Cornwall Living
Relax, it’s all taken care of
St Ives based holiday lettings agent launches into spring with a fresh, new look!
After 22 years in the holiday industry and ten years spent running Escape to St Ives holiday letting agency, owners Louise and John Bryan felt it was time for a change – the creation of a new brand that reflects not only where they’ve come from, but where they are heading to.
Well known for their exceptional housekeeping standards, attention to detail and personal touch, this family run business began with only a few properties. Today, customers can choose from over 100 properties, ranging from penthouse apartments overlooking St Ives harbour, to picturesque cottages and larger townhouses with stunning sea views. And the portfolio is growing…
“We are always on the lookout for beautiful holiday homes to put on our books,” says Louise, “so that we can keep our loyal customer base engaged and ensure perfect holiday experiences year on year.”
Recently, however, due to the increasing popularity of Cornwall as a holiday destination and St Ives, in particular, Escape to St Ives have been encouraged to search slightly further afield from its base. “With an increasing number of properties coming into the holiday property market from beyond our usual territory, it got us thinking about where we might be in another ten years’ time.”
Of course, it’s never an easy task – to transition from a well-established and loved brand into a new one – however Louise and John felt that the time was right, and so the brand-new name, Cornish Escapes, is a fittingly natural evolution, reflecting the company’s roots and the future it is mapping out for itself. As John puts it: “We’ve enjoyed organic growth over the past ten years, but planning ahead, it’s inevitable that we will be looking to new horizons and expanding further into Cornwall. It’s really exciting to be evolving and moving our business forward with this new brand.”
Like so many businesses within the travel and tourism sector, the Bryans’ business didn’t escape the impact of Covid, particularly the first wave. “It was a really challenging time,” says Louise, who talks about the period with mixed emotion. “We were all pushed well outside of our comfort zones but we pulled together. It also made us update some of our own systems and processes, and we are operating even more efficiently now.” Reinvesting back into the business is an important part of the Bryans’ philosophy; they really do want the business to go from strength to strength over the coming years. They see its value in providing employment in the local area – not just to their core team, but the local businesses that support them, too. What’s more, they hope that their two children – Connor and Chloe – will one day become a big part of the company’s ongoing success in the future.
Connor himself is very excited by the development of the company and has been closely involved in the creation of the new brand: “I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the whole rebranding process. I believe that this new look puts us exactly where we want to be, both now and in the future.”
That said, whilst their fresh new look symbolises an exciting new chapter for the company as ‘Cornish Escapes’, the team, values and excellent service that have, for a decade, underpinned the company’s success and made them exceptionally popular with visitors and owners, remains very much the same.
As a very hands-on, family run business, the Bryans and their close-knit team of 13 take immense pride in delivering an excellent service. All of the housekeeping services are managed in-house with individual checks carried out between bookings. Available 24 hours a day, the team are always on standby for calls from owners and visitors alike. “The friendly team are efficient and organised and nothing is too much trouble,” says one owner. “Their knowledge and experience are invaluable when setting up a holiday cottage and they offer the full package, including the best cleaning service ever!”
Visitors, too, are never short of
praise for the team, who are repeatedly hailed as friendly, helpful and always on hand, providing peace of mind
when staying with Cornish Escapes. No surprise then that with their new name and look now launching, with decades of experience in the industry and such rave reviews flooding in from clients past and present, the Bryans themselves have their own peace of mind as they embark on the next phase of their journey.
With a company mantra that says ‘Relax, it’s all taken care of’, if you’re about to plan your next escape to beautiful Cornwall, or are thinking about renting your Cornish retreat, be sure to visit the new Cornish Escapes website to find out more.
Cornish Escapes