Wed, 28 May 2025 | BUSINESS SALE
Holiday letting specialist Classic Cottages has added a further 55 properties in the South West of England to its portfolio with its latest acquisition. The company has announced the acquisition of holiday cottage letting agency Ocean Cottages for an undisclosed sum.
Ocean Cottages was founded in 2009 and is a well-established local holiday letting agency focusing on the North Devon coast, with properties across locations including Croyde, Woolacombe and Saunton.
The acquisition takes the total number of UK properties that Classic Cottages manage to more than 1,400. The deal follows the company’s recent acquisitions of Norfolk Holiday Homes in July 2024 and Yorkshire Dales operator Cat Hole Cottages towards the end of last year.
The acquisition also builds on the wider growth strategy of the firm’s parent company Sapphire Holidays, which acquired Grandeur Property Management in Dorset earlier this year.
The Hayle-headquartered group, which also owns the Aspects Holidays, Boutique Retreats and Unique Hideaways brands, now manages more than 2,700 properties across the UK and generates over £60 million in holiday bookings per year – making it the UK’s largest family-run holiday agency.
Following the acquisition, Classic Cottages Commercial Director Dan Harrison said: "This acquisition strengthens our presence in the South West and adds another outstanding local agency to the Classic family. Like us, Ocean Cottages places great emphasis on providing high levels of service to both guests and owners, and we’re delighted to welcome them to our portfolio."
The deal continues a trend for consolidation that has been notable since the “staycation” boom during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Numerous groups, including Classic Cottages and Sykes Holiday Cottages, have used M&A to significantly bolster their UK-wide holiday cottage rental portfolios over recent years.
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