What Cornish Gems does

Cornish Gems Limited is a privately-held UK luxury holiday rental agency founded in 2007 by Nadia Macer-Wright and headquartered in Truro, Cornwall. The company operates as an agent for property owners, curating and managing a portfolio of 85+ self-catering holiday homes across Cornwall, including branded collections such as Extraordinary Gems, Coastal Gems, Rural Gems, Dog-Friendly Gems, Eco-Conscious Gems, Wellbeing Escapes, Celebration Homes, Corporate Venues, and Weddings. Properties range from one-bedroom apartments to multi-generational manor houses sleeping 20+ guests, with amenities spanning sea views, hot tubs, cinemas, spas, EV chargers, and pet-friendly features.

The platform is built around a direct-to-consumer booking website (cornishgems.com) supported by phone and email enquiry channels, with an in-house Gems Interiors team standardising property aesthetics and a digital guest experience that includes downloadable area guides, property-specific welcome folders, and curated local experience recommendations. The company holds a B Corp certification, and its Molesworth Manor has been featured in Condé Nast Traveller's "Best Homes To Rent In The UK."

Cornish Gems generates revenue through commissions on bookings, a Booking Fee (£75-£120 including VAT), non-refundable Damage Waivers (£150-£300), pet supplements (£50-£75 per dog), and optional concierge add-ons such as welcome hampers, private chefs, and experience packages. Pricing varies from approximately £27-£36 per person per night at the entry level to £5,000+ per week for luxury properties. The customer base is fragmented across leisure segments (families, groups, couples, dog owners, eco-conscious travellers) with a small corporate venue-hire segment. The company is independently owned, has not disclosed external funding, and reports a headcount of 11-50 employees.

Name

Cornish Gems

Legal name

Cornish Gems Limited

Website

https://cornishgems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornish Gems is a privately-held UK luxury holiday rental agency that curates and manages 85+ self-catering properties across Cornwall for families, groups, couples, and corporate clients via direct-to-consumer booking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury holiday home rentals

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Vacation Rental Property Management (BPAJAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury & Estate Rentals (THAGANAF), Resort & Branded Residence Vacation Rental Management (BPAJAIAE)

Keywords

• Luxury holiday rentals
• Self-catering accommodation
• Holiday home management
• Cornwall vacation properties
• Beach house rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Truro

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Holiday Property Rental Commission: Cornish Gems acts as an agent for property owners, taking a commission on bookings. They charge a Booking Fee (£75 including VAT) to secure the booking and a Damage Waiver (non-refundable payment covering damages up to 5x the waiver amount). Additional revenue comes from pet supplements, extra services like welcome hampers, and optional concierge services including private chefs and experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cornish Gems operates as a holiday property rental agency acting as an agent for third-party property owners, marketing and booking a curated portfolio of 85+ self-catering luxury homes across Cornwall, UK. Services include property changeovers, maintenance, welcome gifts, digital area guides, and concierge arrangements for guests, with tiered collections spanning seafront cottages to grand manor houses. The company earns through booking commissions, booking fees, damage waivers, pet supplements, and optional add-on services such as welcome hampers and private-chef experiences.

Product overview

Cornish Gems is a luxury holiday home rental company offering a portfolio of 85+ self-catering properties across Cornwall, England. The offering is structured as a unified booking platform with multiple property collections organized by theme: Extraordinary Gems (luxury properties with premium amenities), Coastal Gems (seaside locations), Rural Gems (countryside retreats), Dog-Friendly Gems, Eco-Conscious Gems, Wellbeing Escapes, Celebration Homes (large properties for events), and Corporate Venues (business hire). The portfolio spans diverse property types from seafront cottages to grand manor houses with spas, cinemas, and pools. Booking is facilitated through the website and phone, with services including welcome gifts, concierge recommendations, digital area guides, and customer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cornish Gems Holiday Home Booking Platform Unified booking platform and guest experience service for luxury self-catering Cornwall holidays, spanning Extraordinary Gems, Coastal Gems, Rural Gems, Dog-Friendly Gems, Eco-Conscious Gems, Wellbeing Escapes, Celebration Homes and Corporate Venues, with online search, availability, checkout, and phone-based Guest Experience support.
• Managed Property Service Full-service property management for owners of Cornish Gems properties, covering booking management, guest customer service, property changeovers, welcome gift provision, and ongoing maintenance on behalf of third-party owners.
• Unmanaged Property Service Booking-only service for property owners, under which Cornish Gems manages booking administration and customer service while the owner retains day-to-day operational responsibility for the property.
• Concierge and Add-On Experiences Optional paid add-ons offered to guests, including welcome hampers, private chefs, spa treatments, and curated Cornish experience bookings (food box delivery, rib boat charters, kayaking, coasteering, surf lessons, paddleboarding).

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning service with B Corp certification demonstrating commitment to luxury, choice, and sustainability
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Cornish Food Box CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with award-winning online grocery home delivery service featuring 200+ local farmers, fishermen, bakers, butchers and food producers. They deliver fresh, healthy, free-range food straight to holiday doors, enhancing the guest experience with local produce.
• One AtlantekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxury rib boat charter service recommended to guests at Bosulla (Helford River) and Admiral House (Fowey) for bespoke experiences on Cornish waters.
• Koru KayakingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended guided kayak tours showcasing striking seascapes in Cornwall, featured in Cornish Gems guest experiences.
• Barefeet CoasteerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoasteering experiences recommended for adventurous guests seeking to explore the Cornish coast.
• King SurfminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended surf school with experienced instructors for surf lessons in Cornwall.
• Ocean HighminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStand-up paddleboard (SUP) adventures suitable for families on the water.
• St Ives Harbour HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeninsula Apartment 6 is located within the St Ives Harbour Hotel, where guests receive access to hotel facilities including indoor swimming pool, spa (pre-bookable), and The Terrace bar and lounge.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plum Guide: Curated luxury short-term rental platform with rigorous quality vetting ("Home Facts") and a focus on design-led properties. Closest direct peer in the curated-luxury, design-validated segment, operating across multiple UK and European cities.
• Rural Retreats: Premium UK holiday cottage agency with a curated portfolio of high-end properties, full-service management, and strong brand. Direct peer targeting affluent families and groups seeking premium self-catering.
• Helpful Holidays: Devon/Cornwall holiday letting agency with a large curated portfolio of quality-assessed properties, acting as agent for owners. Direct competitor in the same regional luxury self-catering segment.
• Boutique Cottages: Curated UK holiday cottage agency focused on high-quality, design-led properties. Direct peer in the curated luxury self-catering category, similar owner-agent business model.
• Toad Hall Cottages: Devon/Cornwall holiday letting agency with full property management services. Direct regional peer operating an analogous agent-for-owners model in overlapping territories.
• Luxury Cottages: UK-wide curated portfolio of high-end self-catering properties with full management services. Direct peer in the luxury short-term rental management category, overlapping on customer and owner economics.
• Blue Chip Holidays: Cornwall/SW-focused luxury holiday cottage agency with a curated portfolio, full property management, and in-house interior design. Closest direct competitor in geography, customer base, and luxury positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Sykes Cottages: One of the largest UK holiday cottage agencies with a multi-thousand property portfolio across the country. Broader incumbent with overlapping supply and demand, but operating a more volume-led rather than curated-luxury model.
• Travel Chapter: UK holiday lettings group operating multiple regional brands (including Beach Retreats, Cornish Cottage Holidays) across the South West. Broader incumbent with overlapping Cornwall exposure and an owner-agency business model.
• Airbnb Luxe: Airbnb's curated luxury tier offering vetted high-end homes with trip designer support. Broad incumbent with a global distribution advantage that competes for both the same guests and the same luxury property owners Cornish Gems serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Cornish.Gems
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornishgemsholidays
• TikToktiktok.com/@cornishgemsholidays
• Xx.com/Cornish_Gems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornish-gems-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornish Gems