The trade-only villa specialist has appointed Richard Hey its new director of trade development and Iain Raeper as product and partnership director.

Hey joins ONEE from Trending Travel, and has previously held a range of trade, account management and BDM roles with Abercrombie & Kent, LUX* Resorts, If Only and Bedsonline.

Raeper, meanwhile, joins from EFR Travel where he was senior product and commercial manager. He previously worked for If Only as product and commercial manager.

Hey will be responsible for developing ONEE’s profile among agents through brand-building events, training sessions and attendance at trade conferences.

Raeper will help ONEE’s existing trade team grow the firm’s global villa portfolio, source new product in-destination, and develop new relationships with property managers and owners.

Onur Takmak, ONEE founder and interim chief executive, said: "We already have some great relationships with the UK travel trade and building these still further is at the heart of our strategy for the future."

Takmak said the brand’s ambition was to open up the luxury villa market to agents in a "meaningful way" through a combination of a strong product portfolio and investment in its trade portal.

"Richard and Iain are part of this change and are absolutely the right people for these roles, with their combined experience working with agents around the country – as well as in luxury travel," said Takmak.

"I firmly believe that, in a post-Covid travel world, luxury villas – with the privacy and security they offer – are going to become more in demand than ever before."

Hey said he was encouraged by ONEE’s commitment to innovation and its goal to be a leading trade-only villa specialist. Raeper added he was excited to bring his experience and expertise in the luxury sector to ONEE and help the firm grow.