Monday, January 29, 2007

Discover the Luxury of Private Villa Rentals

When most of us travel, our minds normally squander into the typical process of selecting a destination, time, and arrangements. You get an idea or a vision of where you would like to relax or escape. Once it is decided where and when, we go through the process of selecting a hotel or resort property. For a select few, they already know that the most luxurious locales in the world are best appreciated in the solitude and exclusivity of a luxury villa.

Perhaps many don’t realize that those places you’ve seen on TV and in movies - the ones where many say “It must be nice to have a place like that” - perched up on some exotic hillside can be had for a while by even the most frugal travelers. Remember the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” What if I told you that you and your spouse, family, or group could have your own Italian villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea for not much more than you’d pay for a 3 star hotel? Well it is true. Those images you’ve had in your head can be your reality, even if only for a few days. You’ve seen the images; an elegant chalet with twenty foot pillars garnishing the front entrance. The driveway is paved in beautifully aged cobblestones. The house looks like a miniature palace - as white as any marble could ever be - adorns the emerald green hillside on which it is perched. No other building in site. The rear facade looks over the hill to the sea which is as blue as the depths of Fred Astaire’s eyes. There is a large pool here, which at just the right angles seemingly runs directly into that sea. But it is only optical illusion.

Aside from satisfying the need to escape, staying in a villa for your vacation offers several other advantages to a conventional hotel stay.

Expense

If you’re traveling in a small group of 4 to 20 people, the charges associated with your stay may be shared amongst all the travelers, versus getting multiple hotel rooms to accommodate everyone.

Exclusivity

Almost 70% of all the villa rental properties are somewhat isolated from other properties. Enjoy yourselves at your leisure without having to be concerned with hotel management sending someone to knock on your door requesting that you to quiet down.

Room

You will be staying in anything from a cabin up to a small mansion, affording the traveler a vast amount of space to frolic - a feature which most hotels cannot match.

Accommodations

Many of the villas offered feature private pools exclusively for you and your guests only. Guests may have individual rooms and shared living quarters in they all may congregate -kitchens, entertainment, and dining rooms.

So when planning your next vacation, consider the advantages of a villa rental. Your travel agent may be of great assistance to you in locating a property which will fit your needs and desires. Take time to carefully consider those you will be traveling with, as you will be stuck in the same quarters for some time. Many villas will be large enough to provide room to escape from bothersome co-travelers, but you want to make sure that your relationships are stable enough to stand being shacked up together for a few days. There should be transportation for everyone to escape without hindering the ability of others to trek around as well.