Our story
Somerset, carefully hosted.
Aurea Living is a small, independent collection of boutique short-let residences across three Somerset towns — designed, styled and personally looked after by our own team. No franchises. No call centres. Just a quieter, more considered way to stay.
Founder & CEO
A quiet obsession with the details
Aurea Living began the way most good things do — with a frustration. After years of travelling for work and family across the UK, our founder kept arriving at short-lets that looked nothing like the photos: tired sofas, thin towels, a lockbox on a lamppost and no one to call when the boiler gave up at midnight.
She knew Somerset could offer something better. In 2022, with one small apartment in Weston-super-Mare, a borrowed steamer and a very particular eye for linen, Aurea was born — named after the Latin aurum, for gold, and the quiet warmth of a well-lit room at the end of a long journey.
Today the collection has grown to a handful of residences across Weston-super-Mare and Bridgwater — but the standard has not moved. Every property is styled in-house, photographed in-house, and cared for by the same trusted team that turned the key on day one.
“A stay should feel like an exhale. Everything else is our job.”
Vanessa Jewell — Founder & CEO
What we believe
Fewer properties. Better stays.
Most short-let companies grow by adding doors. We grow by adding standards. Every Home in the Aurea collection is chosen for character first — a Georgian ceiling, a garden wall, a view that earns its window — and only then made ready for guests.
We refuse anything that would embarrass us: plastic kettles, novelty prints, the kind of coffee that comes in a sachet. In their place: pressed linen, real cups, decent olive oil, and a hand-written guide to the town from someone who actually lives here.
Book direct and you are speaking to us — not a platform, not a franchisee, not an algorithm. It is a smaller way to run a business. We think it is a better one.
Every stay includes
What our guests can always expect
Hotel-grade linens
Crisp cotton bedding, plush towels, laundered locally and changed for every guest — no exceptions.
Considered interiors
Every room styled by our own team. Real art, real books, real furniture — not a stock photo in sight.
A real host
One phone number, one team, always answered. If something is not right, we are there — usually before you notice.
Local welcome
A hand-written guide to the best coffee, coastal walks and quiet corners nearby, written by people who live here.
Fair, direct pricing
Book straight through us and skip the third-party fees. The price you see is the price you pay.
Sparkling clean
Turnovers by the same trusted team every single time. Deep-cleaned between stays, inspected before every arrival.
Guest reviews
What our guests say about us
"Every detail felt considered — the linens, the light, the little welcome tray. We came for a weekend and rebooked before we left."
"Miles above any Airbnb we've stayed in on the coast. It reads like a small boutique hotel, priced like a rental."
"Warm, dark, quiet. The kind of place you actually want to spend the evening in, not just sleep in."
Come and stay
A small collection. A warm welcome.
Whether you are visiting Somerset for a weekend by the sea, a wedding in the hills, or a longer stay while you find your feet — we would be glad to host you.