel free to ask. Other amenities we offer for guests include dry cleaning and ironing services. 

 

Industry body, the UK Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA), recorded a record number of people renting property to be near family and friends last year. 

 

A spokesman for the STAA @uk_staa said: “People have been booking short-term rentals for two main reasons. The first is that they cannot always stay with their loved ones for the whole of Christmas, so they have decided to rent somewhere close by where they can base themselves for a few days rather than cramming everyone into one house. 

 

The second is that people are renting larger properties so that they can accommodate all of their family or friends under one roof.” 

 

 

 

Another reason to book a short-term rental this Christmas is to keep the whole occasion as stress-free as possible. Renting an apartment or house means no hours of travelling before and after Christmas. As a result, no one arrives frazzled and irritable. Instead, they’ve arrived days in advance and have already enjoyed a day or two of country walks and lie-ins. Not to mention the relaxed meals out, where someone else is cooking and washing up. You can even bring your bikes with you for a family ride-out (try getting them past the reception lobby in a hotel!). Or your kayak, for that matter, if you plan on holidaying near a lake. 

 

Another advantage of booking a short-term rental over Christmas (rather than going to a hotel) is that families can still participate in their favourite traditions. For instance, they can decorate a tree and put up decorations at their holiday home. They can also bake mince pies the night before Christmas and cook a turkey with all the trimmings. It’s also possible to get everyone cosying around the TV, fighting off that food coma afterwards. 

 

Local festive attractions in the Home Counties 

 

And, on those days when you do plan on venturing out to explore your surroundings, well, we’ve made a list of local attractions for you here: 

 

 

 

Town centre celebrations. A family favourite, the much-loved The Living Advent Calendar is a 15-minute ‘performance’ every evening at 6:15 pm from 1st to 24th December at a different venue in the town. 

 

Castle Hill Christmas carols. A festive sing-along is held on Castle Hill, dating back to 1949 when King George VI had a tree installed there as a gift to the town. 

 

Windsor Great Park. An illuminated trail and installations feature colourful fireflies, luminous beacons and dancing fairies. And don’t forget the floodlit fountains in the lake. 

 

 

 

Wellington Country Park. Neverland Illuminova promises a spectacular multi-sensory light trail suitable for all the family on selected nights from Nov 17 to Dec 23. You can also take a trip on the Neverland Express. 

 

Reading Rep. Dickens’ Christmas Carol is aptly the show on offer this Christmas at the town’s local theatre. Huntley and Palmer’s Biscuit Factory is where Scrooge tries his very best to dampen the Christmas spirit for everyone. 

 

Comedy Special. Laugh your socks off at an evening of jokes and capers at the Just the Tonic Comedy Club on Thurs Dec 22, from 10 pm to 11 pm. 

 

 

 

Christmas Lights Switch On. The big festive switch-on will accompany a Christmas fayre and concert, with live entertainment from Apache Indian. Fireworks and a snow machine are set to add to the ambience. The free event, in Slough High Street, opposite the Empire Cinemas, is from 1 pm to 5 pm on Nov 22. 

 

Christmas Fayre. Echos Equestrian Christmas fayre will consist of pony rides, craft stalls, baking, a ‘meet the animals’ event, and, of course, come face to face with the man in red himself. Get there on Dec 11 from 10 am to 4 pm. 

 

 

 

If you’re planning on organising a family or friends’ get-together this Christmas, then now is the time to get booking. We have a large variety of short-term rental accommodation on our website which we know will be filled soon. To find out more, speak to a team member on: 02033 624 111 or email us via: enquiries@tempstay.co.uk.