A UK accommodation marketplace operator has completed two major acquisitions in December 2025, marking a strategic pivot towards premium travel segments and international markets after posting its strongest financial performance since launch.
Snaptrip Group, which operates brands including LateRooms, Snaptrip and Dog Friendly Cottages, purchased Staycato Ltd and French business My Design Events during the final month of last year. Both deals were completed for undisclosed seven-figure sums.
The Staycato acquisition brings two specialist brands under Snaptrip’s umbrella: Simply Sea Views and Dog Friendly Retreats. Meanwhile, My Design Events trades as My Boutique Hotel, giving the group immediate access to the boutique and luxury accommodation sector with particular strength in the US market.
According to the company, the purchases represent more than simple portfolio expansion. They position Snaptrip at what the firm describes as a critical juncture in the travel booking funnel, targeting consumers actively deciding where to stay rather than simply browsing options.
Matt Fox, co-founder and chief executive of Snaptrip Group, described the deals as part of a broader transformation. “2025 was a transformative year for the Snaptrip Group. Whilst the travel sector continues to face challenges from unpredictable consumer patterns and the rapid expansion of AI-led search platforms, we’ve been fortunate to be ahead of the curve. Having adopted an ‘AI-first’ strategy in both consumer visibility and the construction of our technical platforms over the last couple of years, we were well placed to capitalise on these shifts in the market.”
The twin acquisitions come against a backdrop of record financial results for Snaptrip Group throughout 2025. The company reported its highest profits since inception alongside significant revenue growth, despite widespread challenges across the travel industry.
Dog Friendly Retreats delivers category leadership in pet-friendly travel, identified as one of the fastest-growing segments within the UK staycation market. The brand attracts what industry insiders consider among the most loyal customer bases in domestic tourism. Simply Sea Views, meanwhile, targets the aspirational coastal travel segment, characterised by high booking values and consistent demand.
The My Boutique Hotel acquisition serves a different strategic purpose entirely. It provides Snaptrip with instant international reach in the boutique and luxury discovery space, complementing the more value-focused positioning of existing brand LateRooms. With growing traffic from North American visitors, the platform is being positioned as a growth engine for US market penetration.
Fox elaborated on the group’s evolution beyond its original focus. “The technology the team has built, the lean and cash generative way we operate the business, and the hugely exciting collection of assets we now own, offers Snaptrip Group a strong platform to optimise future growth. These acquisitions allow us to expand into premium, lifestyle-led travel categories with higher booking values, stronger loyalty and genuine long-term growth potential. We’re building trusted discovery brands with defensible organic visibility and loyal audiences, whilst creating new opportunities for product innovation, personalisation and direct supplier partnerships. We all feel we’re at the start of something very exciting.”
The deals arrive at a pivotal moment for the travel sector. Consumer booking patterns have shifted dramatically, whilst artificial intelligence-driven search platforms increasingly influence how travellers discover accommodation. Many operators struggled to adapt during 2025, but Snaptrip’s early investment in AI-powered technology appears to have paid dividends.
Looking towards 2026, Fox outlined an ambitious growth trajectory. “Due to these acquisitions and the exciting growth of all our existing assets, Snaptrip Group is poised for further exponential growth, all whilst only marginally increasing our overall overheads. What’s particularly exciting is how the group has evolved – although we started as a collection of UK-focused holiday rental marketplace websites, we will now do as many bookings for hotels worldwide through our LateRooms, The Hotel Guru and now My Boutique Hotel websites in 2026. This diversification, combined with our operational efficiency and the platforms we’ve built, gives us tremendous confidence in what lies ahead.”
The transformation represents a significant departure from Snaptrip’s origins. Founded in London in 2014 as a last-minute cottage deals platform, the business has evolved into a group operating eight high-traffic accommodation marketplaces. The company now attracts more than 20 million visitors annually.
Snaptrip began its acquisition strategy in 2017 with the purchase of Last Minute Cottages Ltd. Subsequent additions to the portfolio have included LateRooms, Hot Tub Hideaways, Independent Cottages and The Hotel Guru. Each acquisition has contributed to sustained year-on-year growth and maintained profitability.
The group operates on a shared technology platform that connects customers to over four million accommodation options worldwide, sourced from more than 40 supply partners. This infrastructure enables the company to combine large-scale operations with specialist category expertise.
Backed by Bestport Private Equity and Molten Ventures, Snaptrip has positioned itself as a marketplace aggregator rather than a direct accommodation provider. The model focuses on creating what the company calls “trusted discovery brands” designed to capture high-intent travellers through organic search visibility and targeted performance marketing.
The December acquisitions strengthen this approach by adding brands with established audiences in specific niches. Pet-friendly travel and premium coastal stays represent two of the most resilient segments in UK domestic tourism, whilst boutique hotel discovery caters to an international audience with higher average booking values.
As AI continues reshaping search behaviour and travel discovery, Snaptrip’s portfolio diversification offers multiple channels to reach consumers. The group’s strategy appears focused on owning specialist discovery points across different traveller segments rather than competing as a generalist platform.
With the integration of Simply Sea Views, Dog Friendly Retreats and My Boutique Hotel now underway, Snaptrip Group enters 2026 with a significantly expanded presence across accommodation types, price points and geographic markets.
