Luxury villa rentals: 6 reasons to take a villa vacation

Tired of hotels? Luxury villa rentals are great for family vacations or girlfriend getaways

Whether you’re traveling to Europe, the Caribbean or Disneyworld, if your next vacation involves a group of family or friends, here are six reasons to consider luxury villa rentals:

1) Privacy & Safety

At a vacation villa, your group can all be housed together without any strangers. Whether friends or extended family are joining you, being under one roof is often conducive to feelings of closeness, connection and intimacy. You determine the composition of your group and whether or not it includes children and/or pets. Many villas are gated with security staff to allay any concerns about safety.

2) Personal Service

Many luxury villa rentals come completely staffed with chefs, butlers, and housekeepers—to cook, clean up, do laundry and meet the needs of guests. The larger and more expensive the property, the more service you can expect. Unlike hotel staff, who are split among many guests, a villa team is solely dedicated to enhancing the experience of your group. Want more service? They often can connect you with reliable babysitters, tennis pros, and yoga instructors.

3) Individualized Menus

With your own kitchen, your cook can cater to the individual whims of each guest. You can either stock the pantry yourself or arrange to have staff do it for you. Many cooks sit down with guests upon arrival to determine their food preferences and aversions. Often, they will be able to introduce your to local foods and purchase fruits and vegetables from nearby farms.

4) More Flexible Scheduling

At a villa, your group can pretty much set its own pace and schedule. You can decide on meal hours and a stocked refrigerator and pantry is on hand for those who get the munchies in-between or afterwards. Guests can relax wherever and whenever, and retreat to the privacy of their own bedrooms.

5) Creature Comforts

Luxury villas generally offer all the comforts and amenities of home (and then some): Home theaters, swimming pools, and game rooms with pool tables are common. In addition, many offer access to private golf or beach clubs, or other facilities at nearby hotels. The owner or staff can point out and make arrangements for visits to off-site attractions.

6) Shared costs

The cost of a vacation villa can run anywhere from $1500 a week or tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the location, size, season, staffing, and condition and type of property. Many groups find that splitting the cost of a villa is less expensive than an extended stay at a luxury hotel.

Many luxury villa rentals are advertised on the Internet with pictures of the property and information about all their amenities. Since there are no standards (as there are for large hotel brands), potential renters need to exercise caution and seek out referrals from people who have been there before.

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 Also on More Time To Travel:

• Should you take a villa vacation?
• Three posh vacation villas in Jamaica