Finest Retreats highlights the hidden workforce behind our summer stays
Cornwall, UK – 15th July 2026 – This summer, Finest Retreats is introducing guests at its 800-plus holiday properties across the UK to the housekeeping team behind their stay, and giving them the option to leave a tip at checkout, that is shared amongst the housekeeping team. It is the first initiative of its kind from any UK accommodation provider, and a long overdue recognition of the people whose work keeps guests returning and local economies thriving.
Every holiday let in the UK is prepared by someone guests never meet. Between checkout and check-in, housekeepers clean, restock and turn around properties to challenging standards, often within a matter of hours. They are self-employed, mostly women and have no union, no trade body and no collective voice. Until now, no accommodation provider has tried to change that.
Julia Chapman, Head of Operations at Finest Retreats, said: “Housekeepers are the reason guests walk through the door and think ‘this is perfect’. They work to an extraordinary standard, under real time pressure, week after week, and most guests never know their name. That is what we are changing.”
Finest Retreats estimates that the sector employs roughly three housekeepers for every five properties. Applied across the UK’s holiday let stock, that suggests a workforce of around 267,600 people. Finest Retreats works with more than 400 self-employed contractors across the UK, including housekeepers, maintenance and trade professionals. Every holiday let company in the UK has its own network, yet until now none has moved to recognise them.
Research by Finest Retreats shows that a professionally run holiday let contributes more than six times as much to the local economy as a private second home, generating an average of £40,682 per property annually against £6,571 for a second home, through local spending, tradespeople’s wages and housekeeper earnings. New findings are due for release in the coming months and are expected to show that figure has risen substantially.
Lottie Kington has worked as a housekeeper in Cornwall for more than ten years. She said: “I want guests to think: ‘they’ve even cleaned that’. This level of detail builds trust and allows them to fully relax. I’ve never worked with a company like Finest Retreats before. In the past, many letting agents didn’t seem to care much about the property, or the cleaner. Finest Retreats completely changed my perspective. They genuinely care about their clients, their properties, and their cleaners.”
Finest Retreats has written to all six Cornwall MPs to make the case for recognising the contribution of holiday lets and the people behind them. Julia Chapman added: “These people are at the heart of the communities our guests visit. They are the reason people fall in love with a place and come back, and they deserve to be acknowledged and recognised. We hope the rest of the industry follows.”
About Finest Retreats
Finest Retreats is a full-service holiday rental management company with a handpicked portfolio of properties from across the UK. Headquartered in Cornwall, the company puts owners’ interests at the heart of the business.
With no restrictive covenants and ultra-personal service, the full management service goes beyond algorithms to secure the guests that these special homes deserve. By personally inspecting, vetting and caring for each property, Finest Retreats guarantees that any stay booked through their platform genuinely warrants the ‘finest’ description.
For more information, visit: https://www.owners.finestretreats.co.uk/press
Sources
- Finest Retreats Economic Comparison Data: https://www.owners.finestretreats.co.uk/press/economic-case-for-holiday-lets New findings due for release in the coming months.
- Finest Retreats housekeeper workforce methodology: owners.finestretreats.co.uk/press/understanding-the-hidden-workforce
- ONS short-term lets statistical bulletin, July 2023 to December 2025: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/shorttermletsthroughonlinecollaborativeeconomyplatformsuk/july2023todecember2025
