How EFSI benefits SMEs in Europe - CERSA case study: Holidays2Malaga (Spain), holiday home rental

Holidays2Málaga is a family business established with all the enthusiasm and desire to showcase the best of the Costa del Sol to local and foreign visitors. Over the past 10 years, the company which was founded by Javier Villalón and his wife Trinidad Mena, has built up a strong selection of holiday rental properties ready to accommodate all types of guests in Malaga and Fuengirola.

Like many companies, this one started a bit by accident. Both Trinidad and Javier were in different jobs, and on the side, they were managing a family apartment in Fuengirola, on the Costa del Sol, just south of Malaga. “It wasn’t our day job, but we noticed that it was doing very well, so we started to dedicate more time to managing the apartment. Soon, our Plan B became Plan A” explains Javier.

From there, the company grew, mainly specialising in managing properties, and offering a range of services to its clients to optimise their experience, like excursions or childcare. In growing, Holidays2Malaga also looked to purchase some property of its own, but for this, they needed financing. “Despite a solid business plan and obvious collateral, banks were reluctant to give us a loan to buy an apartment” Javier laments. With the support of an EU guarantee however, Javier and Trinidad were able to secure a loan through CERSA, purchase an apartment and expand the business.

This loan was made possible by the Investment Plan for Europe, which aims to generate new investments by facilitating access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises.

As for their future plans, Javier is clear that it is time to consolidate their growth: “Four years ago, we were just three persons. Today we employ around 20 people. Although we are constantly receiving calls from people asking us to manage their property, we don’t want to grow any more right now. We prefer to focus on improving our technology, automating our systems and making everything more comfortable for our customers. We want to set the standard in the industry.”

Company: Holidays2Malaga (Spain)

Type of business: holiday home rental

EIF financing: COSME LGF, EFSI

For further information about EIF intermediaries in Spain, please refer to: http://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/es