Member Article

Turnover boost is a perfect 25th birthday present for Solmar Villas

A commitment to hand-picking villas and increasing its distribution network has helped an East Midlands travel specialist secure a record-breaking year.

Solmar Villas is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2019 and has marked that milestone moment by increasing turnover by 28% to just over £25m this year, creating 16 new jobs in the process.

The company has seen demand for its premier range soar thanks to the quality and variety of accommodation and its ‘USP’ that the majority of properties are in walking distance of beaches, restaurants and bars.

This success has been assisted by the ongoing partnership with Jet 2 and new resorts, including Croatia, Rhodes and Zakynthos, being added to its portfolio in 2018 and a further three locations set to come online in 2020.

“It has been an interesting 25 years. The company has seen consistent and sensible growth over the years, with turnover increasing from just £4m to over £25m in the last ten years,” explained Julie Blake, Managing Director of Solmar Villas.

“Our approach is all about quality and customer service, hand-picking every villa in our portfolio so that we know the property and the location is perfect for great holidays. This is something we want to continue as we embark on the next stage of our growth.”

Now employing 55 people, Solmar Villas currently offer over 580 exclusive properties across the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Mainland Spain, Malta, Portugal and Turkey.

Every villa boasts its own private pool and high quality accommodation, with the majority within walking distance of the beach, bars and restaurants.

The company is now planning to increase sales further over the next 12 months, with Istria, Tenerife and Madeira set to be included on its list of destinations in 2020.

Julie added: “Brexit hasn’t really had too much of an effect on our business so far, in fact we’ve actually seen a significant increase in short breaks and 10-night stays. Our clients are taking more holidays now than ever before, with significant growth in group family holidays, when grandparents decide to take their children and grandchildren away together.

“Villas are ideal for this as it gives families a cost-effective way of enjoying a spacious, high quality holiday that isn’t going to break the bank.”

2019 will see Solmar Villas continue to expand its growing distribution network, alongside investment in its own reservation system that is geared towards API technologies.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .