Cheltenham travel company makes first acquisition

In its first acquisition, Red Savannah, the award-winning, Cheltenham-based travel company offering luxury private villa experiences and tailor-made journeys around the world, has acquired Homebase Abroad, a US based company specialising in luxury villa rentals in Italy.

The deal expands Red Savannah’s extensive US client network, as well as enhancing its portfolio of Italian villa properties.

George Morgan-Grenville, Red Savannah’s CEO and Founder, said: “We have looked at several opportunities over recent years, but Homebase Abroad was the first business we felt was properly aligned from both a philosophical and demographic standpoint.

“We are very excited about this acquisition which offers stunning new villa options in Italy to our own clients, and a vastly expanded portfolio of luxury villas, gulet holidays and tailor-made journeys to Homebase Abroad’s clients.”

Red Savannah won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2020.

The team at Homebase Abroad, headquartered in Boston, MA, will continue to oversee all villa vacations booked for 2021. On January 1, 2022, all Homebase Abroad bookings will transition to Red Savannah with Homebase’s Founder and Director, Mara Solomon, remaining involved as a Red Savannah Ambassador. Mara, who founded the company in 1995, has consistently been named in the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler Villa Specialist list over the past decade, and the company has landed on Travel +Leisure’s annual list of “Best Villa Rental Agencies” six times and Town & Country’s “Best Villa Rental Agencies” List.

Mara said: “We have had a thrilling 26 years of being a leader in setting standards for villa travel in Italy focused on ensuring our guests have the best vacation of their lives. We are delighted Red Savannah has honoured our success by acquiring our company. Our clients will benefit from Red Savannah’s expertise not only in Italy, but also in the most desirable villa destinations worldwide.”