my name is Myrtle Haugh and together with my husband John we own Kribben Cottages
Kribben Cottages are located just at the foot of Slieve Binnian
Just outside Annalong in Newcastle
We have five cottages and can accommodate up to 24 guests
We have tried to keep the 'old-worldy' feel to the cottages
But people still want the modern facilities when they come
They like the walk-in showers, they like the underfloor heating
They still like their luxuries, they still want the flat-screen TV
but they still want to have the cottage feel and I think that we have created that here
We decided to start up a tourism accommodation business
We had owned the land for some time
and we wanted to share our passion in the Mournes with other people
We decided that we would create a little haven for people to come and enjoy
thus we decided we would go ahead and build our cottages
We decided upon self catering accommodation because having researched the area
We saw there was a niche in the market and decided we would go for the higher-end
and give our customers a little bit of luxury
Setting up our business, strategy and planning was very important
We prepared a business plan with the help of our accountants.
Researching the market, we spoke to Tourism NI. We also spoke to other tourism providers
and other self catering accommodation providers
and local visitor attractions as well .
We did a lot of research on the internet, checking out what was happening with tourism in Northern Ireland
and we decided upon self-catering, the luxury end and that was where we were headed.
It's necessary to be certified by Tourism NI.
That is a requirement for any tourism self-catering business.
You have to meet certain criteria.
It depends on the number of people you have in your cottage.
For three-bedroom cottage, we have to have seating for six people
three separate bedrooms. Cups, saucers, plates etc, that is all checked.
Outside they require you to have space for barbecue areas and picnic areas.
That all has to be taken into consideration.
If you wish to be graded, that's another route you can go down.
You don't have to have that done. We did go ahead and have our grading done.
That gives our guests who are looking for accommodation in the area
an idea of where we are. We're four star, we're right up there
and providing the accommodation and quality that they are looking for
It's awarded on a point scheme
So if you have tiled floors, you get so many points.
If you have wonderful carpets that you can sink into, it also gives you extra points.
That's how they grade you
Green certification is something that we went for.
To get the certification Green Tourism NI will expect your to put measures in place
such as heat recovery systems and wood burning stoves.
The benefits of getting green certification are; it helps you to be more aware of your energy efficiency,
it helps you reduce your carbon footprint and also helps you to attract like-minded guests
Starting up our business was very challenging. You really have to be dedicated.
You have to be passionate about what you want to do and it's 24/7.
You have to eat, sleep, drink tourism. You have to be fully committed
before you even think about taking it on.
We're very happy with what we've achieved .
We're only open now three years and we have some guests returning nine or ten times already.
That really is where I get the buzz personally so I wouldn't change a thing
My top three tips for starting a luxury self-catering business would be:
1) Don't do it unless you're 110% committed
2) Make sure you are savvy with all the social media
3) Be prepared to go that extra mile for your guests because they'll expect it