2009 was our 10th year in business as Loyd & Townsend-Rose. Ten years of offering privileged access to the most luxurious private houses, combined with a full concierge service.

As 2010 is now well underway, it is proving to be a busy year so far.  We have launched this new website as part of our continuing strategy to strengthen our marketing in the 'exclusive use' luxury destination market.  In addition, we are trying to enhance our customer communications with news updates such as this one.  We are always interested in feedback so please do let us know what you think by emailing andrew@ltr.co.uk.

We are also proud to announce that LTR is the founder member of The Bespoke Travel Club.  Set up at the beginning of the year, The Bespoke Travel Club is a 'one stop portal' for all luxury travel.  A collection of small specialist travel companies, providing a very personal service and creating amazing travel experiences throughout the World.  Please do take time to visit the website www.thebespoketravelclub.com.

Over the years, LTR has has several mentions in the press.  As an example, we feature a reprint of an article published in September 2009 in Forbes Magazine, in which the editors showcased LTR as a provider of some of the best exclusive use properties available.

And… as we move into our second decade of business we are blowing our trumpet even louder with a few selected customer comments which we hope will entice you to get in touch with us in 2010 for what could be a truly, distinctly different kind of vacation.

Jonathan & Andrew

CLIENT COMMENTS

Well, you did it.  It was a fabulous trip.  The properties, the pace, the sights, the countryside, the people, food, trekking ...

Thank you so much.  We feel as though you gave us special attention and really appreciate it.  Your insights and guidance were highly focused and just perfect.  I, too, will miss our communications and you making us feel so unique.

August 2010

We had the most wonderful time at Corrour.  Bob, Betty and the staff were so attentive and caring it just made it perfect (such wonderful people, they made us feel so at home).  We all agreed it was the best holiday any of us had ever had.  The Lodge and the scenery were out of this world, as you can see I can't really find words to describe how much we all enjoyed it.  If I have my way we will be back!!

June 2010

I wanted to let you know that my family and I thoroughly enjoyed our long weekend at Hoscote at the end of May.  The house and grounds were beautiful and we couldn't have had a better time anywhere else.  Thank you very much for your work and please pass on our thanks and compliments to Maureen.  Everything was of an impeccable standard and we really were sorry to leave.

June 2010

We have travelled the world and have stayed in a variety of accommodations, but never have we experienced a better attention to detail and delivery of promises exactly as promised than we have experienced at the hands of your Company and you personally.
September 2009

The group have now left Myres Castle and returned to their various homes across the world having enjoyed perhaps the most luxurious experience of their lives. Once again thank you for all your efforts in helping us put together the trip which far and away exceeded all expectations. It was an enormous success and I suspect will be talked about for many years to come.
August 2009

I finally have a moment to send my thanks for organising the perfect birthday weekend for my husband. From the moment we arrived. to the time we left, everyone was truly entertained and content. Even the children were enchanted with the location and wildlife. Every activity was enjoyable and stress free. Ken, you truly are a professional. That you were able to suggest the perfect itinerary is amazing.
June 2009

The trip was fun, informative and easy. We wished we could have had an extra night at Skibo and also at Kinnaird but you certainly helped us make the most of the time we had available. We felt lucky and spoiled to have such a good travel agent.
May 2009

What a weekend! How can we begin to thank you for something that spectacular. As with yourselves, we’ve enjoyed many occasions over the years – a few disasters, mostly good, but just once in a while one happens that, as we put it, has a sprinkling of “stardust�? on it. This was certainly one of those! So many, many, thanks again…….�?
February 2009

No words describe how happy we were to stay at Kincardine. The Bradfords are the kindest, most fun & entertaining couple and made us all feel like members of the family.
February 2009

Everything was FANTASTIC at Callejon del Agua. Hernando’s input, the staff, the beauty of the house with aristocratic class, GREAT times ONE HUNDRED! I am too busy right now to write long emails but please tell Hernando how happy my guests and I were with EVERYTHING.
February 2009

LTR NEWS ITEMS FOR AUGUST 2010

MAGNIFICENT VICTORIAN MANSION SET AMONGST 16 ACRES OF GARDEN IN SNOWDONIA

This magnificent Mansion is a privately owned, luxurious Victorian Country House hotel near Bala in North Wales.  Set amongst 16 acres of gardens on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, this house is a delightful discovery for discerning visitors.  The house has been lovingly restored and Queen Victoria herself warmed to the welcome she received during her visit in 1889 and the present owners are proud to maintain the Hall's great tradition of hospitality.

The Hall offers 17 ensuite bedrooms, which along with the rest of the house, have been lovingly restored to the highest of standards.  There is also a private hydro electric power source which generates all the electricity needed by the house.  The public rooms are magnificent and comfortable, from the galleried entrance hall with its vaulted ceiling, to the Boudoir, with its handpainted dome and marbled bar.  Why not fill the whole house and have an exclusive house party of your own without any of the housekeeping responsibilities to go with it and enjoy the excellent cuisine and wines on offer?

Snowdonia and the rest of North Wales have many attractions and this is an excellent base for exploring them.  There are also several activities available to groups such as white water rafting, canoeing, sailing, abseiling, clay shooting, orienteering, quad trekking, horse riding, fishing and four wheel driving.

Jonathan Townsend-Rose

A BEAUTIFUL CHATEAU IN THE LOIRE VALLEY

This wonderful Chateau is home to the twentieth generation of the same family having lived here since the 15th Century. Hidden away on its impressive hundred acre estate and surrounded by the wooded hills of the Perche Region, 2 hours to the south and west of Paris you will find luxurious comfort with an abundance of fine food & wine and warm hospitality.

Sleeping 20 and boasting six reception rooms inside and four formal gardens outside any visitor will be accommodated in style.  Your hosts can organise fun packed days for you with wine tastings, golf, horse riding, fishing, driving sports cars, balloon rides, hunting with bows and arrows - whatever you wish!

Alternatively, you can relax in the sublime comfort of your surroundings and enjoy the fantastic French cuisine and wine in the way only the French can!

Andrew Loyd

FORBES MAGAZINE FEATURES LTR

"Rural Scotland is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled parts of Europe, and staying in a castle is the best way to experience it," states Andrew Loyd, director of Loyd & Townsend-Rose, a Scotland and Cotswolds based agency that scouts out the country's finest.

There can be a big difference in fantasy castles, as anyone who has booked an ancient keep with medieval bathrooms and rooms chillier than the outdoors can attest. LTR's properties are top-of-the-line, with 21st-century facilities and services. The company prides itself on matching the guests to the castle, and organising every aspect of their stay.

Loyd founded the company in 1999 with Jonathan Townsend-Rose after nine years in the United States managing estates for the Mellon family and various Wall Street magnates, a stint that gave him hands-on experience catering to the lifestyles that go with fine properties. The agency began by renting out the handsome but not exactly aristocratic houses of family friends. "When we started, the grander homes weren't interested in doing this," says Loyd. "As the company developed, people heard how lucrative it was and how nice the families renting were, so they started ringing us up. There are very few houses now not open to private rentals."

Among the gems in LTR's portfolio is 18th-century Birkhill Castle, a 12-bedroom estate an hour from Edinburgh owned by the Earl of Dundee, who is an avid pianist—which explains why the magnificent house has seven pianos. One of the largest properties is 15th-century Ackergill Tower, perched above the sea in Caithness, in Scotland's northeast corner. Ackergill provides not only 25 bedrooms but also its own opera house. The Tower of Lethendy, one of LTR's exclusives, is equipped with the best toys. Fifteenth-century Lethendy, an hour outside Edinburgh, has its own golf course, gym, pool, and tennis courts.

But the noble houses are just one aspect of LTR's services. The company emphasizes its ability to create the overall experience: finding the right guide for salmon fishing on the Tay, or getting a tee time at St. Andrews, or setting up spa treatments at Gleneagles. And they're old hands at fulfilling eccentric demands. "Sourcing Skippy peanut butter, making sure a chef can make excellent vegan meals, Fedexing over some nail polish from Paris," says Loyd. "It's anything our guests request."

LAURIE WERNER / ForbesLife - September 2009
Houses $15,000-$75,000 per week, including commission.

Loyd & Townsend-Rose, +44 1573 229797