Everything to know about Plum Guide, any travel editor's secret holiday booking weapon

What is it that makes a holiday rental not just good, but great? Is it the distance to the city centre? The tog-level of the duvet? The provision of spare keys? Answering this question was the inspiration behind the creation of Plum Guide, which claims to have the top one percent of luxury properties available to rent on its books. And the fashion set are obsessed.

Using a clever AI system, Plum Guide scours the internet for the top homes on the market, before dispatching a home-tester to conduct a vigorous two hour assessment, with 150 different criteria. Plum Guide properties have been vetted for everything from having a bedside plug to shower pressure, the choice of anti-allergy pillows to aesthetically-pleasing decor. What’s more, the hosts themselves are also checked, ensuring that they are the most reliable and attentive. And it’s not a case of once they’re in, they’re in – just like the Michelin Guide, you’ve got to retain your Plum Guide rating.

So, if you’ve been disappointed by a catfish-of-a holiday cottage in the past, who neglected to mention the construction works across the street or the fact the air conditioning rattles, then this is the booking site for you.

What is Plum Guide?

Established in 2016, Plum Guide is a holiday home booking site for only the crème de la crème of properties. Its USP is that each one has been strictly checked against AI-generated criteria that supposedly weeds out only the very best places in the world. These checklists were decided on by rigorous interviews and consultations with not only seasoned travellers, but also tastemakers, hoteliers and even psychologists, who provided insights on the ingredients for the ideal stay. Every property is of course, beautiful, but it’s not one specific aesthetic catered to, but rather something for every taste, from minimalist to country chic. Its tag line is, “we reject thousands of holiday homes, so you don’t have to,” which pretty much sums it up.

Where are the Plum Guide properties based?

Plum Guide started in London, before expanding to other cultural capitals across Europe and the US, including Barcelona, Milan, Paris, Rome, Los Angeles and New York. After monopolising that market, it moved on to find the very best beach rentals, with places in Spain, Sicily, Mykonos and more.

How easy is it to book on Plum Guide?

So easy! Simply put your location and dates into the search engine and filter by everything from number of rooms to the kind of property, number of children or pet friendly. You can choose which facilities matter the most to you, from a swimming pool to gym access, 24-hour front desk to parking. It's designed so that you can view the properties available on a map, too, so you can use that to inform your decision making. If you’ve got any questions, you can message the host, and then you’ll be asked for a deposit to book.

What’s the difference between Plum Guide and Airbnb?

The key difference is that every single property is individually chosen by Plum Guide to be featured, via a vigorous vetting procedure that involves a two-hour mock visit. There are 150 different pieces of criteria that every property is scored on, ensuring it is worthy of the accolade. Meanwhile, on Airbnb, it is fairly easy to get started with listing your property, and you’ll find many of them across multiple sites. You can scour the best Airbnbs in the world here.

Here are our editor-approved Plum Guide properties to rent this summer.