Design Holidays

What Design Holidays does

Design Holidays is a UK-based luxury travel booking agency, founded in 1994 and operated from Bolney, West Sussex under the legal entity La Manga By Design Ltd. The company acts as an accommodation-only booking intermediary for high-end family holidays, curating a portfolio of luxury resorts, five-star hotels, and private villas across at least eight countries in Europe and the Middle East (Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Cyprus, Morocco, Oman), with preferred-partner status at roughly fourteen resort brands including Borgo Egnazia, Ritz Carlton Abama, La Manga Club, Forte Village, Martinhal, Sani, and Ikos.

The commercial model is built on agent commissions from accommodation bookings, supplemented by a £25 Surcharge Fidelity Protection fee per booking and affiliate referral income from a Columbus Insurance partnership. Pricing is quote-based rather than fixed-rate, with typical 20% non-refundable deposits, final payment due 10 weeks before departure, and a low-deposit option of £100 per person on certain destinations. The underlying technology is a modest online booking platform with quote-request forms, enquiry pages, and an enquiry-driven website; there is no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed AI capabilities. Distribution is consultative and sales-led, combining a UK-facing website, a phone-based sales team (+44 (0) 1444 87 2200), and content/social channels (blog, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, email newsletter) targeting UK luxury family and lifestyle consumers.

Customer segmentation is hybrid: the primary segment is luxury family travelers, with secondary segments for luxury lifestyle travelers (golf, spa, tennis) and premium couples. The company does not own or operate any of the accommodations it sells, and instead relies on preferred-partner relationships to deliver preferential pricing, room upgrades, and priority access. Operationally the firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no subsidiaries, and no M&A or leadership change activity recorded.

Name

Design Holidays

Legal name

La Manga By Design Ltd

Website

https://designholidays.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Design Holidays is a UK-based luxury travel booking agency founded in 1994, acting as an accommodation-only intermediary for luxury family holidays, villa rentals, and resort bookings across Europe and the Middle East via preferred-partner relationships with leading five-star resorts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

akta.pro primary industry

Honeymoon & Romance Travel Agencies (THAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Luxury travel booking
• Hospitality booking agency
• Villa rentals
• Resort accommodations
• Family holidays

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolney

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accommodation Booking Commissions: Design Holidays acts as a booking agency for luxury resorts and villas, earning commissions on bookings made through their platform. They offer accommodation-only bookings across their portfolio of partner resorts in Europe and the Middle East.
2. Surcharge Fidelity Protection (SFP) Scheme: A compulsory charge of £25 per booking that protects customers against price increases after confirmation. This is a service fee that provides price protection for customers.
3. Travel Insurance Referral: Design Holidays refers customers to Columbus Insurance for holiday insurance coverage, earning referral fees or commissions from this partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Design Holidays is a luxury accommodation-only booking agency that sells resort, hotel, and villa stays at premium properties across Europe and the Middle East. Acting as a preferred partner for major luxury brands, the company provides expert sales consultations, negotiates enhanced rates and room upgrades, and facilitates booking through an online quote-request platform and a telephone sales team. Supplementing its core offering are specialty golf, tennis, and spa holiday packages, plus a Surcharge Fidelity Protection scheme that protects customer prices against post-booking increases.

Product overview

Design Holidays is a specialist accommodation-only luxury travel booking agency founded in 1994, offering a portfolio of luxury family holidays across Europe and the Middle East. The core offering consists of luxury resorts, luxury hotels, and luxury villa holidays as the main product categories, supplemented by specialty packages including golf holidays, tennis holidays, and spa holidays. The company serves as a preferred partner for numerous five-star resorts including La Manga Club, Borgo Egnazia, Pine Cliffs, Forte Village Sardinia, Martinhal Beach Resort, Aphrodite Hills, Sani Beach Resort, and Ikos all-inclusive properties. Their villa holiday program offers private villas with pools at partner resorts with pricing from £399 to £121,000 per week. The company operates exclusively as a booking agency and does not own or operate the accommodations directly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Luxury Holidays Core travel booking service offering hand-picked luxury family holidays at premium resorts, hotels, and villa accommodations across Europe and the Middle East, targeted at UK families seeking premium holiday experiences.
• Luxury Resorts Curated portfolio of luxury resort accommodations including Ikos, Roca Nivaria, Aphrodite Hills, Borgo Egnazia, Chia Laguna, Domes of Elounda, Forte Village, Martinhal, Pine Cliffs, Ritz Carlton Abama, Sani, Sun Gardens, Verdura, and Westin Costa Navarino, for travelers seeking premium resort experiences.
• Luxury Hotels Five-star luxury hotel accommodations including Royal Hideaway Corales, Nobu Hotel Marrakech, 7 Pines Resort Sardinia, Dona Filipa Hotel, Hotel Quinta do Lago, Belmond La Residencia Mallorca, Jumeirah Port Soller, and Royal Hideaway Formentor, for travelers seeking premium hotel stays.
• Luxury Villa Holidays Villa rental program offering private villas with pools at partner resorts including La Manga Club, Marbella, Martinhal Quinta, Aphrodite Hills, Borgo Egnazia, Quinta do Lago, Four Seasons Fairways, Pine Cliffs, Domes of Elounda, St Nicolas Bay, and Forte Village, with prices ranging from £399 to £121,000 per week.
• Golf Holidays Golf holiday packages offering access to premium golf courses at partner resorts including Dona Filipa San Lorenzo Golf, La Manga Club, and Abama Golf Club, with packages starting from £216 per person for golf enthusiasts.
• Tennis Holidays Tennis-focused holiday packages at luxury resorts with floodlit courts and professional instruction for tennis enthusiasts.
• Luxury Spa Holidays Spa-focused luxury holidays at resorts featuring wellness facilities, thalassotherapy, and premium spa treatments for travelers seeking wellness retreats.
• All Inclusive Luxury Resorts Ikos all-inclusive luxury resort packages including Ikos Odisia Corfu, Ikos Dassia, Ikos Oceania, Ikos Olivia, and Ikos Aria offering all-inclusive dining, drinks, and activities for travelers seeking premium all-inclusive experiences.
• Algarve Villa Holidays Villa rentals in the Algarve region including properties at Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, Martinhal, Pine Cliffs, and Four Seasons Fairways for travelers seeking luxury villa stays in Portugal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Better prices than direct booking through bulk buying power
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Borgo EgnaziacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays is a preferred partner for Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia, Italy. This relationship provides Design Holidays clients with preferential pricing, room upgrades, and priority access to this luxury resort.
• Abama Resort (Ritz Carlton Abama)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays maintains preferred partner status with Abama Resort in Tenerife, offering exclusive rates and potential room upgrades for clients booking this luxury property.
• Bahia del DuquecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred partner relationship with Bahia del Duque resort in Tenerife, providing Design Holidays clients with competitive pricing and exclusive benefits.
• La Manga ClubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays is a preferred partner for La Manga Club resort in Murcia, Spain, offering clients preferential rates and exclusive offers at this major sports and leisure resort.
• Chia LagunacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred partner status with Chia Laguna resort in Sardinia, Italy, providing Design Holidays clients with preferential pricing and priority booking access.
• Forte Village SardiniacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays maintains preferred partner status with Forte Village Sardinia, one of the world's leading resorts, offering exclusive rates and upgrades for clients.
• MartinhalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred partner relationship with Martinhal Beach Resort and Martinhal Quinta properties in Algarve, Portugal, offering clients exclusive pricing and early booking discounts.
• Monte da QuintacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays has preferred partner status with Monte da Quinta resort in Quinta do Lago, Algarve, providing exclusive deals and complimentary services for clients.
• Aphrodite HillscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred partner status with Aphrodite Hills resort in Cyprus, offering Design Holidays clients preferential rates and exclusive offers at this luxury family resort.
• Four Seasons Resorts & Sheraton Pine CliffscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays maintains preferred partner relationships with Four Seasons Fairways, Four Seasons Country Club, and Sheraton Pine Cliffs Resort in Algarve, Portugal.
• Columbus InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign Holidays partners with Columbus Insurance as their insurance partner for holiday insurance. Customers can purchase insurance through the Columbus Direct link on the Design Holidays website.
• Ikos ResortscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays features Ikos all-inclusive luxury resorts including Ikos Odisia (Corfu), Ikos Dassia (Corfu), Ikos Oceania (Corfu), and Ikos Olivia (Halkidiki), offering exclusive deals and packages.
• Sani ResortcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays is a preferred partner for Sani Beach Resort in Halkidiki, Greece, offering clients preferential rates and exclusive offers at this luxury family resort.
• Domes of EloundacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred partner status with Domes of Elounda resort in Crete, Greece, providing Design Holidays clients with exclusive pricing at this luxury beachfront property.
• Belmond La ResidenciacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign Holidays offers best possible rental rates and complimentary upgrades at Belmond La Residencia Hotel in Mallorca, with exclusive boat tour offers for guests.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kenwood Travel: UK luxury travel agency with a strong focus on luxury family holidays and premium resort bookings in southern Europe. Comparable on customer segment, destination mix (Spain, Portugal, Greece), and consultative sales approach.
• Carrier: UK luxury tour operator founded in 1987, offering tailor-made luxury holidays, honeymoons, and family travel worldwide. Directly comparable as a long-tenured UK specialist agency with bespoke service and premium pricing.
• Elegant Resorts: UK-based luxury tour operator and travel agency offering high-end holidays, villas, and honeymoons with a similar consultative sales-led model and preferred partner relationships with luxury resorts. Direct overlap in Mediterranean and Indian Ocean villa/resort bookings.
• Scott Dunn: UK luxury tour operator specializing in tailor-made family holidays and beach/villa resort bookings across Europe and beyond. Directly comparable on the luxury family travel niche, Mediterranean resort portfolio, and high-touch service model.
• Luxury Travel Ltd: UK luxury travel agency providing tailor-made luxury holidays, honeymoons, and villa rentals. Comparable as a long-established UK bespoke luxury agent with similar destination focus and consultative selling motion.
• CV Villas: UK-based villa holiday specialist with a curated portfolio of luxury villas across the Mediterranean, similar in villa-focused product mix and destination coverage to Design Holidays' villa program.
• ITC Luxury Travel: UK-based luxury tour operator offering luxury family holidays, honeymoons, and villa rentals across the Mediterranean and beyond. Comparable on customer segment (luxury family travel), destination mix, and sales-led booking model.
• Mr & Mrs Smith: UK-founded luxury hotel booking platform and travel club offering curated boutique and luxury hotel stays. Comparable as a UK-rooted luxury accommodation booking intermediary, though more hotel-focused and tech-enabled than Design Holidays.
• The Villa Holiday Company: UK specialist offering luxury villa holidays in the Mediterranean, particularly in Spain, Portugal, and Greece. Overlaps directly with Design Holidays' villa program on destinations, supplier base, and family villa positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com: Global online travel agency with extensive luxury and family-friendly inventory across all of Design Holidays' destinations. Broad incumbent competitor with significantly larger scale, technology investment, and direct relationships with the same supplier resorts — representing the principal competitive disintermediation threat.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Design_Holidays
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-holidays
• Instagraminstagram.com/design_holidays
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/designholidays
• Facebookfacebook.com/DesignHolidays

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Design Holidays