When Solmar Villas entered the Nordic market last year, it marked the start of a broader move beyond its established markets. Since then, the portfolio has continued to open up across DERTOUR Group, most recently in the Czech Republic, with further launches already in progress.
Behind each step is a process that goes well beyond simply adding a product to a new market: aligning systems, translating content, selecting the right villas and working closely with local teams to make it work for customers on the ground.
Lewis Cooper, Business Development Manager – Key Accounts at Solmar Villas, has been closely involved in these rollouts. We spoke to him about how these partnerships come to life and what it takes to scale a villa offer while keeping consistency at its core.
What defines the Solmar Villas product today and where do you see its core strength?
The Solmar Villas product today is centred around a carefully curated portfolio of villas across popular destinations, combining different price points with the flexibility and privacy that customers increasingly value. Our product offering ranges beachfront properties, villas in well-loved resorts, and more secluded options off the beaten track, ensuring there is something to suit a wide variety of customers. Around a third of our portfolio is exclusive to Solmar, which means we offer a truly differentiated product compared to other villa providers, giving our partners confidence that they are selling something unique in the market.
Our core strength is consistency. We work hard to ensure that wherever a customer travels with us, they receive the same high standards of quality, comfort and service. That balance of choice, strong quality control and a reliable customer experience is what truly defines us in the market.
How do you ensure consistency and quality across your villa portfolio?
Consistency comes from having clear standards, strong service level agreements and effective operational control. Every property we offer must meet defined quality, safety and maintenance criteria, and we work closely with our villa owners, suppliers and overseas teams to ensure those standards are upheld throughout the season. We also invest in our properties and maintain a collaborative approach to continuously maintain and enhance our villas.
This includes regular inspections, along with both pre-season and post-season checks, as well as ongoing monitoring of guest feedback. We look closely at customer sentiment and use this insight to continually improve our portfolio, ensuring that quality is not only maintained, but evolves over time. It is a “quality first, guest always” approach.
You’ve recently entered several new markets. What has been most important to get those launches right?
The most important thing when entering a new market is getting the foundations right. That means aligning on the technical set up, building a strong understanding of the villa product, ensuring the booking journey is clear and well presented on partner websites, and making sure operational processes are fully understood across all teams before going live.
We take a phased approach, typically starting with a focused portfolio in selected destinations and then expanding once systems, content and customer journeys are proven. Close collaboration with our partners is also key, particularly around integration, translation and meeting local market requirements.
How do you work with travel partners in different countries to bring your product to market?
Our partnerships are very collaborative, and we work closely as one team. We provide our villa calendar availability and content through API integrations, which allows partners to access our full portfolio and display it in a way that works for their market.
Beyond the technical side, there’s a strong focus on alignment around product selection, marketing and customer experience. As villa specialists, we help guide this, working together to ensure the right approach in each market. Every partner market is different, so this close collaboration is essential to positioning the product effectively for local customers.
Looking at your recent growth, what has made it possible to expand at this pace?
Growth has been driven by a combination of factors. There has been a clear increase in demand for villa holidays across all markets, but just as important has been how we have scaled the business to meet that demand.
Expanding our international partnerships, investing in technology and integrations, and continuing to build brand awareness have all played a key role. Equally, we have focused on managing that growth in a controlled way, ensuring that quality and customer experience keep pace with expansion.
I have been supported by fantastic teams at Solmar, alongside our colleagues across DERTOUR, all working towards a shared goal of sustainable growth and strengthening our presence as a unified group within the travel industry. Big thanks to everyone involved!