The @Leisure Group, one of the largest players in the European market for holiday accommodation rentals, has taken a new step towards further developing the three most important brands in the group – Belvilla, Euro Relais and Jules Villas – within Europe. Starting 4 November, all Belvilla activities will be managed from the Eindhoven office and Euro Relais and Jules Villas activities from Heerhugowaard.

As for brand positioning, Euro Relais will be allocated a significantly larger and broader portfolio of holiday accommodations from various providers. Belvilla will be explicitly positioned as the leading online holiday home specialist, offering unique accommodations throughout Europe, where there is always something to do and experience and at very affordable prices. Jules Villas operates as a specialist in the distinct niche market of luxurious to extremely luxurious holiday accommodations, with additional services offered locally and customised if desired.

Euro Relais will gradually become more recognisable to consumers as a ‘holiday home emporium’. “We will be offering a large and interesting portfolio of European holiday accommodations,” says Bert Wiggers, Director of Euro Relais. “We will be making the market transparent by offering a broader and well-organised overview of accommodations.”

Hedwig Wassing, Director of Belvilla, also comments on the intensified brand strategy: “From the moment the @Leisure Group bought the Belvilla brand in 2007, the German, French and Spanish markets have been served from Noord-Brabant, while the Dutch, Belgian, Italian, British and Polish markets were dealt with from Heerhugowaard. By relocating all Belvilla activities to the Eindhoven office, we can create better brand consistency and serve our market more efficiently from the sales side."

About the @Leisure Group

The @Leisure Group is one of the biggest players in the European market for accommodation rentals, including holiday homes, holiday parks and hotels. 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 its consumer brands Belvilla, Ardennes Relais, Jules Villas and CityTrips-europe. 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. A staff of around 160 individuals works in the offices in Heerhugowaard, Eindhoven, Hamburg, Cologne, Kitzbühel and Ibiza. In 2009, 700,000 holidaymakers of more than 50 different nationalities booked their holiday with one of these brands. A booking turnover of more than €105 million was achieved that year.

Note to editors (not for publication):

For more information and/or high resolution images, please contact:

Public Relations, Ellen Oude Grotebevelsborg, by phone at +31 (0)40-216 36 12 or e-mail to Ellen.OudeGrotebevelsborg@leisure-group.eu.

Belgium: Glenaki, Kristien Basting or Birgit Defoort by phone at +31 (0)50-614200 or by e-mail to birgit@glenaki.com or kristien@glenaki.com.