About us

A story of travellers and hosts, before it became a network

Gemlidays grew out of a few simple observations, lived from the inside, as a traveller and as a host.

For travellers

The choice of holiday rentals is overwhelming and it is hard to find your way. Travellers need guidance and reassurance before they book, and international guests even more so, as they account for around half of all nights in upmarket accommodation.

For hosts

The best holiday rentals in France are often run by passionate, attentive, demanding hosts deeply attached to their area. But they are scattered, isolated from one another, and their quality can get lost among countless listings. Booking platforms give them valuable visibility; Gemlidays highlights what those platforms show less: their standards, their story and their local knowledge.

How it started

The project grew out of the experience of its founder, host of three 4-star classified apartments in the mountains. From this experience came the idea of a human-scale network, complementary to booking platforms, able to carry each host’s quality, story and local knowledge far beyond their own destination, and to give travellers the confidence they are looking for.

The name

Gemlidays combines “gem”, a rare find, and “holidays”. A name that says what we look for in every new member of the network: a property and a host that stand out, not just one more rental among thousands.

Not to be the biggest network, but the one where every host truly deserves their place.

Destinations that complement each other

We make sure that each new member enriches the selection: another place, another kind of stay, another property size, another clientele. More than the number of properties, it is this diversity that makes the network strong.

What we believe

• Quality is verified, not declared: hence our requirement for the official 4- or 5-star classification or the GemSign inspection, and for guest reviews.
• An exceptional property starts with an exceptional host, present and attentive, who knows the property and personally looks after every stay.
• The direct relationship between a host and their guest, whatever the booking channel, remains the fairest and most human one.
• A selective, human-scale network keeps its promises better than a directory chasing volume.

Guiding you, not just selecting for you

Choosing a place to stay often starts with a mood. Our collections group our gems by mood: the sea, the mountains, a large house for the whole family… And our travel journals, written by Charles, founder of Gemlidays, tell the story of the network’s destinations and our trip ideas: what to see, when to come, how to choose, and where to stay.

Where we are going

Gemlidays started with a handful of properties, chosen one by one. We are deliberately moving forward step by step, region by region, so that every destination keeps the same high standards as on day one.