Gîte Guru
Fast-tracking you to gîte success
Running a gîte is no mean feat – trust us, we know!
You need to be a competent marketeer and communicator, interior designer, gardener, bookkeeper, cleaner, account manager and guide.
It can be challenging to get the bookings and overwhelming to get it all right, but we’ve got you covered.
We’re Franck and Rupert, passionate gîte owners who have poured our hearts and souls into building a successful business from scratch. Our place is proof that running gîtes can be rewarding and highly profitable.
So whether you’re just starting out, or finding it hard to gain momentum, we can help. With our honest guidance, tailored strategies, and unwavering support, you’ll be equipped to overcome obstacles and achieve the thriving gîte business you’ve always dreamed of.
Optimise your gîte
Creating the best possible product
and service so that your guests
will want to return
Increase your bookings
Creating a strong marketing plan
to extend your season
with good, secure bookings
Save you time and money
Sharing our documents, experience
and money-saving ways
to help you get you further, quicker
“Rupert and Franck help other owners make a success out of their business” Channel 4
Our gîtes feature in series 1 & 2 of Help! we bought a village and you can see us in action as Gîte Guru in episodes 27 & 28 of series 2.
We wrote an article for The Sunday Times in February 2023, using 3 gîte properties for sale to illustrate different aspects of running gîtes.
The Sunday Times featured us in a 2-page article in 2022 about our own gîtes and how Gîte Guru came about.
What are the next steps?
First we’ll zoom to discuss your property, plans and goals, so that we understand your needs.
Then we’ll email you a tailored proposal detailing the areas we’ll cover with you, and our corresponding fee. Take your time to go through it!
Our fee is calculated on the time needed and the topics covered. Hiring us is an investment, but one that will save you time and money, whilst giving you concrete ways to boost your bookings and keep your costs down.
Whether you have a 1-bed cottage or a rambling château, do get in touch!
Our own gîtes
We run Le Mas & Le Mazet in the Dordogne. When we started out we had no experience of running a gîte, we made mistakes and got things wrong. But we learnt, we worked hard on creating two great holiday homes for our guests, a strong marketing plan and a new life for ourselves in France.
We measure our gîtes’ success by our long season, occupancy rate and the number of guests we welcome back every year.
Gïte Guru came about when we were approached to help a couple starting out with a gîte, who wanted to build their business on what we had learned. Since then we have assisted owners of 1-bedroom gîtes and enormous châteaux. Whatever your property, we can help you make it, your service and facilities as good as possible, market it strongly, help ensure your business runs smoothly and your costs remain low.
Looking for inspiration, tips and good ideas?
If you’re only looking for some ideas, inspiration or news relevant to gîtes, please follow us on Instagram.
Karen from Escape to the Chateau: DIY and I have done some live chats which you might find interesting to watch.
Part 1: the difference between B&Bs and gîtes; classification and lots more
Part 2: business registration, tax, marketing and answers to live questions
Part 3: looking for a property with a gîte
Read our article for Sawday’s:
“Rupert Springfield is the owner of Le Mas & Le Mazet, as well as one of the creators of the consultancy service Gîte Guru. He hasn’t literally written the book on gîtes yet, but we assume he’s working on it. Here he talks about the evolution of the gîte, his own mission at Le Mas & Le Mazet ,and shares some tips for making the right choice.”
