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Pines & Palms · Part of SOVELYO

THE STORY BEHIND PINES & PALMS

The story behind Pines & Palms: Many experiences. One shared direction.

I am Rico Brand. Pines & Palms did not begin on a drawing board. It grew from everyday work with holiday stays, guests, organisation and the wish to care for distinctive places in a personal and dependable way.

Pines & Palms is one of several projects. Each solves a different problem. What connects them is the aim to create practical solutions people can genuinely use – and to build something lasting from individual experiences, one step at a time.

Why Pines & Palms was created

A good stay begins long before arrival. Guests need clear information, honest answers and the confidence that someone truly knows the property. Hosts need to bring availability, cleaning, communication and countless small details together reliably.

Pines & Palms was created to personally host a carefully chosen collection of holiday stays in Cyprus and Germany and present them with calm, transparency and care – without the anonymity of a generic booking catalogue.

Behind every enquiry are people, expectations and a trip to look forward to. That is why direct contact, attention to detail and genuine hospitality remain at the heart of the project.

My path began in hospitality

My working life began in hospitality, service and organisation. Over many years, I learned how important clear processes, good communication and practical solutions are when people should feel welcome and well looked after.

Later came holiday properties, guest communication, cleaning coordination, schedules and daily responsibility. Pines & Palms grew from this direct work, alongside the realisation that good digital tools can make many recurring tasks simpler.

That is why I started teaching myself software development step by step. Not because technology felt natural at first, but because I wanted to do more than describe my ideas – I wanted to build them myself.

  1. Hospitality & service

    Years of direct contact with guests and teams shaped my understanding of what truly needs to work every day.

  2. Stays & organisation

    Holiday properties brought planning, guest communication, cleaning, schedules and daily responsibility together.

  3. Hosting with care

    Countless small details shaped the aim to look after places personally, honestly and reliably.

  4. My own projects

    Practical problems gradually led to Pines & Palms, CleanLedger, SmartPOS, Yelva and other digital tools.

  5. SOVELYO & the future

    Through SOVELYO, the different projects are growing into one shared long-term vision.

Many projects. One shared mindset.

Pines & Palms brings in hands-on experience with holiday stays. CleanLedger grew from cleaning and organisation. SmartPOS builds on my background in hospitality and service. Yelva focuses on animals.

These projects are not the same, and they are not meant to be. Each keeps its own name, audience and purpose.

SOVELYO is the connection behind them: look closely, think practically, learn from experience and create solutions that are useful today and can open new possibilities tomorrow.

My personal vision

My goal is to develop these projects until they can stand on their own and be maintained for the long term. At the same time, I want to work more independently of one fixed location and continue developing ideas from different places.

Part of that future is the idea of one day travelling on a sailing boat. Not as an end to my work, but as a mobile base from which I can keep building, discover new places and experience new stories.

The boat represents freedom, movement and continuity. At the same time, SOVELYO should gradually create room for further projects involving animals, nature and communities.

Apps & projects by Rico Brand

Different tasks and audiences, connected by the same practical view of things that should be simpler, clearer and more human.

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Pines & Palms Retreats

Personally hosted holiday stays in Germany and Cyprus, with clear communication and attention to practical details.

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SOVELYO

The shared story behind the projects and Rico Brand's long-term vision.

Discover SOVELYORico's story
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Yelva

Discover and organise pet care, training, exercise spaces and pet-friendly stays more clearly.

WebsiteApp StoreGoogle Play
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CleanLedger

Organise tasks, properties, checklists, photo records and teamwork for holiday accommodation.

WebsiteApp Store
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SmartPOS

Connect tills, orders, tables, kitchens and daily workflows for hospitality and service businesses.

WebsiteApp StoreGoogle Play

Pines & Palms is a home for a while – and part of something bigger.

Pines & Palms is designed to offer guests a calm, well-prepared and personally supported stay today. At the same time, the project is part of a larger journey that began with real experience and is far from finished.

Thank you for discovering, enquiring about or recommending our stays. Every genuine piece of feedback and every visit helps Pines & Palms continue to grow.

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PINES & PALMS IS PART OF SOVELYO

Distinctive places. An idea that goes further.

Pines & Palms grew from hands-on work with holiday stays, guests and all the details that make a visit feel genuinely comfortable. The project was founded by Rico Brand. Through SOVELYO, he connects Pines & Palms with other apps, digital tools and real-world projects – each with its own purpose, but all guided by the same mindset: look closely and create solutions that help in everyday life.

By staying with us or sending a direct enquiry, you support Pines & Palms and the foundation on which the SOVELYO vision can continue to grow.

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  • Project logo for Pines & Palms RetreatsPines & Palms Retreats
  • Project logo for SOVELYOSOVELYO
  • Project logo for YelvaYelva
  • Project logo for CleanLedgerCleanLedger
  • Project logo for SmartPOSSmartPOS

Pines & Palms Retreats

Boutique holiday stays in Cyprus and Germany, personally hosted with calm, care and clear communication.

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