The return of a holiday icon: James Villas makes a comeback to the UK market

Holiday brand James Villas relaunches in the UK on Monday 15th December 2025

The revamped brand sees a renewed focus on a modern, seamless booking experience, enhanced customer service and improved owner support

The relaunch will be supported by a £2m multi-channel marketing campaign breaking on Boxing Day on Friday 26th December 2025, ahead of the peak holiday booking season

LONDON – 15^th December 2025 – Awaze, Europe’s leading vacation rental group, today announced the relaunch of the much-loved holiday brand, James Villas, to the UK.

With a renewed focus on quality-checked, premium villa accommodation, a seamless booking experience as well as enhanced guest and owner support, the James Villas brand will specialise in villa only accommodation. Holidaymakers can choose from 5,500 hand-picked properties – from family escapes to luxury signature villas – in core Mediterranean destinations including Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece.

Every James Villas property is handpicked and carefully vetted in person by a James Villas property expert to ensure a consistent and premium quality experience for holidaymakers.

With 80% of James Villas properties featuring private pools, the new portfolio of villas has been curated to appeal to a family audience who value the autonomy and flexibility private villas offer, as well a focus on multigenerational holidays. Nearly 70% of UK families having either been on or are planning a multigenerational holiday according to ABTA*.

As part of its commitment to customer service, James Villas will offer a hassle-free booking experience with multiple payment options, a dedicated 24/7 customer support team, including a dedicated customer phone line and virtual chat.

Founded in 1984 in Maidstone, Kent by James and Wendy Needham, James Villas Holidays, as it was known then, grew to become one of the UK’s most trusted specialist villas providers and was subsequently acquired by Awaze (formerly Platinum Equity) in 2018. Following a period of closure since October 2023, the brand has now been revitalised to meet the surging demand from UK holidaymakers for a specialist, trusted villa brand, building on its 40 years legacy.  

Matthew Price, Awaze’s chief executive commented: “This is a comeback built on 40 years of expertise in creating holidays for families, underpinned by one of the largest vacation rental groups in Europe. Every element of the new James Villas brand – from the hand-picking of properties to our dedicated customer support is focused on delivering quality-assured accommodation and hassle-free booking, helping customers create holiday memories to remember.”

The brand relaunch will be supported by a major multi-channel marketing campaign to drive awareness and demand during the crucial post-Christmas holiday booking period. The campaign – featuring the new strapline “There’s a villa with your name on it at James Villas” to highlight the breadth of choice available – will break on Boxing Day on Friday 26^th December with high-profile TV spots across ITV, Sky and C4. The campaign will run across linear TV, Video-On-Demand (VOD), representing an estimated £2 Million investment in media spend.

* ABTA 2023 Holiday Habits report