The SDDE Smith Group

What The SDDE Smith Group does

The SDDE Smith Group, operating commercially as Host & Stay, is a UK holiday let management and marketplace company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Saltburn, United Kingdom. The company operates a direct-to-consumer online booking platform at hostandstay.co.uk that aggregates self-catering holiday properties across nine UK regions: North East, North West, Yorkshire & The Humber, Central England, East of England, South East, South West, Wales, and Scotland. The business operates as a two-sided marketplace connecting individual property owners (who list their homes through a 'Let Your Property' programme) with travellers seeking short-term holiday accommodation. Properties span coastal towns, countryside retreats, and city destinations, organized into curated collections including Hot Tub Holidays, Dog Friendly Breaks, Unique Escapes, Romantic Retreats, Large Group Getaways, and a corporate Work & Stay segment.

The platform has accumulated over 87,000 verified guest reviews and offers 24/7 guest services, destination-based content marketing, and category-specific landing pages optimized for organic search. The company employs 251–500 staff, indicating full-service property management operations (cleaning, maintenance, guest support) alongside the marketplace platform. Headcount scale relative to a marketplace business model suggests significant operational depth rather than a pure listing aggregator. Distribution relies on the company website and a phone support line (01287 658 171).

Revenue is generated primarily through marketplace commissions on completed bookings, with individual property owners setting their own rates. Pricing varies by location, property type, amenities, and seasonality. The company received the Shortyz 2024 industry award and an employer recognition award, reflecting market credibility. Ownership, funding history, and detailed financials are not publicly disclosed; the company is privately held with founder Dale Smith serving as Founder & CEO. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or strategic partnerships are disclosed in available source material.

Name

The SDDE Smith Group

Legal name

Host & Stay

Website

https://sddesmithgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The SDDE Smith Group operates Host & Stay, a UK holiday let marketplace connecting individual property owners with travellers across 9 regions. The Saltburn-based company runs a direct-to-consumer booking platform, full-service property management, and curated collections for leisure and corporate stays.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Holiday Rental Marketplace

NAICS

Traveler Accommodation (7211), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Home-Sharing Marketplaces (THAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Term Rental (STR) Management for Individual Hosts (BPAJAIAB), Co-Host / On-the-Ground Operations & Guest Services (BPAJAIAI), Metasearch & Aggregator Platforms for Vacation Rentals (THAMALAC)

Keywords

• Holiday rental marketplace
• Vacation rental platform
• Self-catering accommodation
• Property listing services
• Short-term rental booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Saltburn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Holiday Property Bookings: The company operates a marketplace model connecting property owners with holidaymakers. Revenue is generated through commissions or fees on completed bookings. Property owners list their homes and the platform facilitates the transaction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The SDDE Smith Group operates the Host & Stay holiday let marketplace, a direct-to-consumer platform that connects property owners across the UK with travellers seeking self-catering holiday accommodations. The platform aggregates properties across nine UK regions with curated collections (hot tub holidays, dog-friendly breaks, unique escapes, romantic retreats, large group getaways, corporate stays), and enables owners to list properties through a dedicated "Let Your Property" host programme. Revenue is earned via marketplace commissions on completed bookings.

Product overview

Host & Stay operates a unified holiday accommodation booking platform that connects guests seeking vacation rentals across the UK with property owners offering short-term lets. The platform aggregates properties across multiple UK regions including North East, North West, Yorkshire & The Humber, Central England, East of England, South East, South West, Wales, and Scotland. The service encompasses two primary sides: guests can browse and book properties across diverse destinations, while property owners can list their homes through the 'Let Your Property' (Host) program. The platform organizes accommodations into curated collections including Hot Tub Holidays, Dog Friendly Breaks, Unique Escapes, Romantic Retreats, Large Group Getaways, and Work & Stay (Corporate Stays). The offering functions as a single, integrated marketplace rather than a modular platform with separate named products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Host & Stay Holiday Accommodation Marketplace
• Let Your Property (Host) Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 87,000 guests served with verified reviews

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hoseasons: Long-established UK holiday letting brand (also Awaze-owned) covering coastal, countryside and family-friendly stays. Competes directly with Host & Stay across UK regions, particularly in family and group segments.
• Cottages.com: UK holiday cottage booking platform owned by Awaze, offering a similar marketplace and managed-letting proposition across British destinations. Comparable target customer (families, groups, couples) and inventory type.
• The Travel Chapter: UK holiday letting group operating multiple regional brands (e.g., Cornwall Hideaways, Norfolk Hideaways). Similar full-service marketplace and property management model across UK destinations.
• Canopy & Stars: UK specialist in unique and characterful self-catering stays (treehouses, cabins, hideaways). Comparable curated marketplace approach and overlap with Host & Stay's 'Unique Escapes' collection.
• Sykes Holiday Cottages: One of the largest UK-focused holiday cottage letting agencies with a comparable curated marketplace and full-service host management model. Direct overlap on destination coverage, property types and SMB host onboarding.
• Holiday Cottages (Awaze): UK-focused holiday cottage letting agency under the Awaze portfolio. Direct overlap with Host & Stay on coastal and countryside self-catering inventory and SMB host relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Vrbo (Expedia): Global vacation rental marketplace owned by Expedia Group, competing directly for UK holiday let bookings. Provides similar commission-based marketplace economics to Host & Stay but with global demand infrastructure.
• Airbnb: Global P2P home-sharing marketplace with significant UK supply and demand. Overlaps with Host & Stay's core marketplace mechanics and self-catering inventory, but operates at much larger scale with broader international demand.
• Booking.com: Large-scale online travel agency with a growing alternative accommodations vertical, including UK holiday rentals. Competes on SEO-driven demand capture and broadens host-side options for property owners considering where to list.

Emerging players

• Evolve (Vacation Rental Management): US-based vacation rental manager and marketplace that combines technology-driven property management with multi-channel distribution. Relevant peer for Host & Stay's full-service, tech-enabled host management ambitions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sdde-smith-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The SDDE Smith Group