Leading European travel brand - @Leisure-Group - acquires pureholidayhomes.com Ltd

Jan. 10, 2012 - PRLog -- Dutch based @Leisure-Group has recently completed the acquisition of pureholidayhomes.com, one of the UK’s largest second home rental websites, for an undisclosed sum.

For the @Leisure-Group, the purchase of pureholidayhomes.com represents a further strengthening of their position as one of Europe’s largest online accommodation brands, which currently includes in excess of 300,000 holiday homes, holiday parks and hotels through their Belvilla, Ardennes Relais, Euro Relais and Casamundo companies and a 2011 turnover of almost €200 million.

pureholidayhomes.com launched in January 2010 in an effort to provide a new and exciting feel to the UK’s holiday home rental sector. With over 26,500 properties listed in under two years, pureholidayhomes.com is one of the fastest growing companies in the sector and has been nominated for numerous awards and frequently been featured on national television and radio due to its innovative marketing and development initiatives.

For @Leisure the acquisition is a logical step. Chairman Maarten Esser: “By completing the acquisition of pureholidayhomes.com we accelerate the realisation of our international growth ambitions. We want to be present in all the major European markets, so also in the UK. Via this acquisition we will be able to give both UK property owners and UK holidaymakers access to our European wide platforms. ”

Sean Collins, CEO of pureholidayhomes.com, comments: “This is a hugely exciting time for pureholidayhomes.com. From the start we have had an aggressive growth plan for our brand and the partnership we have now forged with @Leisure-Group enables us to continue to offer our registered owners and website visitors a first class experience whilst also continuing to expand and revolutionise our sector. Our inclusion into the @Leisure-Group will give us the resources and necessary investment to ensure pureholidayhomes.com remains at the forefront of the ever progressing holiday rental market in the UK and across Europe.”

The purchase of pureholidayhomes.com comes at a time when the holiday rental market in the UK continues to grow into the dominant force in the travel sector as a whole. PhoCusWright reported that in 2009 the second home rental market was worth $25 billion in Europe* alone.

About the @Leisure-Group

The @Leisure-Group is one of the largest providers of accommodation rentals throughout Europe. @Leisure is the market leader in both the Benelux and the German online travel markets. @Leisure offers an excess of 300,000 holiday properties in more than 30 countries. More than 1.3 million holidaymakers from over 50 different countries book their holiday every year with @Leisure.

The @Leisure-Group engages in a variety of online activities that include acting as a 'tour operator', reseller (aggregator) and online marketplace (enabler). The @Leisure-Group serves as a tour operator in the holiday home rental sector through a variety of consumer brands, such as Belvilla and Ardennes Relais. The holding company manages the rental of around 20,000 holiday homes in 20 European countries. As an aggregator, the @Leisure-Group offers an even wider selection of accommodations to several tour operators under the Euro Relais and Casamundo brands. It also operates advertising models as an enabler.

Approximately 200 employees work at the @Leisure-Group offices in Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Eindhoven (the Netherlands), Hamburg (Germany), Cologne (Germany), Kitzbühel (Austria), Javea (Spain), Ibiza (Spain) and Saint Clément de Rivière (France).
http://en.leisure-group.eu/

About pureholidayhomes.com

pureholidayhomes.com is a holiday rental portal offering unique self-catering properties within the UK and abroad for holidaymakers seeking great value, flexibility and a large variety of holiday options.  pureholidayhomes.com currently has a catalogue of over 26,500 properties in more than 85 countries across the globe.  The website offers user-friendly, effective and quick ways to book and search for the ideal holiday home.  There are no hidden costs or fees as holidaymakers deal direct with the property owners.  
http://www.pureholidayhomes.com

* Source: PhoCus Wright “Vacation Rental Marketplace” 2009.

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For further press information please contact Matthew Fox on Tel: 01753 728 712 or Email:  mfox@pureholidayhomes.com

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Http://www.pureholidayhomes.com is a new holiday rental portal offering self-catering properties at home and abroad for holidaymakers seeking better value, more flexibility and greater choice.