Advantages of staying in a Luxury Villa
(390 Reviews)
98% Recommended
Pam MacIntyre
Maple Grove, MN
Australia & New Zealand Specialist
New Zealand
In all my years as a Travel Professional, with curiosity I've asked several the question "What are your must see countries?" I was hard pressed to find one that did not list New Zealand! I mean who wouldn't wa...
New Zealand
In all my years as a Travel Professional, with curiosity I've asked several the question "What are your must see countries?" I was hard pressed to find one that did not list New Zealand! I mean who wouldn't want to experience this majestic part of the world?
Recently I was able to explore several areas of this amazing country, being fortunate in visiting both the North & South Island. What I love is New Zealand can be mellow or action-packed, yet it will still always be epic!
From the endless national parks, dynamic Maori culture, to experiencing the sounds aboard a yacht while gazing upon dolphins. And let’s not forget about laying witness to the majestic beauty of a sperm whale off the coast of Kaikoura.
Wait, did you say you enjoy wine? They have some of THE best in the world....how do I know? Because how could I go all the way to New Zealand and not visit a winery or two. New Zealand offers the deliciousness of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, Merlot and many more!
I really could go on and on, but no need if you're reading this you already KNOW you want to explore this part of the world. I would love to help you create the best version of New Zealand for you!
Australia
Let me start by saying, I have been wanting to go to Australia since I was a child. Why you ask? Well to pet a kangaroo of course! And I did! Not only did I pet kangaroos, but I fed 4 simultaneously! It was a childhood dream come true, and I cannot wait to go back and repeat the experience.
I was in Sydney during the spectacular International lights and music festival, Vivid Sydney. It was their 10th year, and all I've got to say is WOW! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought Australia would be so perfect to visit during their winter season. Although being from Minnesota it was more like our fall temperatures. So again, perfect! It was extra special to experience VIVID Sydney and see the iconic Sydney Opera House light up. If you travel during this time of year, it truly is a must see.
The Blue Mountains region of Australia was truly lovely to walk amongst. Then headed to Hunter Valley (to locals known as "The Hunter") where wine in this region was flowing plentifully and was quite delicious!
After making a visit to Australia I now understand why many choose to go there for 2 - 4 weeks on a vacation. It's truly hard to grasp the sheer size of Australia until you have been there yourself. To give you an idea, think about the USA. Sydney would be in Florida; Cairns (Great Barrier Reef) would be in Maine; Uluru (Ayers Rock) would be in Kansas; Melbourne would be New Orleans; and Perth would be Los Angeles.
If you're looking to visit the world's largest Great Barrier Reef, immerse yourself in Aboriginal communities, swim with whale sharks or gaze upon the Uluru (Ayers Rock) the possibilities really are endless in Australia!
Together we'll create your dream trip to Australia that you'll remember for the rest of your days!
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Bali - Photo Courtesy of Villas of Distinction
Advantages of a Villa
You may not realize that you can actually get anywhere from one-bedroom penthouses to a vast 42-bedroom estates in over 50 destinations around the world. Villas are not just for multi-generational, celebration travel or corporate incentive groups.
Here are some of the advantages of vacationing villa style …
Value:
There is incredible value in renting a villa! Dollar for dollar when you compare a luxury resort to a villa - per night a villa is usually going to be less expensive. Food and beverage costs tend to be significantly lower in a villa.
Note: Costs vary by destination
Cleanliness:
Our villa partners have always had strict cleaning protocols following the VRMA Standards.
The guidelines include recommendations for augmenting existing cleaning programs to account for COVID-19, including:
- Disinfection and sanitization techniques
- Proper use of personal protective equipment
- Recommended products, cleaning agents and equipment
- Updated cleaning and inspection processes for soft surfaces, upholstery and linens
- Trash removal and maintenance processes
- Communicating expanded cleaning processes to guests
For more information visit: https://www.vrma.org/page/covid-19-cleaning-guidelines-1639
Privacy:
Privacy is a priority reason clients will seek out a villa experience. Especially now in a post Covid-19 world, you'll be minimizing your risk when staying at a villa as you'll only be with people you know and are generally already around.
Locations:
The preferred company we work with isn't looking to have the most villas, just the best villas that follow protocols. All of their properties are properly assessed to ensure quality and service to give excellent client satisfaction.
Here are their current locations offered:
- Caribbean: Majority of Caribbean Islands offer villa options.
- Mexico: Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta/Punta Mita & Riviera Maya
- Africa: South Africa
- Asia: Indonesia, Sri Lanka & Thailand
- South Pacific: French Polynesia & Fiji
- Europe: Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Spain & Switzerland
- United States: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Montana, New York, Nevada, North Carolina & Utah
- Central America: Belize, Costa Rica & Panama
Food & Beverage:
There are a few different ways to approach food & beverages in a villa stay. You can either pay a small fee to pre-stock the villa or you can shop on your own upon arrival. The most popular way though is to have it stocked up for the first few days, then decide what they want for the rest of the week. The fee will vary, depending on the location however it's a very reasonable cost and then you'll pay normal grocery store pricing for your items.
Another option is you request a personal chef who will either plan the menu for the whole week. You can plan with the chef or a combination of both.
Unique Experiences:
The experiences you can have within your own villa, truly are endless! No matter if you're looking for live yoga classes, yacht experiences, massages, pedicures/manicures, a DJ or live music, fireworks display, catered food events and MORE! Any experience you can think of odds are they can pull it together for you. You are allowed creative control to fully customize YOUR ideal villa experience with just you, your friends & family.
Here are just a few examples of popular customizations:
- Caribbean & Mexico: Renting boats, catamaran cruises, -in-villa Reggae band, deep sea fishing, etc.
- Europe: Authentic pizza making or cooking classes in-villa, cheese tours or cheese making experiences in Italy. Private jeep safaris, deep sea fishing tours, world-class golf in Portugal. Exploring little towns in Spain. We can also help do private tours of top attractions, custom tours, and of course lots of wine, food, and art classes!
- United States: Private Skiing in Utah or Colorado, Deep Sea Fishing in Maine or Connecticut or surfing lessons in California. Maybe in villa character dining in Orlando? Why not a perfectly catered party that will leave your guests talking about it for a lifetime? If you’ve got your passport, you can even take a day-trip to the Bahamas from Miami!
- Central America: Private Rainforest or zip-lining adventures, in villa wellness and spa treatments, private in-villa or beach side yoga practice. Much is done around nature and wellness in Costa Rica & Belize.
- Asia: Private Shopping & nightlife in Bali plus Scuba diving lessons, private tours & guided meditations.
- South Africa: In-villa Spa treatments made from authentic eco-friendly products, wine tours & safari experiences.
- South Pacific: Private Black Pearl Farm tour, diving and coastal fishing tours.
Multi-Generational/Celebration Travel:
There is just something truly special about bringing your family & friends together for a celebration! No matter if it's a milestone birthday or anniversary, a family reunion, wedding or even a corporate retreat. A villa can give you that private an intimate experience you seek.
Ready to vacation villa style? I can help!