Published: February 4, 2025 | Updated: 4th February 2025
Bournemouth’s own luxury travel firm Blue Skies Lifestyle has a new home at the former Lloyds bank in Charminster as the business marks 20 years.
It’s still to this day headed up by husband-and-wife duo Andy and Fran Castle, who met in 2002 while working for another local ski company.
A few years later in 2005, Andy set up Ski In Luxury, with Fran coming aboard in 2007 to launch Villas In Luxury – following a stint at JP Morgan.
Fast forward two decades, and the couple has built a strong reputation in luxury travel, with Ultimate Luxury Chalets and Alps In Luxury also joining the portfolio.
Together, the brands offer travellers a choice of 83 destinations across 12 countries, with the team supporting over 10,000 guest trips a year.
As the business has expanded, so too has the team.
Blue Skies Lifestyle now has a total of 24 team members, most of whom work out of the recently renovated bank that’s become their new home for 2025 and beyond – with plenty of space for further expansion.
Andy and Fran even took on the redevelopment themselves.
“The last 20 years of building our business together has been a dream, as we have a shared passion and purpose,” said Andy.
“We’ve also managed to build our family life into our business life, which means our two daughters are very much part of our business life too and travel with us whenever we can be together.
“Family values are really important to us.
“We see our team as part of our extended family and put their needs as high on the agenda as that of the business.”
