Our Story
I founded Ivy in 2009 following a brief career as a finance lawyer here in London. My first child had just been born and my young family wanted to spend some time abroad, hoping to finance the trip with income from our apartment in West London.
Since we would be abroad, we wanted someone to handle the entire process for us, but we were unable to find anyone we felt comfortable entrusting our home to. Eventually we found a tenant through a traditional high street agent, but the let did not go brilliantly. High street agents do not typically focus on short lets and we felt the property was not managed as well as it might have been. I imagine the tenant who stayed in our flat probably felt the same.
While we were abroad, I began thinking about creating the type of company that I would want to deal with myself — both as a homeowner and as a renter. A few weeks after returning to London, I set to work and founded Ivy with a clear vision: to create a professional, friendly, highly competent and practical service for clients on both sides.
For the first six months it was just me (supported by my brilliant wife!) working out of our spare room. I bought a Vespa on eBay and, with bundles of linen bungee-tied to the back, I would dart around London making up beds before checking in guests.
There were a couple of memorable moments. A few days before Christmas 2009, a particularly heavy bundle of linen flew off the Vespa as I skidded around Hyde Park Corner in the snow and collided with a van, sending me flying over the handlebars. I was black and blue and very stiff for a few days, but the van’s insurers paid £1,000 in compensation — which turned out to be a very welcome investment in the business!
At the start we had around twelve properties. Word of our service spread quickly and, with some wonderful press coverage, our portfolio grew. In March 2010 I hired my first employee and rented office space.
Today we manage a portfolio of around 100 properties and I am proud that many of their owners have been with us since our first year of trading. They are loyal clients for whom I would do just about anything, because they helped grow the business steadily through strong word of mouth.
To date we have accommodated more than 50,000 guests. I am thrilled by that number, but what makes me happiest is reading guest feedback where people tell me it is their 15th or even 20th time booking with us.
Our mission is not to be London’s largest operator in the field of vacation rentals and short stays. Our aim is simply to be the best. For our hosts, we focus on achieving the occupancy levels they want while ensuring their homes are looked after extremely carefully. For our guests, we strive to provide a seamless and enjoyable booking experience and stay, every single time.
Year after year we improve every aspect of the business — from our website to our booking enquiry responses, from the occupancy rates of our homes to the quality of our bed linen, from our housekeeping reporting systems to guest check-in logistics. All these elements contribute to better stays for our clients.
But the real reason hosts and guests choose Ivy is our service. In an increasingly automated world, ours remains steadfastly human. We take great pride in the feedback we receive describing our team as friendly, responsive, reliable, attentive and genuinely caring.
Please feel free to explore Ivy for yourself. I hope we have the opportunity to serve you and leave you similarly impressed.
Guy van der Westhuizen
Founder & Managing Director