Awaze on Monday (30 October) confirmed James Villas, which offered around 600 villas across Europe, had stopped taking bookings, just a few weeks after the brand created a new team dedicated to supporting agents and strengthening relationships with the trade.

A consultation about James Villas’ Maidstone office, the company said, was also under way while affected villa owners were contacted.

According to the group, customers returning on or before 30 November will be unaffected by the brand’s closure, while those set to depart later will be given a full refund, as well as the option to book another Awaze property.

“We have decided to cease trading with James Villas as that model relied on guaranteed inventory,” said chief executive Henrik Kjellberg. 

“James Villas’ core inventory represents less than 1% of our total supply. We will work hard to ensure we minimise the impact on our employees, suppliers and customers.”

Awaze has also suggested that, from now on, clients book with sister company Novasol, which has more than 50,000 holiday homes across Europe. 

“The entire James Villas team would like to thank each and every customer that has ever booked with us, it has been a pleasure being part of your holiday experiences for so many years,” read a statement. 

Founded in 1984, James Villas was sold to Wyndham Worldwide in 2010 for $77 million (£63.5 million) following the death of the owner’s son, Darren Needham. 

James Villas was then sold in 2018 to US private equity Platinum Equity for $1.3 billion as part of Wyndham Worldwide’s decision to get rid of its European holiday rental business, European Vacation Rentals, which a year later became Awaze.