ABT Capital has acquired Darwin Escapes, one of the UK’s leading holiday park operators, from the Darwin Leisure Property Fund for an undisclosed sum.
Darwin Escapes
The deal sees Darwin Escapes’ portfolio of 18 parks transfer to ABT Capital’s Leisure Fund, which is financed by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock alongside an investor base comprising blue-chip institutional investors.
Darwin Escapes provides approximately 80,000 holidays per year and employs around 750 people. The existing management team and branding will be retained.
The investment comes at a challenging time for the UK holiday park sector, with ABT betting on long-term fundamentals while other investors retrench. The fund said it has growth ambitions for the sector.
Drew Campbell, managing director of Darwin Escapes, said: “We are pleased to welcome ABT Capital as our new owners. They recognise the dedication of our team and share our ambitions for the business.
“This investment is an opportunity to build on our strong foundations as one of the UK’s leading holiday park operators.”
The acquisition marks a return to the UK holiday park sector for ABT, which previously launched and grew Aria Resorts before its sale to CVC Capital Partners in 2021.
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