02 OCTOBER 2026
UPCOMING TRENDS
GUEST ARRIVAL THE NEXT 90 DAYS
WINTER READY HOLIDAY PLANNING
VOLUME 01 OWNERS EDITION
CON T E NTS TRENDS 04 UPCOMING Guest Arrival the next 90 days
05 A KEY ONSITE CHANGING WITH 06 WHAT’S OTA CANCELLATIONS YOUR CHIMNEY IS 08 ENSURE READY FOR THE SEASON
09 HOLIDAY DECOR
WELCOME BACK TO THE COMFORT COLLECTIVE A DEDICATED GUIDE FOR SOUTHERN COMFORT CABIN RENTALS OWNERS
Fall is settling into the mountains, and the holiday season is closer than it looks. Guests are already booking their Thanksgiving and Christmas getaways, and the homes that are ready for winter are the ones that make those stays memorable. This issue focuses on getting your property prepared for the colder months. We cover the winter protocol that protects your home when a hard freeze is forecast, the key lock boxes being installed at every home, and our holiday décor sign-up. That form is due October 31 and needs a response from every owner, even if you aren’t decorating this year, so our reservations team knows what to tell guests. As always, our team is here when you need us. Thank you for your partnership, and we hope you enjoy the season ahead. Warmly, Amber Henderson Assistant General Manager
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UPCOMING TRENDS OCCUPANCY IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS
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See how the next 90 days benchmark against last year — spot the trends, plan ahead, and make the most of every opportunity the season brings.
GUEST ARRIVAL THE NEXT 90 DAYS - BENCHMARKED TO 2025
GUEST ARRIVAL THE NEXT 14 DAYS
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A KEY ONSITE SAFETY PROTOCOL UPDATE
When an emergency happens at your home, like a fire, a medical call, or a weather event, first responders need to get inside fast. That’s why we’re installing key lock boxes at every Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals home. Each lock box keeps a physical key on the property at all times. Emergency crews and our team can always get in, and that access doesn’t depend on a keypad code, a battery, or a Wi-Fi connection. It’s a simple layer of preparedness that fits the safety and compliance standards we hold every home to. As installs roll out through October and November, you’ll see a weatherproof box mounted near your entry. You don’t need to do anything, and the way you use your home stays the same. It’s one more way we keep your property protected, prepared, and cared for.
AUTHORIZED FOR UTILITIES
When a water heater fails or the power goes out mid-stay, the difference between a sameday fix and a lost guest night is often who can call the utility. We’re asking owners to add Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals as an authorized user on your utility accounts. Here’s what it does and doesn’t mean. It does: let us report outages, confirm service, and schedule repairs in your name when a guest is in the home. It does not: change account ownership, billing, or your control of the account in any way. You stay the owner of record. Please reach out to Owner Relations with any questions or help adding us to your accounts.
FREEZE PREVENTION PLAN
Winter nights in Blue Ridge can drop into the teens, and frozen pipes are one of the most preventable types of damage a mountain home can face. That’s why our maintenance team follows a winter protocol for every home we manage. When a hard freeze is in the forecast, our housekeeping team checks on homes and makes adjustments as needed, including disconnecting outdoor hoses. THE COMFORT COLLECTIVE
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WHAT’S CHANGING WITH OTA CANCELLATION POLICIES
Booking sites are giving travelers more ways to choose a stay with a flexible cancellation window. AIRBNB CANCELLATION POLICY UPDATES Airbnb introduced its Limited policy for bookings made on or after October 1, 2025. Under the Limited cancellation policy, a guest can cancel at least 14 days before check-in for a full refund; cancellations 7 to 14 days before check-in receive a 50% refund under Airbnb’s terms. Airbnb’s Firm policy provides a full refund until 30 days before check-in and a 50% refund from 7 to 30 days. For standard stays booked at least seven days before check-in, Airbnb also allows a full refund within 24 hours of booking. On September 15, 2026, it retired Super Strict and moved those homes to Firm cancellation policy. That makes Firm the strictest policy most hosts can now choose on Airbnb: a full refund up to 30 days out, and 50% back between 7 and 30 days. There are more flexible options but the two policies that closely match our Southern Comfort policy are the Firm and Limited options. Airbnb recommends a Relaxed policy as it is a factor in their Search Results Algorithm.
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VRBO CANCELLATION POLICY REVIEW Vrbo offers several cancellation options, including a 14-day full refund deadline under Relaxed, a 30-day deadline under Moderate, and a 60-day deadline under Firm. Each has a shorter period for a 50% refund. These examples show why a guest may see different cancellation terms across booking channels and homes. VRBO recommends a Relaxed policy as it is a factor in their Search Results Algorithm. SOCO CABIN RENTALS POLICY REVIEW For reservations made directly with Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals, our current policy remains in place: standard homes have a 30-day cancellation window, while lake, pool and Private Reserve homes have a 60-day window. The $200 deposit becomes nonrefundable after the 48-hour booking grace period, subject to the terms of the reservation. A shorter direct-booking window could appeal to some guests, but it also gives us less time to replace a canceled stay. We are considering whether an optional 14-day policy would make sense for some homes or dates in our program. No decision has been made. We are requesting your feedback to help guide our cancellation policy we are offering our guests. Please be prepared to share your preference in a short owner survey we will be sending out later this month.
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ENSURE YOUR CHIMNEY IS READY FOR THE SEASON Fireplace season in the North Georgia mountains starts early, and we schedule chimney cleaning before the first cold snap, not after. Creosote builds up with every fire and it’s the leading cause of chimney fires, so a clean flue is a safety item, not a cosmetic one. If your home has a wood-burning fireplace, we’re adding it to the fall cleaning schedule. If you’re not sure whether your chimney was cleaned last season, reply and we’ll check your home’s service history.
IS YOUR MAILING ADDRESS CORRECT? With tax season and the holidays ahead, now is a great time to make sure we have your correct physical mailing address on file. From important tax documents to a little holiday cheer, we want to be sure everything reaches the right doorstep. If you’ve moved or your mailing information has changed, please email us your updated address at ownerrelations@ southerncomfortcabinrentals.com so we can keep our records current. 8 THE COMFORT COLLECTIVE
HOLIDAY DÉCOR: TELL US YOUR PLANS BY OCTOBER 31 CHRISTMAS DECOR STARTS NOW
Christmas is one of the busiest times of year in the mountains, and guests are already planning their trips. Many of them call our reservations team before booking to ask one question: will the cabin be decorated? Being able to answer right away can decide whether a guest books your home or keeps looking. That’s why we need to hear from every owner, including those who aren’t decorating this year. A quick “no decorations” tells our team exactly what to say, and that helps just as much.
Want help decorating? Our team can handle put-up and take-down for a base price of $200. If you’d rather decorate yourself, just let us know your plans on the form. Knowing your plans early lets us answer guest questions with confidence, schedule our crews, and have your cabin ready to welcome holiday guests. Christmas Decor
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