How Matterport 3D Tours Can Boost Yorkshire Holiday Let Bookings

Richard Dee • March 27, 2025
How Matterport 3D Tours Can Boost Yorkshire Holiday Let Bookings

How Matterport 3D Tours Can Boost Yorkshire Holiday Let Bookings


Yorkshire's holiday let market has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, with the region's stunning landscapes, historic cities, and cultural attractions drawing visitors from across the UK and beyond. As competition increases, holiday let owners are seeking innovative ways to showcase their properties and stand out from the crowd.


Matterport 3D virtual tours offer a powerful solution that can transform how potential guests experience your property before booking.



The Yorkshire Holiday Let Landscape

The Yorkshire holiday let market encompasses diverse properties:


  • Charming stone cottages in the Dales and North York Moors
  • Converted barns and farm buildings in rural settings
  • Coastal properties along the Yorkshire coastline
  • City apartments in York, Leeds, and Harrogate
  • Unique properties like shepherd's huts and glamping sites


Each property type presents unique marketing challenges, particularly in conveying spatial relationships, character features, and the overall guest experience.



Why Traditional Marketing Falls Short

Conventional holiday let marketing typically relies on:


  • Professional photography showing key rooms and features
  • Written descriptions of the property and amenities
  • Floor plans and basic measurements
  • Guest reviews describing their experience


While these elements remain important, they often fail to provide potential guests with a complete understanding of the property. Photos can make spaces appear larger or smaller than reality, descriptions may miss crucial details, and guests are left trying to piece together a mental image of the property from fragmented information.



The Matterport Advantage for Holiday Lets

Matterport 3D virtual tours address these limitations by creating an immersive, self-guided experience that allows potential guests to:


1. Explore the Entire Property at Their Own Pace

Unlike curated photographs that show only the best angles, Matterport tours allow guests to move freely through every room and space. This transparency builds trust and confidence in what they're booking.


2. Understand the Property Layout

For family groups or friends holidaying together, understanding bedroom configurations, bathroom locations, and communal spaces is crucial. Matterport's dollhouse view provides an immediate understanding of the property layout that's impossible to convey through photos alone.


3. Assess Suitability for Specific Needs

Guests with accessibility requirements, those travelling with children, or visitors bringing pets can thoroughly assess whether a property meets their needs before booking.


4. Experience Character Features

Yorkshire holiday lets often feature unique elements like exposed beams, inglenook fireplaces, or stunning views. Matterport tours allow these features to be experienced in context rather than as isolated images.



Measurable Booking Improvements

Holiday let owners across Yorkshire who have implemented Matterport tours report significant improvements in key metrics:


Increased Booking Conversion Rates Properties with Matterport tours typically see 12-40% higher conversion rates from listing views to bookings compared to those with only traditional photography.


Reduced Pre-Booking Queries Owners report 25-30% fewer questions from potential guests before booking, as the virtual tour answers many common queries about layout, space, and facilities.


Higher Booking Values Many owners find they can command premium rates once guests can fully appreciate their property's unique features and quality through a virtual tour.


Improved Guest Satisfaction When guests arrive having already explored the property virtually, their expectations are accurately set, leading to higher satisfaction and better reviews.



Implementation Strategies for Yorkshire Holiday Lets

To maximise the effectiveness of your Matterport tour:


1. Prepare Your Property Thoroughly

Follow our comprehensive property preparation guide to ensure your holiday let looks its absolute best for scanning. Pay particular attention to:


  • Staging outdoor spaces that showcase Yorkshire views
  • Highlighting unique character features
  • Setting dining areas to demonstrate entertaining capacity
  • Ensuring all amenities are visible and well-presented


2. Add Information Tags

Enhance your tour with embedded information tags that highlight:


  • Special features like wood-burning stoves or luxury bathrooms
  • Hidden features guests might miss
  • Local attractions visible from windows
  • Historical information about period properties
  • Practical information about appliances or facilities


3. Integrate with Your Marketing Channels

Maximise exposure by embedding your Matterport tour in:


  • Your direct booking website
  • Listings on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo
  • Social media marketing
  • Email campaigns to past guests
  • Local tourism partnership websites


4. Highlight Seasonal Variations

Yorkshire's landscape changes dramatically with the seasons. Consider updating your Matterport tour seasonally or including information tags that show the property during different times of year.



Showcasing Yorkshire's Unique Holiday Let Features

Matterport tours are particularly effective for highlighting features that make Yorkshire holiday lets special:


Views and Landscapes For properties with stunning views of the Dales, Moors, or coastline, Matterport tours allow guests to experience these views from various rooms and understand exactly what they'll see from each window.


Outdoor Spaces Gardens, patios, and outdoor dining areas can be fully incorporated into the tour, helping guests understand how indoor and outdoor spaces connect.


Historic Features For Yorkshire's many historic holiday lets, Matterport allows guests to appreciate original features, unusual layouts, and character elements in context.


Local Attractions Information tags can highlight visible landmarks or nearby attractions, helping guests understand the property's location advantages.



Cost-Benefit Analysis

While investing in a Matterport tour represents an upfront cost, the return on investment is typically rapid for holiday let owners:


  • A single additional booking often covers the entire cost of creating the tour
  • Reduced vacancy periods improve annual yield
  • Higher booking rates justify the investment
  • Tours remain useful for multiple years with minimal updating required


For most Yorkshire holiday let owners, a Matterport tour represents one of the most cost-effective marketing investments available, particularly for properties charging £100+ per night.


By implementing a high-quality Matterport 3D virtual tour for your Yorkshire holiday let, you're not just creating a marketing tool - you're providing potential guests with the confidence to book your property over competitors. In today's digital-first booking environment, this immersive experience can be the deciding factor that turns browsers into confirmed bookings.