Deal typeM&A & Private Equity
IndustryLeisure
Sub-industryTravel
The Leisure M&A Team announces its latest travel sale to private equity. BDO advised the shareholders of Simpson Travel on the sale to Risk Capital Partners (RCP), the private equity firm led by Luke Johnson.
Founded in 2002, Simpson Travel is a UK-based, multi-award-winning luxury travel business. It provides a carefully curated portfolio of handpicked villas and outstanding boutique hotels in idyllic European destinations, along with exceptional service to its loyal and discerning customers.
In a competitive auction process, RCP emerged as the preferred partner. RCP have a wealth of experience in backing exciting consumer businesses and have an outstanding track record in the travel sector, with successful exits of Cruise.co and Neilson Active Holidays. RCP are backing the management team to continue product expansion across Europe.
This is the BDO Leisure M&A team’s 38th travel deal, a large proportion of which have involved private equity. As part of the deal, BDO arranged debt financing from Shawbrook and also built the Model for the transaction.
"It was incredibly important for me to find trusted advisors who understood the essence of our business and the importance of this process for me and my family. At every step of this journey, we were impressed with BDO, their valuable market knowledge and advice. They were instrumental in finding the right partner for the next phase of the business’ journey. I would heartily recommend Harry and his team to any founder about to embark on a similar journey."
Graham Simpson, Founder, Simpson Travel
"A deal of this size was new for me and many others on the Board and we are very glad to have chosen BDO as the advisors to take us through this process. BDO ran a meticulous process and were reliable partners throughout their engagement. Their assistance during the DD phase was invaluable. Their sector expertise was evident as they helped us navigate the complex regulatory and banking landscape. We thank the BDO team for their indispensable support and guidance."
Ed Pyke, Managing Director, Simpson Travel
"We are very pleased with our investment in Simpson Travel. We thank the BDO team for bringing the opportunity to our attention, for their assistance during our diligence process and for their efforts in facilitating the successful closure of this deal. We look forward to working with them on future transactions."
Jon Jenkins, Partner, Risk Capital Partners
"It is always a pleasure to work with travel businesses like Simpson Travel that put the client experience and client service at the heart of what they do. Simpson has always delivered an immaculate product to its loyal customer base and the partnership with Risk Capital is a great match as they're seasoned travel investors. I'm looking forward to seeing the business continuing to thrive, grow its destination and source market offering."
Harry Stoakes, Partner, BDO
Founded in 2002, Simpson Travel is a UK-based, multi-award-winning luxury travel business. It provides a carefully curated portfolio of handpicked villas and outstanding boutique hotels in idyllic European destinations, along with exceptional service to its loyal and discerning customers.
In a competitive auction process, RCP emerged as the preferred partner. RCP have a wealth of experience in backing exciting consumer businesses and have an outstanding track record in the travel sector, with successful exits of Cruise.co and Neilson Active Holidays. RCP are backing the management team to continue product expansion across Europe.
This is the BDO Leisure M&A team’s 38th travel deal, a large proportion of which have involved private equity. As part of the deal, BDO arranged debt financing from Shawbrook and also built the Model for the transaction.
"It was incredibly important for me to find trusted advisors who understood the essence of our business and the importance of this process for me and my family. At every step of this journey, we were impressed with BDO, their valuable market knowledge and advice. They were instrumental in finding the right partner for the next phase of the business’ journey. I would heartily recommend Harry and his team to any founder about to embark on a similar journey."
Graham Simpson, Founder, Simpson Travel
"A deal of this size was new for me and many others on the Board and we are very glad to have chosen BDO as the advisors to take us through this process. BDO ran a meticulous process and were reliable partners throughout their engagement. Their assistance during the DD phase was invaluable. Their sector expertise was evident as they helped us navigate the complex regulatory and banking landscape. We thank the BDO team for their indispensable support and guidance."
Ed Pyke, Managing Director, Simpson Travel
"We are very pleased with our investment in Simpson Travel. We thank the BDO team for bringing the opportunity to our attention, for their assistance during our diligence process and for their efforts in facilitating the successful closure of this deal. We look forward to working with them on future transactions."
Jon Jenkins, Partner, Risk Capital Partners
"It is always a pleasure to work with travel businesses like Simpson Travel that put the client experience and client service at the heart of what they do. Simpson has always delivered an immaculate product to its loyal customer base and the partnership with Risk Capital is a great match as they're seasoned travel investors. I'm looking forward to seeing the business continuing to thrive, grow its destination and source market offering."
Harry Stoakes, Partner, BDO