Solmar Villas finds its new home with Der Touristik

Transaction Overview

• Sector: Retail
• Business Type: Provider of villa holiday packages and travel services
• Deal Type: Trade Sale
• Buyer Type: Overseas Trade Buyer
• Location: Burton-upon-Trent, UK

Solmar Villas has been acquired by Kuoni parent Der Touristik UK, a buyer introduced by Andrew Dodd, KBS Corporate Director.

A family-run business based in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, and founded almost 30 years ago by John and Maria Tayler, Solmar Villas joins Der Touristik UK’s expanding range of specialist brands which includes Carrier, CV Villas, Kirker, Jules Verne and Journey Latin America in addition to Kuoni.

With a portfolio of over 2,000 holiday villas across more than 30 destinations in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, France, Turkey, Italy, Croatia and the US, Solmar’s offering has a broad price range which will be sold through Kuoni’s 27 UK stores, while the company will continue to work with independent travel agencies nationwide.

Julie Blake, daughter of John and Maria Tayler, will stay as managing director and report to Francis Torrilla, UK chief executive at Der Touristik.

The business, which has partnerships with Jet2 Holidays, British Airways and Hays Travel, is remaining at its Burton-upon-Trent headquarters and staff have been told there are plans to grow the company and increase the 97-strong workforce.

“The success of Solmar Villas has been driven by a team with a united aim of providing high-quality villas combined with excellent customer service,” said Julie Blake.

“Our strength is the relationships we have with our villa owners, suppliers, employees and clients and this will continue to be the driving motivation behind us.

“I’m very proud of the business my family started and I’m equally thrilled to work with Francis and the wider team at Der Touristik to drive awareness and growth of this amazing brand. We have ambitious plans and with the support of the group, I’m excited to be part of Solmar’s next steps.” Der Touristik said it aimed to turn Solmar Villas into the leader in the villa market and described the acquisition as “a good fit” for its business, sitting well alongside its existing upmarket villa specialist CV Villas, which is particularly strong in the Greek holiday sector.

Francis Torrilla said: “Solmar Villas has seen phenomenal success with a real drive for growth and quality. The acquisition enhances and complements our existing portfolio of independently managed businesses, enabling us to drive substantial growth in the villa market.

“It also means we have a broader range of price points across our specialist brands so we are relevant to more customers whilst always focusing on value and quality.

“We can bring investment opportunities to continue to grow Solmar Villas into the market-leading villa provider and further develop its range and distribution.

“We have a positive message to share with our staff, suppliers, travel agents and customers in that we will protect the business ethos and values which have made it so successful and invest in Solmar with the ambition to grow it into the largest villa operator out of the UK.

“I look forward to working with Julie as we expand the business and grow our offering in both the UK and overseas.”

KBS Corporate’s Andrew Dodd added: “I’d like to wish both parties all the very best and lots of success in the future.”

The Travel & Holiday Sector

This acquisition reflects growing consolidation within the retail and travel services sector, as larger travel groups expand their portfolios with established specialist brands. Businesses with strong supplier relationships and differentiated holiday offerings remain attractive to buyers seeking to broaden their product range and reach new customer segments.

With demand for well-established, brand-led businesses continuing to build, now could be the perfect time for business owners to explore their options, including selling a company.

You can also explore similar retail transactions, such as the Superbike Factory acquisition, to see how activity is evolving across the sector.