Thomas Cook, a travel operator, has purchased lastminute.com’s Med Hotels, which makes Thomas Cook the leading accommodation supplier in the United Kingdom market. The long-awaited agreement is anticipated to be finished on February 2^nd. It also comes after the group bought hotels4u.com in February last year for £21.8 million.

This most recent agreement, which entails the group to takeover Holiday Hotels and Hoteltransfers as well, now makes them the leader of the United Kingdom bed bank market, including their independent sector foothold. The deal is also understood to give lastminute.com access to the product of Thomas Cook and will see discussions for more opportunities between Thomas Cook and Sabre.

Ian McCaig, the Chief Executive of lastminute.com, said that selling Med Hotels will allow them to focus on the foundation of their own position at the front of the internet travel industry. Med Hotels has been an important part of their growth during the last 5 years, he continued. McCaig also said that he personally thanks everyone at Med Hotels for the contribution they made into lastminute.com’s success, and he wishes them the best with Thomas Cook.

Paul Riches, the Sales and Marketing Director for rival youtravel.com, says that the completion of this acquisition represents a change in the accommodation sector, while one player is taking over. The industry is now seeing a clear divide of those bed banks that are corporate-owned and those that are still independent, he continued. For youtravel.com, the purchase of Med Hotels by Thomas Cook is representation of great opportunities for working with independent agents closer, as they are the sector’s backbone, Riches added.

For more information about the travel operator or hotel brand, go to www.thomascook.com -or- www.medhotels.co.uk