Thrings Partner Alice Altounyan meets James Cornwell, Managing Director of The Curated Property Company
The Curated Property Company is quite a new business in Bath, how did it all start?
I’ve always loved property having come from a family of developers and spent most of my life, in one way or another, on a building site.
Starting my professional career as an estate agent in South Kensington, I went on to work in private aviation, chartering jets for the rich and famous, which helped me understand the demands of the affluent traveller.
I saw a clear gap in the market for the kind of service we bring, and the houses we represent, and set up the company in London in 2021 before coming to Bath in 2022.
What attracted to you to Bath?
My wife and I had always dreamed of moving out of London and, having taken on a couple of properties in and around the city, this was a natural place to gravitate to.
We loved Bath from the word go. It has everything you could want and is such a friendly, beautiful place, and what started out as a couple of visits became more and more regular trips with the family until it finally became home.
What services does Curated Property offer and what sets you apart from other holiday let management companies?
We manage over 50 of the UK’s most unique properties, many of which have been featured in the likes of Tatler, Country Life, the Independent and the Daily Mail. Our high-tech, high-touch approach helps us to be more competitive than the average management company whilst our personable side sees us often host our owners for dinners, events and drinks.
We ensure the highest potential returns for our owners through advanced algorithm-led dynamic pricing, coupled with mid-week gap filling technology and global exposure. We use the industry’s most powerful property management software to market our properties to over 30 individually API-connected platforms, including private members clubs in both London and Bath.
The norm for many short-term holiday lets is a key box outside the property, with the visitor then left to their own devices. This is not how we work.
Our seamless service ensures guests have a carefree and luxurious experience when staying in one of our properties. This includes in-person check ins, welcome hampers, and an in-house guest services team armed with as much information about the house so that there is always someone to call on should there be any issues or questions.
Where are we today and where else do you manage holiday homes?
Today we’re at ‘The Ridge’, a beautiful eco-friendly home with incredible panoramic views of Solsbury Hill and the hilltops overlooking Bath.
As well as Bath, we are also in London, Norfolk, Suffolk and the South of France with our portfolio featuring Georgian townhouses, London apartments and even a historic Tudor estate.
We’ve had many clients ask us whether we have anything abroad and so have recently extended to the South of France and manage an additional property in Lanzarote. The beauty of this industry is
that we can manage properties, while still delivering a high-quality service, virtually from anywhere, regardless of location.
What are the biggest challenges for this industry?
As you can imagine, the main challenge in the holiday let business is ensuring the quality of accommodation and service. Whilst holiday lets are a secure multibillion-pound industry, we don’t believe a laidback approach is acceptable; there needs to be a regulated minimum standard that protects guests and an overarching UK-wide body that keeps the industry in check.
What does 2023 hold in store for Curated Property?
We are continuing our work in France, having seen a great jump in demand for the properties we already manage, and are excited to see how this develops. We are also exploring the emerging market of glamping and pods here in the UK and how that can feed into the luxury experience we provide clients.
In Bath, as the number of properties we work with continues to grow, we want to create a concierge service, enabling our guests to get the most out of their trip, by getting to know them, their likes and dislikes, and tailoring their stay to what is on offer in this incredible city.
For more information, visit www.curated-property.com
If you have any questions about any issue raised in this article please contact Alice here.