Cool and casual, cozy and stylish, individual and personal: it’s not easy to find a suitable vacation home with these requirements. Together with friends, Cathrine K. Reimann has therefore founded Landfolk, a platform with over 500 vacation homes in all corners of Denmark just waiting to enchant their guests from the doorstep.
More than 200,000 summer houses are hidden all over Denmark. Time to make these jewels accessible to the public. This is made possible by Camilla and Cathrine and five other colleagues who met through their previous jobs at Airbnb: The friends are sniffing around the Danish countryside for architectural gems for their portfolio. They are all on the Landfolk platform: pretty little houses in the middle of sand dunes or robust accommodation right by the sea. Since 2021, Camilla and Cathrine have been placing guests from all over the world with private hosts in Denmark, where the summer house has been a tradition for over 400 years. landfolk.com
Photos: Landfolk
FACES: How did you get into renting out summer homes?
Cathrine K. Reimann: Thanks to my grandparents, who built a beautiful summer house in the 1970s, I had the luxury of spending the weekends and vacations of my childhood in a very special place off the coast of Zealand in Denmark. Living in a summer house is practically in my DNA. My career in online marketplaces started at Airbnb, where I was responsible for the Airbnb host community in the Nordics. When the Danish Airbnb office was closed due to Corona, it was the perfect time for my six co-founders and I to realize our dream of a platform with hand-picked summer homes. The idea of Landfolk was born!
F: How would you describe Landfolk in one sentence?
CKR: Landfolk is a community and online marketplace to help people get out of the city and closer to nature and each other. We achieve this with first-class summer houses that have been selected according to the criteria of aesthetics, quality, scenic location and personality.
“Living in a summer house is practically in my DNA.”
F: How long did it take you guys to go from concept to finished platform?
CKR: The idea for Landfolk arose from the common need for a curated marketplace with high-quality summer houses. Shortly before we founded Landfolk in February 2021, I spent every free hour finding the first vacation home owners who were willing to entrust us with their homes – even though we had nothing to show for it at the time, as the marketplace wasn’t really developed yet. 33 truly special places and their owners were willing to take a leap of faith and join Landfolk, for which I am forever grateful. As of May 2022, we have almost 500 vacation homes on offer throughout Denmark, with more being added every day. We are also very much looking forward to welcoming our first German vacation homes to Landfolk this year.
F: Why should we stay in the Landfolk summer houses?
CKR: Landfolk was created for people who want to have their breath taken away by places. Our hand-picked summer cottages are places you are unlikely to find anywhere else. The owners of our vacation homes are attentive hosts who do everything they can to ensure their guests have a pleasant stay. We also believe in flexible bookings, so no one is forced to book from Saturday to Saturday, but can choose a duration that fits into their individual plans. In addition, at Landfolk we always communicate the effective final price including cleaning, insurance and ancillary costs.
F: As the operator of such a platform, what do you have to pay attention to that other hosts don’t have to think about?
CKR: Being an online marketplace means constantly serving both sides of the market: our vacation home owners and our vacation home guests. Basically, we are only successful if we make sound decisions that serve both sides, or at least find a good balance between the two sides. This can sometimes be difficult, especially when the wishes are sometimes actually contradictory.
F: What are you like as a boss?
CKR: I asked my team how they would describe my management style. Everyone agrees that I have too much to do and still have some catching up to do when it comes to thorough briefings. They emphasize that I really seem to trust them (which I definitely do).
F: What makes a good host or hostess?
CKR: It’s natural to be a good host or hostess if you take a moment to imagine how you would like to be received. The more personal a host or hostess can be, the better. Courtesy, a genuine interest in other people and a touch of creativity are qualities that go a long way – it doesn’t have to be anything complicated, a freshly picked bunch of flowers in a small vase next to the washbasin is enough.
F: What do you like most about guests?
CKR: I love guests who are also lovers of summer cottages, who simply long for a break and want to get closer to nature. It really is something special when guests experience their summer home, which has been specially chosen to relax and spend time with their loved ones. I am also very happy about the successful encounters between our hosts and guests and when both sides are happy and grateful to have helped each other.
F: Which guests do you dislike?
CKR: I find it difficult to understand guests who want exactly the same amenities and comforts on vacation as they have at home. I enjoy the contrast between my everyday life, which (unfortunately) includes doing the laundry, and staying in a vacation home where I am freed from housework.
F: What do you look out for when you stay out?
CKR: I want to experience places that are a contrast to my everyday life. I recently heard that living in a summer house is the yin to the yang of daily life. That really appealed to me because going away and maybe experiencing a simpler lifestyle will also help me get rid of the clutter and all my to-do lists. I also like architecturally designed houses where the inside and outside seem to merge and become one, giving you the feeling of being immersed in nature.
F: Where is your own bed?
CKR: I live in Aarhus, Denmark, in a large house with my husband, our two children, my parents, our shared dog and our cat. It is perhaps a little unusual for three generations to live together, but for us it really is the best decision we have made as a family. It allows us to spend a lot of time together, and it’s really helpful to have the grandparents literally upstairs when life in a start-up is as hectic as it is right now.
This is what Cathrine K. Reimann thinks of…
cruise ships:
Not really the sustainable option in my world, plus I’m not sure about the clientele…
Buffet meal:
Easy with picky kids and husbands who are vegetarians – I try to avoid that though.
All-inclusive:
My kids would love it, but we tend to go off the beaten path instead.
Tip:
If the service is good, definitely. We don’t normally tip in Denmark.
Dogs in restaurants and summer houses:
If it’s an outdoor seating area, I give it a thumbs up, and summer houses are perfect for the family dog (if the owner of the house allows it).
Children in the restaurant and in summer houses:
Yes, yes, yes please!
Sharing Economy:
It is important to share your own resources. In Denmark, summer houses are usually empty 300 days a year, and that just doesn’t make sense, #sharingiscaring!
Influencers:
Values can be communicated so well through the right collaborations, and they often reach target groups that are normally difficult to reach.
“I want to experience places that provide a contrast to my everyday life.”
“Life in the summer house is the yin to the yang of daily life.”
