Hot Tub, No Hot Tub — What Amenities Actually Move the Needle on STR Revenue in 2025

Every STR host has faced the amenity decision. The hot tub conversation. The log burner debate. The question of whether to invest in a games room, an EV charger, a pizza oven, or a sauna. The marketing from suppliers makes every amenity sound like a guaranteed revenue multiplier. The reality, as with most things in the short-term rental market, is more nuanced and more interesting.

In this article I want to cut through the noise and look at which amenities actually generate measurable return in the UK STR market — and specifically in the Lake District and Cumbrian context — versus which ones hosts spend significant money on that have limited impact on bookings or pricing power.

Hot Tubs — The Data

The hot tub is the amenity with the most mythology around it in the UK STR market. The headline figures are compelling: AirDNA data consistently shows that UK listings with hot tubs command average nightly rates between 30% and 55% above comparable listings without them. In the Lake District specifically, where outdoor experiences are central to the guest proposition and where a hot tub with a fell view is a genuinely compelling product, the premium tends to be at the higher end of that range.

However, the hot tub calculation is more complex than the nightly rate premium suggests. Hot tubs have significant associated costs: installation (typically £3,000 to £8,000 for a quality unit), maintenance (chemical management, filter replacement, annual servicing), increased energy consumption, and the cleaning and turnover time they add to every changeover. A poorly maintained hot tub is also a cleanliness and review risk — one negative review about a murky or smelly hot tub can do significant damage to a listing.

Carl McGlasson: We clean a lot of properties with hot tubs across Cumbria. The ones that generate the best return are the ones where the owner has invested in a quality unit and has a clear, consistent maintenance protocol. The ones that generate problems — both for the guest experience and for the cleaning team — are the ones where the hot tub was installed cheaply and the maintenance is sporadic. A neglected hot tub is worse than no hot tub.

Fast Broadband — The Underrated Revenue Driver

The amenity with possibly the highest return on investment in the current UK STR market is not a hot tub. It is fast, reliable broadband. The growth of the workcation market has made broadband speed a genuine booking criterion for a substantial and growing guest segment — and one that the Lake District market has historically underserved.

Listings that display a verified broadband speed of 50Mbps or above, with a dedicated workspace, are able to access the workcation guest segment — typically professionals booking mid-week, longer stays, at full rates — that most rural Lake District properties have never been able to capture. The cost of upgrading from inadequate rural broadband to a reliable connection via a 4G/5G router or a Starlink installation is typically between £200 and £600. The return in bookings from a previously underserved guest segment can recover that investment within a single shoulder season.

Log Burners — Consistent Performer

The log burner is the amenity with the most consistent positive impact on Lake District and Cumbrian STR bookings across all guest types. It photographs beautifully, it contributes to the cosy atmosphere that most guests who visit this region are seeking, and it extends the booking season into the shoulder months when guests are specifically seeking warmth and atmosphere in the evenings.

Unlike a hot tub, a log burner has low ongoing costs (a log supply arrangement, an annual chimney sweep) and adds to rather than complicates the cleaning operation. The impact on shoulder season occupancy — October through March — is well-documented and consistent across the market.

EV Charging — The Growing Differentiator

Electric vehicle ownership in the UK is growing rapidly and EV charging at holiday accommodation is moving from a niche benefit to a mainstream expectation for a significant guest segment. In the Lake District context — where the distances between charging points can be frustrating for EV drivers wanting to explore the region — a home charger is a genuine differentiator that guests specifically search for.

Installation costs have fallen significantly and a basic tethered charger can be installed for between £800 and £1,200. The impact on bookings is currently strongest for properties targeting the higher-income guest segments — professionals, couples, and families in the 35-55 age bracket — where EV ownership is most concentrated. In two to three years it is likely to be a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator.

The Amenities That Rarely Deliver

For balance, it is worth identifying the amenities that are frequently overstated in their impact on STR performance. Games rooms are expensive to install and maintain, relevant only to a specific guest segment, and rarely mentioned in positive reviews. Saunas have a niche following but significant installation, maintenance, and cleaning implications. Pizza ovens are popular in marketing materials but rarely used by guests and add to the cleaning burden. Cinema rooms are similarly niche and dated quickly.

The pattern is consistent: amenities that serve a broad range of guest types (hot tubs, log burners, reliable broadband, EV charging, outdoor dining spaces) generate broad market return. Amenities that serve a specific niche generate return only when the property is clearly positioned for that niche. Amenities that look good in photographs but require significant maintenance and add to the cleaning burden tend to generate more operational cost than commercial return.

Invest in amenities that serve your specific guest niche excellently, not in amenities that look good in a marketing brochure. The data supports specificity over breadth.

The amenity decision for any STR property should start with a clear understanding of who the property is for. The hot tub question is not 'does a hot tub increase revenue?' — it is 'does a hot tub serve the specific guests I am targeting, and do the economics of installation and maintenance justify the investment in this specific context?' That is a different question, and the answer is more likely to be the right one.