New holiday packages went on sale on Monday morning (15 December) on a direct-sell basis via the James Villas website, with a trade rollout to follow "from early 2026".
Jennifer Day, Awaze's chief growth officer, said: "The launch of the new James Villas proposition marks a momentous milestone for Awaze and we're hugely excited to be able to finally reveal the new look and offering.
"Following the initial launch, our focus will be to bring onboard our valued trade partners from early 2026, who will be an essential component of our distribution strategy. We'd encourage any travel agents keen to collaborate on this exciting chapter to get in touch."
Founded in 1984 by James and Shelagh Needham, the brand was bought out with private equity backing in 2008 and came under the ownership of Wyndham and later European Vacation Rentals, which was rebranded as Awaze in 2019.
However, the brand was shuttered in October 2023 less than a month after appointing a new trade lead and creating a dedicated trade relations team when Awaze decided its success relied on "guaranteed inventory", which represented less than 1% of its total supply.
An available property in Costix, Spain (Credit: Awaze)
Awaze's chief executive Matthew Price said: "This is a comeback built on 40 years of expertise in creating holidays for families, underpinned by one of the largest vacation rental groups in Europe."
"Every element of the new James Villas brand is focused on delivering quality-assured accommodation and hassle-free booking, helping customers create holiday memories to remember."
Holidaymakers can choose from 5,500 properties in core Mediterranean destinations including Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece.
James Villas is focusing its efforts on multi-generational families after Abta's 2023 Holiday Habits report found 70% of UK families have either been on, or are planning, a multi-gen holiday in the near future.
The brand relaunch will be supported by a multi-channel marketing campaign starting on Boxing Day, to drive awareness and demand during peaks season. This will include TV spots across ITV, Sky and C4, amounting to an estimated £2 million investment.
Any agents interested in joining as partners should contact the Awaze partnership team via partner@awaze.com for more information.
