Sykes Holiday Cottages, based in Chester, has acquired regional firm Northumbria Coast & Country Cottages across the UK.
Sykes Holiday Cottages has gained 500 properties through the deal, showing that the company now offers 20,500-holiday cottages in the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand.
Alnmouth-based Northumbria Coast & Country Cottages will operate as Sykes’ sister agency. As usual, the business will continue to work by its local team, from its three offices in Alnmouth and Seahouses.
Nikki Brierley set up Northumbria Coast & Country Cottages in 1981. The company now employs 17 people in the region and manages 500 cottages in Northumberland and Scotland’s Borders.
The deal follows Sykes’ recent acquisitions of regional businesses, such as Best of Suffolk, Abersoch Quality Homes, and Pure Cottages Group.
Sykes Holiday Cottages CEO Graham Donoghue said: “Despite our national status, our primary focus is on to provide a local service, and partnering with businesses like Northumbria Coast & Country Cottages allows us to do so.
“We have a team on the ground with extensive experience in the region, so we are excited to promote the holidays available in this beautiful part of the country.
The deal will ensure the long-term success of the company and every holiday home it lists in the future.”
Nikki Brierley commented: “Over the past 40 years, we’ve built a glorious business, but this deal now marks a new era for the company and will ensure its continued success.
“We will continue to offer excellent customer service from our local offices, backed by Sykes’ multi-million-pound marketing budget and award-winning expertise – ‘the best of the world’.
Its values align with our own, and its track record speaks for itself, so I know our holiday homeowners are in able hands.”
Womble Bond Dickinson and Greaves West & provided advisory services to Ayre for Northumbria Coast & Country Cottages. Hill Dickinson LLP and Springboard Corporate Finance advised Sykes Holiday Cottages. With 30 years of experience, Sykes is one of the leading travel brands in the UK. It has won the British Travel Award for Best Large Holiday Cottage Booking Company eight times straight.
