If your idea of a perfect summer involves a shuttered farmhouse, a pool and a long table set for everyone you love, this one’s for you. Simpson Travel, the luxury Mediterranean specialist known for handpicked villas and boutique hotels, has bought South France Villas. That brings a whole new collection of holiday homes across the Languedoc and around the Côte d’Azur into its France programme.The deal completed on 4 August 2026 and was announced this week. Neither the price nor the number of properties changing hands has been disclosed. For anyone planning a South of France escape, though, the headline is easy to grasp: a bigger choice of villas, in more corners of the Midi, through an operator many villa regulars already book with.
From Nice to Collioure
South France Villas was founded in 2000 and covers the stretch of southern France it calls the Midi. That runs all the way from Nice on the French Riviera to Collioure, close to the Spanish border. Its collection spans the Languedoc (now part of Occitanie), the Côte d’Azur and Provence. You’ll find beachfront and coastal family villas, homes with pools, Provençal farmhouses, luxury designer villas and chateaux.
The Languedoc is the genuinely new bit for Simpson. France already featured in its line-up, alongside Greece, Turkey, Italy, Corsica, Mallorca and Portugal. In its own announcement on LinkedIn, Simpson said: “The acquisition strengthens our portfolio in France and opens up a new area for us in the Languedoc.”
For travellers who know the Riviera well and fancy somewhere a little different, that’s the part to watch. The acquisition adds the Languedoc to Simpson’s France offer, extending its reach around Béziers and towards the Pyrenees.
Chateaux for 35 (and a wedding or two)
This collection really comes into its own at the larger end. South France Villas offers chateaux suited to weddings and special events, and its biggest properties sleep groups of up to 35. That’s the kind of space that turns a milestone birthday, a multi-generational family reunion or a destination wedding into one house party under a single roof, rather than a scramble across several rentals.
If you’ve been quietly dreaming of exchanging vows in the South of France with all your favourite people staying on site, there are now more of those properties within Simpson’s reach. Smaller coastal villas and farmhouses sit alongside them for couples and families who want something more low-key.
The people behind the villas
The sale comes as South France Villas owners Trudi and Niall Andrews retire after building the business over more than two decades. For guests who’ve booked with them for years, the more reassuring news is that a familiar face is staying put. Sandra Macdonald is moving across from the South France Villas team to become Simpson Travel’s Portfolio Manager for the South of France.
Macdonald is based near Béziers, right in the heart of the Languedoc, and has worked in villa rentals for more than 20 years. That on-the-ground knowledge matters when you’re choosing between a chateau and a farmhouse you’ve only ever seen in photos.
Simpson’s CEO, Ed Pyke, framed the deal as much about people as property. “We’ve admired South France Villas for a long time, not just for the properties, but for the way Trudi and Niall have built real relationships with their guests over the years,” he said. “Bringing the business into Simpson Travel means we can carry that spirit forward while opening up some exciting new corners of France for our own guests to discover.”
Pyke said Macdonald’s knowledge of the region and the care she takes with every client made her the obvious choice to lead the programme. Trudi Andrews said she and Niall couldn’t have wished for a better home for the business. She added that she was pleased their clients would now get the service Simpson is known for.
A Mediterranean buying spree
This isn’t Simpson’s first acquisition in quick succession. In 2025 it bought Algarve specialist Affinity Villas, which introduced a Portugal programme and added more than 30 properties. They’re spread across Carvoeiro, Quinta do Lago, Praia da Luz, Loulé, Silves and Vale do Lobo. That purchase price wasn’t disclosed either.
At the time, Pyke, then Simpson’s managing director, was clear there was more to come. “The move marks a significant achievement in our growth strategy under Risk Capital Partners,” he told Travel Weekly. “As part of this approach, we will continue to expand our range of European destinations into the future, as well as source exclusive new properties to add to our current portfolio in Greece, Turkey, Corsica, France, Italy, and Mallorca.”
The South France Villas deal is that plan in action. It follows a change in ownership at Simpson: Risk Capital Partners took a majority stake in the operator in March 2024. The investor says its growth strategy is to expand Simpson’s quality accommodation in existing and new destinations, and points to the team’s previous experience with a buy-and-build approach. Two specialist villa collections in two years suggests that approach is well under way, so don’t be surprised if another destination joins the map before long.
Why it matters if you’re booking
Simpson has been around since 2002 and has built its name on carefully chosen properties, many of them exclusive to the brand. It pairs its stays with local concierge teams and destination knowledge, so you get a well-chosen villa and someone nearby who knows the area.
For South of France fans, the takeaway is more choice in one place. Riviera villas, Languedoc farmhouses and wedding-ready chateaux now sit within the same operator’s France programme. If you’ve booked with South France Villas before, Macdonald’s move means the person who knows those homes best is still involved.
If you’re starting to plan summer 2027, particularly a big group trip or a celebration that needs a chateau-sized table, it’s worth looking at Simpson’s France collection now. The largest properties are the ones that tend to go first.
