A COACH holiday specialist is expanding by taking over another operator.

Bournemouth-based Daish’s Holidays has acquired Robinsons Holidays, adding two hotels and 13 coaches to the business.

Daish’s Holidays made 177 jobs redundant at the start of the coronavirus crisis in March, but has since recruited 83 people – many of them staff returning to the company.

The acquisition of Blackburn-based Robinsons Holidays adds the Imperial Hotel in Eastbourne and the Abbey Lawn Hotel in Torquay to its portfolio. The 13 extra coaches will operate from pick-up locations in the north west.

Holiday firm Daish's axes 177 jobs because of coronavirus

Jeanne Wilson, managing director of Daish’s, said: “We are thrilled to confirm that Robinsons is joining our family business. There is a fantastic synergy between the two companies, and we are committed to building and enhancing Robinsons’ offering, that has been established in the UK for almost 100 years.

“Despite a year of disruption and industry uncertainty due to the health crisis, we are proud to be in the strong position of expansion and are excited to unveil our new services in January.

“Growing our reach into the north west has always been a business goal of ours and we are pleased to provide fantastic new holiday options for our loyal guests.”

Robinsons’ customers will be able to travel to Daish’s hotels from locations including Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire.

The new hotels will operate on Daish’s business model, with nightly live entertainment and package deals including half-board and coach transport.

The hotels will open in February after minor refurbishments.

Daish’s Holidays, based in West Cliff Gardens, Westbourne, has hotels in 10 destinations across England and Wales, including the Bournemouth Sands Hotel, as well as the Hotel Prince Regent and Russell Hotel in Weymouth.

The company has a fleet of 25 coaches operating from pick-up points from west Yorkshire to Cornwall.

The company acquired its tenth hotel, The Esplanade Hotel in Scarborough, earlier this year. The building is currently undergoing significant refurbishment.