Case Study: The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company
Key Takeaways
- The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company use Bookster to attract and manage bookings
- The coastal holiday homes are in North Pembrokeshire in Wales
- They wanted a simple system that would link up to a website for direct bookings
- Meg & Emma work in a rural area to support farmers to diversify their properties
- They like the owner statements, and the connections to channels eg Airbnb
- They have exciting growth plans, so check out their website.
We talked with Emma Kerr & Meg van Soest about how they got started, and their experiences of working with Bookster, attracting bookings for their coastal holiday homes in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Bookster still meets our needs and has evolved with us.
Case Study: The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company
Emma and Meg own The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company, a growing collection of coastal holiday homes in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
They use Bookster to attract bookings, manage their guests needs and manage their bookings, using Bookster Property Management System.
Can you give me a brief introduction to your business?
The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company was set up by us, we're two friends, Emma Kerr & Meg van Soest.
We have extensive experience and understanding of the hospitality industry in Pembrokeshire, having been born and raised there.
After starting our own successful companies and families, we wanted to create something different together.
With their combined knowledge of property management, customer service and marketing we set up The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company to offer property owners and guests a bespoke service that will ensure peace of mind.
And what makes you different?
Based on the gorgeous north Pembrokeshire coastline, our company comprises beautiful handpicked, unique properties.
We’re a bespoke management and marketing company, set up to take all the time-consuming work away from owners.
Not only do we manage the guests from the moment they enquire, to the moment they leave we are their point of contact.
If something breaks or needs repairing, we facilitate the fixing.
The cleaning and laundry are all taken care of by us, and day to day maintenance such as gardening and window cleaning is all managed by us too.
We work specifically in a rural area of Wales and have specialised in helping farmers to diversify their properties in order to maximise their income potentials and ensure that those farms are still there for future generations.
This part of our work is one that we are passionate and proud of in the knowledge that in some small way we have helped secure and future proof the legacy of generations passed.
How long have you worked with Bookster?
The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company has worked with Bookster since we started the company in 2020.
What did you need when you were getting started?
We were looking for a simple system for about 20 properties that we were managing at the beginning, and the ability to link up to a website.
This was how we attracted early bookings.
We are now managing 59 properties and have a more sophisticated website with search functionality.
Bookster still meets our needs and has evolved with us.
What features of our product have helped your business?
We use the arrivals and departures lists daily to manage our staff rotas and workloads.
Bookster pulls together the bookings from all sources (website, direct, Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, owner bookings) so they are all on one calendar at a glance.
The owner statements and invoices function is how we communicate with owners at month end, and data is transferred from here to our accounting package.
What have you been most impressed with?
The customer service from Bookster has been fantastic.
Whenever we have needed assistance or training, or just to talk through the functionality, you have been there to help. Thank you!
So, what’s next for you and your business?
We have exciting growth plans, with more and more properties under our management every week, and a bigger team to manage, clean and maintain them.
Bookings and occupancy rates are increasing year on year. We have a new HQ and Laundry in the heart of North Pembrokeshire.
We have also started The Pembrokeshire Cleaning Company, and The Pembrokeshire Laundry Company that provide services to The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company as well as to their own growing customer bases.
The team has more and more capability to provide an excellent bespoke and tailored service to our guests and owners, and we are very passionate and involved at all touchpoints.
Emma and Meg chose to work with Bookster Property Management Software to manage bookings for their growing business providing coastal holiday homes in North Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Book your next trip directly on The Pembrokeshire Holiday Company website and check out their photos and stories on the Facebook page, Instagram and Pinterest :)
