We are all familiar with the Michelin Guide which recognises select establishments for their culinary prowess. What started as a general motorists’ guide to help sell more tyres actually evolved into something much grander. By focussing on only the very best restaurants, the Michelin Red Guide quickly became the authority on all things dining.
Now that same model is being applied to the holiday home industry. The Plum Guide handpicks only the top 1% of holiday homes (and hosts!) in every city, from the most desirable locations, thus identifying only the very best of the best. Unlike the internet giants such as Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO, The Plum Guide doesn’t just list the masses, but instead it has a much more select portfolio.
It’s a win-win situation. As a holidaymaker or business traveller looking for a place to stay, you are already assured of a certain level of quality if it’s listed on Plum. As a rental property owner, you get to display a desirable Plum status badge that highlights your own dedication to quality as a homeowner and host. Plum have even undertaken research, consulting psychologists, hospitality experts and architects, to get underneath the skin of what makes a holiday home truly stand out, whether it be for business, pleasure or a really special occasion where everything must be absolutely perfect.
To date, the focus for The Plum Guide has been on London but the aim is to extend this model worldwide. As for the model itself, Plum self-confess that they use an “OCD approach” in determining who they do and don’t “let in”.  They’ve scanned more than 30,000 homes to date, personally testing not just every home, but also every host, in their quest to build a marketplace of the worldÂ’s best holiday homes, and only around 1 in 100 make the grade. Hosts are judged on their ability to cater for their guests’ needs, the speed and quality of their communications, and more.
And if all this verification wasn’t enough to find the best of the best, there’s one final piece to the jigsaw that makes Plum such a success, and that is the focus on value. Properties vary from £80 per night to beyond £2,000 per night, but in each and every instance you can be assured a level of value that you won’t find from luxury hotels offering the equivalent level of quality. Wherever you rent, by booking through Plum you’ll be assured the most soulful, characterful and best homes that money can buy in the area.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Plum Guide.
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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2 Comments
Well the Plum guide is certainly a good idea. But can you give us some info on its independent credentials?
Interesting concept indeed. One to watch. How does it differ however from the likes of One Fine Stay, for example, or any other independent vacation rental agent, whose portfolios are also carefully handpicked?
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Now that same model is being applied to the holiday home industry. The Plum Guide handpicks only the top 1% of holiday homes (and hosts!) in every city, from the most desirable locations, thus identifying only the very best of the best. Unlike the internet giants such as Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO, The Plum Guide doesn’t just list the masses, but instead it has a much more select portfolio.
Now that same model is being applied to the holiday home industry. The Plum Guide handpicks only the top 1% of holiday homes (and hosts!) in every city, from the most desirable locations, thus identifying only the very best of the best. Unlike the internet giants such as Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO, The Plum Guide doesn’t just list the masses, but instead it has a much more select portfolio.
It’s a win-win situation. As a holidaymaker or business traveller looking for a place to stay, you are already assured of a certain level of quality if it’s listed on Plum. As a rental property owner, you get to display a desirable Plum status badge that highlights your own dedication to quality as a homeowner and host. Plum have even undertaken research, consulting psychologists, hospitality experts and architects, to get underneath the skin of what makes a holiday home truly stand out, whether it be for business, pleasure or a really special occasion where everything must be absolutely perfect.
To date, the focus for The Plum Guide has been on London but the aim is to extend this model worldwide. As for the model itself, Plum self-confess that they use an “OCD approach” in determining who they do and don’t “let in”.  They’ve scanned more than 30,000 homes to date, personally testing not just every home, but also every host, in their quest to build a marketplace of the worldÂ’s best holiday homes, and only around 1 in 100 make the grade. Hosts are judged on their ability to cater for their guests’ needs, the speed and quality of their communications, and more.
And if all this verification wasn’t enough to find the best of the best, there’s one final piece to the jigsaw that makes Plum such a success, and that is the focus on value. Properties vary from £80 per night to beyond £2,000 per night, but in each and every instance you can be assured a level of value that you won’t find from luxury hotels offering the equivalent level of quality. Wherever you rent, by booking through Plum you’ll be assured the most soulful, characterful and best homes that money can buy in the area.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Plum Guide.
Well the Plum guide is certainly a good idea. But can you give us some info on its independent credentials?
Interesting concept indeed. One to watch. How does it differ however from the likes of One Fine Stay, for example, or any other independent vacation rental agent, whose portfolios are also carefully handpicked?