The Plum Guide
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry |
|
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Services | Travel, Lodging, Hospitality |
| Website | https://www.plumguide.com/ |
Plum Guide is a global vacation rental company headquartered in London, UK, with offices in New York and Hong Kong. The company was launched in 2016.[1]
Overview
[edit]Plum Guide curates a list of short-let rental properties. It was initially a city-focused initiative with its primary collections in London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles. Later, the company expanded and as of 2021, it has properties in over 500 destinations across 29 countries on its portal.[2]
The company uses an algorithm to build a database of all the homes available in a destination, then systematically puts it through rounds of quality control, including a Plum Test, to come up with the top homes. It also comprises an on-site assessment by an independent Home Critic.[3][4][5][6] As of May 2017, the company reports that it has tested 67,527 London properties, of which 674 have been accepted for inclusion on the website.[7]
Funding
[edit]Plum Guide was launched with £380,000 in funding, majorly from angel investors. They raised a second round of funding in late 2016 raising £1.8M from VC Local Globe.[4] The company also raised £5.7M in a Series A round led by Octopus Ventures, and in 2019, it raised £14M in a Series B round led by Talis Ventures, Hearst and Latitude as well as participation from existing investors.[5]
Reception
[edit]According to The New York Times, “In an increasingly crowded market of vacation home rental companies, the Plum Guide stands out for its selective list of properties and high standards of service.”[8] As per Marie Claire, “The way the company is different to other rental companies is that they work with the owners to tailor your time,”[9] and as per Harper’s Bazaar, “Staying with The Plum Guide felt like being in the sort of chic home you wished you owned and far from standard, impersonal holiday rentals.”[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Heathman, Amelia (16 August 2018). "Homestay start-up The Plum Guide is expanding to the US and Italy". Evening Standard.
- ^ Cottn, Barney (26 October 2021). "Plum Guide secures $9m led by Beringea and launches Crowdcube round". Business Leader.
- ^ Davies, Helen. "The finest homestays: could your house pass the Plum Test?". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2017-06-01.(subscription required)
- ^ a b "Entrepreneurs: Holiday fanatic curating the finest stays in London". Evening Standard. 2017-05-15. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
- ^ a b Butcher, Mike (March 21, 2019). "The Plum Guide raises $18.5M to expand its 'vacation homes for the elite' service". TechCrunch.
- ^ McGrath, Katherine (2 October 2018). "Listing Your Rental Home on the Plum Guide Is Harder Than Getting into Harvard". Architectural Digest.
- ^ Millington, Alison. "A global home stay platform that only accepts 1 in 100 properties wants to become the 'Michelin Guide' of the rental world through its tough vetting process". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ Vora, Shivani (1 September 2017). "Looking for a London Vacation Rental? We Tried the Plum Guide". The New York Times.
- ^ Chui, Delphine (9 August 2017). "How To Stay On A Traditional (But Hi-Tech) Houseboat". Marie Claire.
- ^ Alex, Ella (19 April 2021). "Our verdict on the luxury version of Airbnb: The Plum Guide". Harper's BAZAAR.