Plum Guide Review: The better vacation rentals site?

Finding the perfect vacation rental is not easy. While there are many sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, the overwhelming number of options can make it a time-consuming ordeal. All your effort can go in vain if the property hardly resembles the captivating photos you saw in the description.

Plum Guide is an up-and-coming Airbnb alternative that overcomes this issue by offering a limited yet outstanding selection of holiday homes, none second to the other. It guarantees that you will love what you book.

Like what you hear? Is Plum Guide actually as good as it sounds? Keep reading to find out! 

What is Plum Guide?

The UK-based vacation rental platform, Plum Guide, was founded in 2016 by Doron Meyassed. It features holiday homes, primarily in the U.K., Europe, and the USA. Although a recent addition, the platform has grown well over the years, extending its focus from popular cities to countryside areas. But what sets it apart from other rental sites?

Plum Guide's specialty is that it offers only the best holiday homes selected through a careful, expert-vetted process. It represents the top 3% of vacation rental sites under each budget category in each city it covers. They all guarantee exceptional quality and optimum value. 

How does Plum Guide work?

Booking a rental on Plum Guide is simple. 

1. You visit the website and enter the destination, check-in and check-out dates, and the number of guests on the search bar. 
2. You can see details like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and guests in the list view, including the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and guests, including the price.
3. You can also filter the results by specifying the price range, bedrooms, accessibility, property type, features, type of stay, etc. 
4. If a particular rental matches your expectations after reading its description, amenities, and availability, place the booking by making the required payment. 
5. You can cancel or change your bookings based on the policy that applies to your reservation. Read more about Plum Guide's cancellation policies here.

Plum Guide offers 24/7 support to assist guests with their queries and booking-related issues. Unlike Vacasa, it doesn't serve as a rental management company, offering consistent service. Instead, it picks reliable hosts with great rentals through a careful screening process. 

What types of vacation rentals does Plum Guide offer?

Plum Guide features a variety of options such as apartments, apart-hotels, studios, penthouses, villas, cottages, bungalows, houses, etc. It doesn't offer shared spaces or single rooms for rent.  

What we liked about Plum Guide

• Assurance of quality 

With Plum Guide, the actual state of the property fitting what you read and saw in photos is a promise. Plum Guide assures guests of premium quality, reliable customer service, and top-notch hospitality. Every rental you see on the website has gone through a rigorous selection process, so you can book it with confidence. It addresses one of the biggest worries of travelers. No wonder it's famed as the Michelin Star for vacation rentals.

• Time-saving 

If you need well-serviced, high-standard properties in convenient locations like main cities, Plum Guide is where to look for them. You can save loads of time reading countless past guest reviews and trying to discern which ones are actually authentic. There's also a list of 'home truths' for each rental, highlighting its drawbacks. It's very convenient and avoids a lot of hassle.

• Impressive amenities

The rentals listed on Plum Guide are award-winning, exceptional properties that offer great value for your money. There is a range of property types, although the choice here depends on the destination. Most feature modern, chic interiors. High-speed WiFi, good water pressure, quality furniture, comfortable bedding, and an immaculately clean space are some things you can count on. 

What Plum Guide can do better

• Price of rentals 

Although Plum Guide caters to different budget ranges, most rentals fall under high-end options. High-quality properties don't come cheap. Additionally, many of the rentals in Plum Guide are found in major cities. However, you will come across a few budget options. If you are specifically looking for cost-effective rentals, look at our list of budget-friendly vacation rental websites.

• Limited destinations 

Plum Guide covers only 21 countries, and it is constrained, limiting Asia, Australia, Africa, or South America coverage. Even the quantity of choices is limited as it sticks to just the top 3%. However, the founder and the team have expressed their goals in expanding, and that's good news for sophisticated travelers worldwide. 

• No user reviews

Unlike other booking platforms, you don't get a review section that includes feedback and ratings of past guests. Plum Guide doesn't believe in the authenticity of user-generated reviews on booking sites as anyone can do it to enhance or downgrade a rental on purpose. This can be a significant drawback for you if you like to read customer reviews before making your decision.

Plum Guide vs. Airbnb 

Both are rental marketplaces that connect hosts with guests. But, quality is the strength of Plum Guide. The selection of properties is carried out by a diverse team of travelers, architects, interior designers, psychologists. On the other hand, anyone can list their rental on Airbnb, and quality is sometimes a hit-and-miss. Another difference is Plum Guide focuses on standalone properties, whereas Airbnb includes shared spaces. 

Is Plum Guide worth it? 

We highly recommend Plum Guide for travelers with high expectations about quality. Its exclusive range of rentals would most definitely have something that suits your taste. But, for budget-friendly travelers or backpackers, not so much. 

If you are willing to spend some time researching, you can find a decent place to stay at an affordable rate. You can use Holidu or other apps mentioned above for this purpose! 

Our Rating: 4.3/5

Pros 

• Guaranteed high-quality, reliable vacation rentals 
• Saves time spent on researching and reading reviews 
• Impressive amenities 

Cons 

• Rentals are quite expensive 
• Only a limited number of countries 
• No peer reviews

Plan your getaway now!

Every traveler's accommodation choices vary depending on your budget, travel style, and itinerary. We'll keep reviewing vacation rentals to help travelers like you make a more informed decision!

Regardless of which rental app you end up using, you'll definitely need a game plan for your trip. Have you heard of Pilot?