Note from Editor: If you visit this Concord Business Partner, please use comments box below to tell others about your experience.

Name: Sara Eastwood   
Years at Concord: 1988-1990
Properties (click to take you to website): Oaks Lodge (sleeps 2)
Industry Sector: Travel

For Concord Alumni: If you are visiting Concord College or just fancy a weekend/week or more in the beautiful Shropshire countryside please get in touch by clicking on my name at the top right of this article and sending me a message. 

Alumni Offer
We always welcome our Alumni Friends with a bottle of bubbly sparkling wine on arrival and can save you a booking fee if you book through the link above which takes you to our Trip Advisor Listing (don't forget to look at our hundreds of 5/5 reviews).  If you are looking at a last minute (within a month of arrival)  then please do give me a call and book direct.  If you want a weekend remember to book early.

Prices
From £330 for a two night break.
Call Sara for last minuite prices.

How to book
Use the link above as you don't pay a booking fee for our property with this link.  Please mention you are a Concord Alumni in your enquiry.  For last minute bookings please call Sara for a better price.


In a nutshell, what is your business?
We own three holiday lets in Church Stretton which is a wonderful place to stay and visit - especially if you visiting Concord Collge.  Both Oaks and Larches Lodge are in my garden and are luxury cabins both of which sleep two people.  Clearviews is a large house sleeping ten adults and up to five children all in luxury rooms all with en-suites.   All three of these holiday lets are just a 10 minute drive to Concord College.

What inspired you have Oaks Lodge as your vacation rental business? 
After having my third child I took some time out of my career to spend with my young family but being a ‘stay at home mum’ didn’t last long!  In 2011 we moved to the lovely town of Church Stretton in the Shropshire Hills – you may have walked or rode horses on those hills whilst you were at Concord College.  We were inspired to do the holiday lets because it was something I could do whilst working around the children and still being able to pick them up from school.

When we bought our house, within the garden was a beautiful log cabin which the previous owners had used as a ‘party room’ but I soon had bigger plans.  Larches Retreat was ready to rent within 3 months of moving in – even before we renovated our house!



Larches Retreat was so successful that after two years we decided to build another luxury holiday let in a more secluded part of our garden.  Both have all the luxury features like a hot tub, a firepit and BBQ but Oaks Retreat goes a step further wtih under floor heating, a flame fire and even a waterfall out of the back.  Oaks Retreat is set in a private woodland area and seamingly floats above a stream.



Just a year later we wanted to go big so bought a property the otherside of the town to renovate and create a large holiday that ticked all the boxes.  Its walking distance to the town and the pubs and restaurants yet feels like it is in the middle of no-where.  You have the hills on your doorstep for walking - its has log burners and a huge hot tub in the garden.  In just one year of opening we had exceeded all expectation for occupancy and are full nearly every weekend and all of the school holidays.



Why this particular business?
I wanted to find work where I could still be with my children and a Holiday Let rental in our garden gave me just that.  I was able to use my marketing skills to manage and advertise the property whilst working from home.
 
Best thing that has happened?
After just two years of trading we won the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for 2014 which is awarded to just 10% of Trip Advisor properties worldwide.  This award was given based on our fantastic reviews.  When you sort by traveller rating for holiday rentals in Shropshire on Trip Advisor The Larches is No 1.   We only opened Oaks Retreat in July 2015 but in three months achieved nearly 60 bookings and year on year welcome over 120 couples per year which is incredible.  Clearviews opened in May 2016 and we are already at nearly full capacity for weekend and school holiday bookings.  
 
Worst thing that happened?
A few winters ago our guests called to say they had been woken up in the night by water dripping on their heads! Due to heavy rain the roof was leaking at Larches Retreat! We did a quick fix and went around with a bottle of champagne and the biggest box of chocolates I could find to say sorry! Luckily we were able to re-roof in lightening speed before the next guests arrived.
 
What next?
That's it for now! Working at Concord three days a week and managing these holiday lets is enough for me for now!