KENTSTAYCATION
inside THE BUSINESS :
KEEPERS COTTAGES
Celebrating 10 Years !
FOUNDED IN 2013 BY SOLE OWNER CAMILLA SHIPTON , KEEPERS COTTAGES HAS LED THE WAY FOR SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION . HAVING STARTED AS A CLEANER FOR VARIOUS HOLIDAY LETS , CAMILLA SOON REALISED THERE WAS A GAP IN THE MARKET FOR A COMPLETE , LOCAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE AND SO KEEPERS COTTAGES WAS BORN . THE FOUNDING PRINCIPAL OF PROVIDING THE VERY BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE CONTINUES TODAY AND CAMILLA IS NOW DEDICATED TO BUILDING KEEPERS COTTAGES INTO THE LEADING HOLIDAY LET BRAND IN THE REGION .
10 years later , the team comprises individuals with backgrounds in marketing , hospitality and holiday lettings . Each employee brings different experience , but each shares a passion for the Keepers Cottages ’ vision . The brand ’ s enthusiasm for curating a unique property collection , where beautiful locations and inspiring design combine , has grown into an exclusive portfolio of wonderful homes across Kent .
Each property is hand-picked and personally visited by the team . From family holidays to romantic breaks or celebration houses , Keepers Cottages offer a range of beautiful self-catering holiday homes across Kent . For owners , Keepers Cottages provides a complete service , from marketing and customer support to cleaning , laundry and property maintenance , all of which is expertly managed by a small and local team .
A little bit of history … In 2013 , Keepers Cottages launched with just a handful of cottages , just 10 locations across Deal , Walmer and Kingsdown . However , with focus and determination , by 2016 Keepers Cottages was gaining recognition and building their brand awareness with 40 homes across East Kent on their books covering areas including as Sandwich , Ash and Canterbury , as well as Deal , Walmer and Kingsdown where they originated .
In 2017 , Keepers became a real family business when Arthur , Camilla ’ s son , joined the family business becoming accounts director . By 2018 , Keepers ’ portfolio had doubled again with over 80 homes across Kent , now including Whitstable . In 2019 , with golf ’ s The Open Championship coming to Sandwich , Keepers launched a dedicated website for the Golf Open accommodation , which despite the pandemic proved very successful .
Phoebe , Camilla ’ s daughter , joined the family business , becoming marketing director in 2020 , and re-designed many aspects of the website with the main aim of improving user experience . Then , as we all know , the pandemic put a stop to the holidaying industry , but lucky for Keepers , 2021 became known as the ‘ Year of the Staycation ’ and to top that year off , they were also very proud to host over 10 of the top 20 golfers in the world during the The Open Championship at Royal St George ’ s .
By 2022 , Keepers ’ portfolio had now grown to over 130 holiday homes across Kent . And , in 2023 , they are celebrating 10 years in business with over 145 holiday homes along the Kent coast and countryside . Keepers will be re-branding and freshening up the website to mark this occasion and hosting a 10-year celebration event later in the year .
Plans for Keepers Cottages ’ future are to continue to grow and become the leading agency in Kent , while remaining very hands on , always offering a bespoke and personal service to homeowners . There are very few local holiday cottage agencies left now , most have been bought out by large national agencies . They are committed to maintaining their personal and independent touch . Their team is growing and will continue to do so to support the growth of the business .
Keepers ’ aim is always to provide excellent customer service and holiday experiences for guests . They ’ ve got some really exciting plans to partner up with local businesses and brands to improve guest experience even more with local experiences , food and drink offerings and so much more , so watch this space .
www . keeperscottages . co . uk
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