Great Little Breaks

What Great Little Breaks does

Great Little Breaks is a UK online travel retailer specializing in packaged domestic short breaks, operating under the legal entity Hotelshop UK Ltd (Company Registration No: 3812146) and headquartered in Droitwich Spa, England. The company sells curated bundles that combine hotel accommodation with theatre tickets (West End musicals and plays), rail travel, dining, heritage attraction entry, and spa experiences across more than 100 themed packages organized into collections such as City, Coastal, Country, Heritage, Luxury, Walking, and Festive breaks. Pricing is per-person based on double occupancy and ranges from £52.50pp budget coastal stays to £600+pp premium multi-night packages, with most offerings built on a bed-and-breakfast base and dinner-inclusive upgrades available at additional cost.

The business operates a traditional retail model with no proprietary technology platform, relying on third-party booking and CRM systems and a standard set of payment processors (Worldpay, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club). Revenue is generated through margins between wholesale supplier costs and retail customer prices on a transaction-fee basis. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through the e-commerce website greatlittlebreaks.com, supplemented by phone-based customer service (Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-4pm) and a trade agent login portal serving travel trade partners.

Customer segments span individual and couple leisure travelers (primary), families, and special-occasion celebrators, served through themed collections and a custom package-building interface for theatre and rail breaks. The company is ABTA-bonded for consumer financial protection, has accumulated 14,000+ Trustpilot reviews with a 5-star average, and has won five consecutive Travel Weekly Globes (2022-2026) plus a TTG Travel Industry Award (2021). A February 2026 partnership with destination management company AC Group extends the product portfolio into in-depth touring experiences and France, signaling the first geographic expansion beyond the UK domestic short-break remit.

Name

Great Little Breaks

Legal name

Hotelshop UK Ltd

Website

https://greatlittlebreaks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Little Breaks is a UK online travel retailer specializing in packaged domestic short breaks, bundling hotel stays with theatre tickets, rail travel, dining, and attractions across 100+ themed collections. It serves individual leisure travelers, couples, and families via a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform with supporting trade agent distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Travel Services

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise + City Break Packages (THAEAHAE)

Keywords

• UK short breaks
• Packaged travel deals
• Theatre break packages
• Rail and hotel breaks
• Domestic leisure holidays

Headquarters

HQ city

Droitwich Spa

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Package Holiday Sales: Bundles hotel accommodations with attractions, meals, and experiences into packaged short breaks sold at per-person pricing. Revenue derived from margins between wholesale supplier costs and retail customer prices.
2. Rail and Theatre Packages: Sells combined rail travel and hotel packages, as well as theatre break packages including West End show tickets, generating revenue through bundled pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Great Little Breaks is a UK short-break specialist that bundles hotel accommodation with meals, West End theatre tickets, rail travel, heritage attractions, spa treatments, and seasonal experiences into per-person priced packaged holidays. It curates over 100 themed collections (theatre, rail, city, coastal, country, spa, heritage, luxury, festive, garden, walking, romantic, dog-friendly, last-minute, longer stays) sold through its own e-commerce website with phone and trade-agent support.

Product overview

Great Little Breaks is a UK short-break specialist operating a platform-plus-packages model, offering over 100 curated short-break combinations across the United Kingdom. The core offering consists of themed package bundles combining hotel accommodation with curated experiences: Theatre Breaks (hotel + West End show tickets), Rail Breaks (hotel + rail travel), Heritage Breaks (hotel + attraction tickets), and Spa & Wellness packages. These are distributed through thematic collections including City Breaks, Coastal Breaks, Country Breaks, Dog Friendly, Luxury, Garden Breaks, Walking Breaks, and Romantic Getaways, with seasonal offerings for Christmas and New Year. The platform also features supplementary services including Gift Vouchers and a Wish List functionality. Add-on modules like the Theatre Search and Rail Search tools enable customers to build custom packages by selecting shows and departure stations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatre Breaks London West End theatre packages combining hotel accommodation with tickets to popular musicals and plays including Hamilton, Wicked, The Lion King, Paddington The Musical, and over 50 other West End shows. Sold per person, targeted at UK leisure travellers and special-occasion bookers.
• Rail Breaks Hotel and rail package deals combining accommodation with train travel across the UK, including heritage rail experiences and standard rail bookings. Targeted at UK leisure travellers wanting bundled rail-inclusive short breaks.
• City Breaks Short break packages to UK cities including London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and York with accommodation and optional experiences. Targeted at urban leisure travellers.
• Coastal Breaks Seaside short breaks to UK coastal destinations including Bournemouth, Blackpool, Isle of Wight, Devon, Cornwall, and the South Coast with beach-accessible hotels. Targeted at leisure travellers seeking coastal getaways.
• Spa & Wellness Breaks Hotel packages featuring spa facilities, treatments, and wellness amenities at selected UK properties, including thermal suites and massage services. Targeted at wellness and special-occasion travellers.
• Heritage & Attraction Breaks Packages combining hotel stays with tickets to UK heritage sites, castles, gardens, and attractions including Blenheim Palace, Alnwick Castle, Sudeley Castle, Leeds Castle, and RHS gardens. Targeted at culture-focused leisure travellers.
• Country Breaks Rural short breaks in the English countryside including Cotswolds, Lake District, Peak District, and Welsh destinations with country house hotels. Targeted at couples and families seeking rural getaways.
• Dog Friendly Breaks Pet-friendly hotel packages at selected UK properties that welcome dogs, featuring dog-friendly accommodations and local walking trails. Targeted at pet owners seeking UK short breaks.
• Luxury Breaks Premium hotel packages featuring upscale accommodations, fine dining, and exclusive experiences at 4 and 5-star properties across the UK. Targeted at premium and special-occasion travellers.
• Christmas & New Year Breaks Festive holiday packages including Christmas Eve dinners, Christmas Day lunches, New Year's Eve galas, and Twixmas (between Christmas and New Year) stays at UK hotels. Targeted at families, couples, and groups celebrating festive occasions.
• Garden Breaks Packages featuring visits to RHS gardens including Wisley, Harlow Carr, and Rosemoor, combined with accommodation at nearby hotels. Targeted at garden and horticulture enthusiasts.
• Walking Breaks Active short breaks featuring guided and self-guided walking routes across UK national parks and coastal paths including Lake District, Peak District, and South West trails. Targeted at active leisure travellers.
• Romantic Getaways Couples-focused packages featuring spa facilities, Prosecco amenities, fine dining, and scenic locations suitable for honeymoons and special occasions. Targeted at couples celebrating anniversaries and romantic milestones.
• Dinner Bed and Breakfast Deals Accommodation packages including evening meals and full English breakfast at partner hotels throughout the UK, with savings up to 40%. Targeted at value-seeking leisure travellers.
• Last Minute Breaks Impromptu short break packages available for immediate booking at discounted rates for flexible travellers. Targeted at flexible, value-oriented UK leisure travellers.
• Longer Stays Extended short breaks of 3+ nights offering deeper exploration of destinations with multi-night accommodation packages. Targeted at leisure travellers wanting more in-depth UK breaks.
• Rail Tours Heritage railway experiences combining steam train journeys including Ffestiniog Railway, Severn Valley Railway, and Watercress Line with hotel accommodation. Targeted at heritage railway enthusiasts.
• Gift Vouchers Purchasable gift vouchers available for gifting travel experiences to friends and family, redeemable against any package on the platform. Targeted at consumers seeking travel gifts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000+ customer reviews on Trustpilot with 5-star average rating

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AC GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Destination management company partnership enabling Great Little Breaks to offer extended touring options across the UK and France. Integrates AC Group's fully serviced itineraries, transfer solutions, and attractions with Great Little Breaks' existing rail, hotel, and event packages. Expands product portfolio to include in-depth UK touring experiences and longer trip options beyond traditional short breaks.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TUI UK: Largest UK package holiday operator with a broad portfolio spanning long-haul, beach, and city breaks. Competes for UK consumer short-break wallet share but at much larger scale and with international rather than UK-domestic focus.
• Booking.com: Global leader in online hotel and short-stay reservations, including UK city and leisure breaks. Competes for the same UK hotel-plus-attraction customer but primarily through à la carte booking rather than themed packaged breaks.
• Thomas Cook (UK relaunch): Relaunched UK online package-holiday brand selling city breaks, beach holidays, and themed short breaks. Overlaps on product format (curated packages) and customer segment, though at larger scale with international destinations.
• Lastminute.com: Major European online travel agency selling packaged city breaks and hotel stays, including UK destinations. Competes directly for UK short-break bookings but at scale, with broader geographic scope and stronger proprietary tech.

Direct peers

• Shearings: Long-established UK short-break and coach-holiday operator offering themed UK breaks including coastal, countryside, and heritage packages. Closely comparable on customer segment, package structure, and distribution channels.
• Barrhead Travel: Major UK high-street and online travel agency selling packaged holidays and short breaks. Comparable on D2C packaged holiday distribution and UK consumer base, though broader in scope (long-haul as well as domestic).
• National Holidays: UK coach-tour and short-break specialist selling 2-5 night packaged breaks across UK destinations with included meals and excursions. Highly comparable on package format and target demographic (older UK couples and groups).
• Warner Leisure Hotels: UK hotel operator offering all-inclusive short breaks at owned coastal and countryside properties with included dining, entertainment, and activities. Comparable on product format (multi-night packages with meals and experiences bundled) and on UK adult-couple target market.
• SuperBreaks: UK specialist in packaged short breaks combining hotel stays with theatre, attraction, and event tickets. Direct competitor to Great Little Breaks in the same D2C packaged short-break niche with overlapping ABTA-bonded, themed-collection model.

Emerging players

• Coach Holiday Shop: Online UK coach-holiday retailer offering packaged short breaks with travel, hotel, and excursions. Comparable on package structure and UK domestic focus, though smaller and more transport-led than GLB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-little-breaks

Compliance1 record

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 Great Little Breaks