Brooke Sevenau and her husband, Matt, were among the many
confused rental owners who listed their properties with the
vacation rental management company Go-Sonoma, that was seized by
the county for nonpayment of taxes in November. But out of anxiety
came opportunity, as the other property owners, many of whom don’t
live in Sonoma fulltime, turned to the local couple to launch a new
vacation rental business.
“They asked us if we would be willing to help out since we were the
ones here in the Valley, they found out what we do and it was a
good match,” Brooke Sevenau said, adding that she is a publicist
and her husband is a Realtor with Alain Pinel.
Brooke Sevenau is now busy building Sonoma Escapes, offering more
than a dozen properties ranging from the one-bedroom bungalows to
Wine Country estates, and including a completely eco-friendly home
down to the denim insulation.
She is working with 17 of the more than two-dozen property owners
who had listed their homes with Go-Sonoma. Sonoma Escapes is trying
to pick up the pieces left in the collapse of Go-Sonoma, adding
that the property owners have been very understanding, making the
transition much easier.
“The owners have been really incredible about honoring the
reservations, even if the deposits have been lost,” Brooke Sevenau
said. “They really want people to have a good experience. They care
a lot about this Valley and want people’s visits here to reflect
that.”
Sevenau said she’s using her skills in public relations, along with
her background of studying interior design at UC Berkeley, to make
the business a success. “Matt and I really enjoy remodeling
houses,” she said. “It’s actually been a real treat to see how
these houses are put together.”
Brooke Sevenau plans to follow the Vacation Rental Managers
Association’s code of ethics while moving forward with the new
business. While she is managing the transition, including launching
the website SonomaValleyEscapes.com this week, and overseeing the
general business operations, she plans to eventually hire someone
to manage the day-to-day operation of Sonoma Escapes so she can
focus on her primary business, Studio Seven PR.
“I will always have my touch on the business, my attention to
detail. I want the guests to leave and feel that every little touch
has been considered,” she said. “I want to make sure they have a
good experience from the moment they pick up the phone.”
In that vein, Sevenau plans to develop concierge services at Sonoma
Escapes to help visitors navigate the myriad things to do, places
to go and choices of dining and winery locations.
“We can tell you where to find the best tortillas, where to find
the best cheese, where to find the best massage,” she said. “Matt
and I are both Sonoma locals, we’ve lived here for most of our
lives, we really know what this Valley has to offer.”
The couple met in the fourth-grade at El Verano Elementary School
and were classmates until ninth-grade, when Brooke attended
Ursuline High School.
Years later, they bumped into each other outside of Scandia Bakery
in Sonoma and decided to meet for a drink. What began as a chance
to catch up quickly blossomed into a loving marriage, and the
couple now has a 7-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.
Following a career in journalism and event planning, Sevenau
launched her Studio Seven PR business in 2008 and has been steadily
gaining clients in San Francisco, Berkeley and Sonoma, including
the Sonoma International Film Festival.
“I am particularly thrilled to be working with the film festival, I
am grateful to (Film Festival chair) Kevin McNeely for offering me
this opportunity,” she said.
Sonoma Escapes website, SonomaValleyEscapes.com, should be running
within a week but the vacation rental business is taking
reservations at 933-0399.
More about Go-sonoma
- ARTICLE: County seizes Glenelly Inn
- ARTICLE: Glenelly Inn Cottages foreclosed