Holiday accommodation rental operator Awaze has expanded its UK property range with the purchase of Quality Cottages and sister brand Quality Unearthed for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition of what was the UK’s fourth largest independent cottage holiday provider adds an extra 671 units to the self-catering specialist’s growing UK inventory.
Most of the Quality Cottages properties are situated within five miles of the Welsh coast.
All the newly-added accommodation will be marketed to domestic and international audiences through Awaze’s key brands – Hoseasons, cottages.com and Novasol.
Quality Cottages was founded and run by Leonard and Margaret Rees. The pair started by converting farm buildings into holiday cottages before expanding the business across Wales as an agency for other holiday home owners.
Quality Unearthed specialises in UK glamping accommodation, such as tree houses, eco pods, wagons and yurts, and was founded by the couple’s son Tim in 2011 – 50 years on from the beginnings of their own business in 1961.
The acquisitions follow the recent purchase of three other holiday companies based in the UK and Denmark – Sussex, Hampshire and the South Downs specialist Amberley House, Cornwall-based Portscatho Holidays and Danish operator Bornholmtours.
The company also created a new tech hub in Manchester late last year with the recruitment of new digital teams.
Awaze chief executive Henrik Kjellberg said: “We’re always excited to add regional businesses like this to the Awaze portfolio and look forward to building on the strong relationships they already have with the local communities they support.
“In Quality Cottages we now have a significantly greater presence along the ever-popular Welsh coast, while the acquisition of Quality Unearthed means we can continue to surprise and delight those among our three million customers a year who are looking for something a little different from their staycation.”
Tim Rees added: “My family and I deliberated long and hard about selling our businesses, but we are very pleased to have been bought by Awaze.
“They impressed us with their professional and personal touch and clearly appreciated the value of the local knowledge we have developed over the last 60 years. They also have the expertise and scale to deliver even better results for our owners, staff and guests well into the future, and we wish them every success.”
Kjellberg added: “2021 has seen unprecedented demand for managed vacation rentals right across Europe and we continue to look for further opportunities to grow our business and brands.”