Join Premier Cottages
The Finest Collection of 4 & 5 Star Cottages in the UK & Ireland - Booked Direct with the Owners
To get bookings, you need a platform, right? The thorny problem for us all as owners is that most agencies and OTAs charge an eye-watering amount of commission, and give us little access to the guest. So here’s something completely different. Premier Cottages is a Book Direct model. A membership cooperative, run by members for members. We do not take a commission or dictate your pricing, and every booking is made direct with you (even if they “book now” on our website). Everything you earn is yours for just one annual fee, which will put you in charge of your Premier Cottages listing on our website and give you access to our extensive database and social media following.
As a membership cooperative, we really are different. Every member of the Board is an experienced self-catering operator, with the interests of the Board aligned with those of the membership. We spend 100% of your money on marketing our properties, not on fancy offices or dividends for shareholders. That does not mean that we are a kitchen cabinet of amateurs, though. There is extensive experience, both on the board and among the membership, and we have consistently led the market over the last 25 years. We were the first company in the sector with a mobile-responsive website, and the first to adopt SSL. We remain the only player in the market with full foreign language websites in French, German and Dutch, and we consistently benefit from innovation grants because of the quality of our website. We have a very large social media following and guest database, which we leverage to great effect.
We were almost certainly the ONLY player in the market to have halved renewal costs for members during the Covid-19 pandemic, as we put in place an emergency budget, to enable as many members as possible to renew. Survival was really important, as we are about the only space in the market where owners retain full control of their business model. Being a membership organisation gave the board the agility and flexibility to do that, and to announce it to members very quickly after lockdown was imposed.
In addition, we work with you to help you improve your business. We offer support, advice, a regional member network and up-to-date self-catering news. We will also keep you well informed regarding legal matters, promote your business to our vast guest database and offer you the best possible PR for your property.