Paul Croughton
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From The Sunday Times
February 17, 2008
20 top villas - with extras
Treehouse, inside-outside pool, nanny, outdoor cinema... it’s amazing what can be yours
So, you’re renting a villa this year, are you? Sounds lovely, with its own pool and a barbecue and nice white walls, but, let’s be honest, it’s not really going to spark envious looks at the local supermarket, now is it?
What you want is a villa with the X factor, a holiday home with an add-on. So here are our favourite rental properties around the world that come with added envy, guaranteed. Make sure you take plenty of pictures ...
Prices are for a week’s rental, based on full occupancy. Flights are not included, unless stated, in which case they are from London
FULL-SIZE ANTIQUE SNOOKER TABLE
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Château Bernede, Gers
Sleeps 12 Set in 120 acres of private lawns, gardens and forest, this chateau in the foothills of the Pyrenees drips with Jeeves-and-Wooster charm. It has two games rooms, one with table tennis, the other with a full-size antique snooker table, while in the grounds outside are a badminton court and a trampoline. Once your energy has been expended, you can gather around the grand piano in the formal salon for a singsong before dinner.
The damage: from £3,935, with The Gascony Secret (www.gascony-secret.com ). Pau is 30 miles away: fly there with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com ).
INSIDE-OUTSIDE SWIMMING POOL
Zouzouni Villa, Cephalonia
Sleeps 2 How about a modern but romantic hideaway, based around an infinity pool that curves round the building, then invites itself inside, right up to your floor-to-ceiling glass bedroom door? Which means you can rise from your slumber and enter the pristine water in one elegant splosh. The slick, minimal design gives a decadent sense of being the only guests in a brand-new boutique hotel – which would make us immediately want to run down the corridor naked. That’s probably just us. Though, as it’s just the two of you ...
The damage: from £2,000 in May to £3,000 in August, including return flights, transfers and seven days’ 4WD hire, with Exclusive Escapes (020 8605 3500, www.exclusiveescapes.co.uk ).
OBSERVATORY
Villa Ferraia, Tuscany
Sleeps 28 Ever sat outside at night, gazing up into the ink-black beyond, wishing you could get that bit closer to the diamonds that glint there? Well, on the ridiculous inventory of extras at the Villa Ferraia, near Monticiano, is an observatory with telescope. Not only that, the Astronomical Society of Siena will happily pop over and work the thing for you, giving you a private masterclass in all things Patrick Moore. Not keen on stargazing? Suit yourself. Riding, trout-fishing and hydro-massage are also on offer. And there’s a chef, who will serve you in the main dining hall (yes, hall). Siena is 20 minutes’ drive to the north, though, frankly, why you would want to leave the grounds is beyond me.
The damage: from £13,057 in April to £17,100 in August with To Tuscany (www.to-tuscany.co.uk ). Monticiano is 70 miles from Florence: fly there with Meridiana (0870 224 3711, www.meridiana.it ).
SPA
Palazzo Santa Croce, Amalfi
Sleeps 8
Tragically, you’ll have to make do with just the five levels of Santa Croce, but, from top to bottom, it does its best to take your mind off your hardship. The rooftop garden, with citrus and fig trees, and a shaded gazebo, will provide relief for the claustrophobic; the baroque bedrooms, with their panelled, frescoed ceilings and outsize mirrors, will ease your suffering slightly; but if it all gets too much, just trip down to the spa. Sorry, did I say spa? I meant pampering palace, with heated pool, fountains, lumbar and cervical massage jets (don’t ask), Turkish bath, sauna, massage room and relaxation lounge with plasma telly. Picasso and Steinbeck slummed it here, and survived the experience.
The damage: from £7,500 in March to £14,000 in July, with The Villa Book (020 7873 2111, www.thevillabook.com ). Naples is 50 miles away: fly there with Thomsonfly (www.thomsonfly.com ) or EasyJet (www.easyjet.com ).
PRIVATE RESTAURANT
Russian Amethyst Villa, Shoal Bay West, Anguilla
Sleeps 10 Hard to know where to begin here. Let’s start with the butler, who is on hand, no matter too small. Then there’s the barman, with whom you’ll be best of friends by the end of day one, the masseuse and the housekeeper. There’s even a pianist, who’ll do Chopsticks while you’re getting dressed. Oh, I forgot, a private chef, but – a great insult, this – you might forget about him, as the Altamer restaurant, which specialises in French and Caribbean cuisine, is right there, just for villa guests. Embarrassing, really, isn’t it?
The damage: from £15,278 in April to £21,289 in March, through Wimco (0870 850 1144, www.wimco.com ). Flights to Anguilla start at £640, with American Airlines (020 7365 0777, www.americanairlines.co.uk ), via New York and Puerto Rico. Or fly American to St Martin via New York (from £570) and take a 20-minute ferry.
TROUT-FISHING LAKE
Merlin Cottage, Beacon Hill Farm, Northumberland
Sleeps 4 Meg’s Lake, on Beacon Hill Farm, is stocked annually with rainbow trout, and guests can set up a rod and dip away. For those who actually want to catch something, there’s a resident fishing coach who can help with your cast. Use of the spa facilities, pool, tennis court and gym are all included in the price, and there’s clay-pigeon shooting and quad-biking nearby. The damage: from £435 in March to £1,255 in August. Call 01670 780900 or visit www.beaconhill.co.uk .
CINEMA
Villa Mirabel, Tarn-et-Garonne
Sleeps 2 The great thing about luxury is not having to share it with the riffraff. Want to watch a film, but not to listen to other people’s popcorn? No problem, as this converted barn and country house in Lauzerte comes with its own cinema, 13ft screen and DVD library. When you drag yourself outside, there’s also a 30ft pool, and the bedroom has views over the orchards. The nearby villages of Moissac and Lauzerte hold regular fêtes, boules competitions, farmers’ markets and music festivals.
The damage: from £500 in March to £700 in August, through Holiday Lets (01234 756945, www.holidaylets.net ). Toulouse is 34 miles away; airlines that fly there include Jet2 (0871 226 1737, www.jet2.com ) and EasyJet (www.easyjet.com ).
WINDMILL
La Badelle Moulin, Provence
Sleeps 6 This 18th-century windmill was still revolving until the 1930s, but has now been converted into a quaint villa. Surrounded by vineyards, with its own pool, it isn’t lavish accommodation, but its charm and views make up for the lack of an ensuite spa or boat-driving butler service. Tennis courts and the ancient but lovely hilltop village of Goult are both a few minutes away. The damage: from £840 in March to £1,995 in August, with Abercrombie & Kent (0845 070 0618, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk ). Avignon is 25 miles away: fly there with Jet2 (www.jet2.com ) or Flybe (0871 700 2000, www.flybe.com ).
TWO NANNIES
Quinta do Calma, Algarve
Sleeps 12 There’s plenty to keep you quiet here – solar-heated swimming pool, Moroccan loggia relaxation area – but it’s not always easy to get the kids to see things in equally chilled terms, which is where the two fully qualified nannies who come with the property prove invaluable. They double up as activity organisers if required, arranging outings and competitions for older kids.
The damage: from £8,995 in March to £13,035 in August, based on six adults and six children, including chef, host, nannies and all meals, with Scott Dunn (020 8682 5040, www.scottdunn.com ). Faro is 15 miles away; fly there with BMI Baby (0871 224 0224, www.bmibaby.com ) or Flythomascook (www.flythomascook.com ).
TREEHOUSE Perché dans le Perche, Normandy Sleeps 5 Not so much a villa, this one, as a treehouse that thinks it’s a villa. Slap-bang in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche, in southern Normandy, Perché is a split-level homestead halfway up a sweet chestnut tree that graciously wraps its branches round the property. With two bedrooms, a shower, internet access and panoramic views of the French countryside from the terrace, it’s ideal for a family (with up to three kids), and breakfast is thrown in. Oh, and it’s no smoking, obviously.
The damage: from £589 for two people, rising to £889 for five people, year-round, with Holiday Lettings (01865 312000, www.holidaylettings.co.uk ). Tours is 80 miles away; fly there with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com ).
VILLAGE Castelnau des Fieumarcon, Gascony Sleeps 69 Perfect for weddings – or just for one hell of a knees-up – this extraordinary village is available for hire (it can be split into three if you don’t know 68 people). There are 12 houses, sleeping between two and nine, and each room has its own feel: some have alcove beds heated with a brass warmer in winter; others are suites with sitting rooms; more have ensuite with huge showers; others still have cots and smaller beds for kids. The village is also home to a church, a converted stable that serves as a reception room, a library, plenty of pianos, a tennis court and a heated pool. And there’s a professional wedding planner on tap.
The damage: £47,460 for the entire village (minimum stay two nights), with Big Domain (01326 240028, www.thebigdomain.com ). The village can be split into three for smaller groups, on a pro rata basis. Carcassonne is 40 miles away; fly there with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com ).
ALFRESCO ROLL-TOP BATH Magic Cottage, Takou River, North Island, New Zealand Sleeps 2 Boring, aren’t they, baths? Once your arms get tired and you’ve dipped the bottom of the paper into the bubbles for the fourth time, you’re stuck there, pruning, staring at the crack in the ceiling and listening to the gurgle of the overflow. Plunge yourself instead into the antique beauty on the deck of the ambitiously named Magic Cottage. Hidden from view, you can stare at your ceiling of stars, listen to the burble of the river as it runs past your feet and contemplate your luxury surroundings, your super-king-size bed, your solar-powered lighting, your own private swimming hole, your private river frontage, your canoes bobbing in front of you, your dinner sizzling on the barbie. There are a few more romantic spots in New Zealand, but they don’t come with bubble bath.
The damage: £534 per night; call 00 64 9407 8065 or visit www.takouriver.com . Auckland is a 3½hr drive away, Kerikeri 25min. Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.co.uk ) flies to Auckland, via LA, from £640, and Kerikeri, via LA and Auckland, from £720.
SKIPPERED MOTOR CRUISER Albanda Island Retreat, Sovalye, Turkey Sleeps 6 This spectacular four-storey house is surrounded on three sides by water, which is why having your own boat is a fine idea. The 36ft-long beauty will ferry you around the islands, and take you on a day-long cruise to explore the Gulf of Fethiye and the Gocek islands. Back on dry land, you’ll find terrace decks galore, glass walls and beautiful waterfront views everywhere you look. There’s also a bath with sea view, in case you didn’t get enough of the water on your private beach.
The damage: from £4,398 in May to £7,902 in July, including flights, transfers and two days’ car hire, with Exclusive Escapes (020 8605 3500, www.exclusiveescapes.co.uk ).
ANDALUSIAN STUD FARM Villa Barco, Umbria Sleeps 8 Guests at this secluded property on the sprawling Castello di Reschio estate have access to a stable of purebred horses, and the resident groomers and guides will take you out on the trails in the surrounding hills. The estate also has a five-star concierge service – which will take care of food – drivers and several maids, and cookery courses at the local restaurant can be arranged. On site are mountain-bike trails, a tennis court and a floodlit Astroturf pitch, not to mention the usual boring old infinity pool, with views of fields and woodland.
The damage: from £9,660 in March to £11,620 in August, with Abercrombie & Kent (0845 070 0618, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk ). Perugia is 35 miles away; fly there with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com ).
SUNKEN MEDITATION AREA Casa do Ingles, Algarve Sleeps 10 After a hard day’s stroll through the cute riverside town of Tavira, or a punishing afternoon lounging by your private pool, you may find the pace of life at Casa do Ingles just too frenetic for words. Which is when you’ll be grateful for the villa’s hidden heart – a sunken, circular area of calm, largely sheltered from the rest of the accommodation, where you can “Om” undisturbed until your equilibrium has been restored. Poor love.
The damage: from £1,195 in March to £2,995 in August, with Vintage Travel (0845 344 0460, www.vintagetravel.co.uk ). For flights to the Algarve, see above.
ALFRESCO LIVING ROOM Mara Enkipai House, Kenya Sleeps 8 You need to be sociable to get the most out of Mara Enkipai, in the Masai Mara, on account of the neighbours, who ... well, let’s just say they’re friendly. But as those neighbours happen to be elephants and hippos, visitors tend not to mind them splashing about in the Mara River, at the bottom of the garden. This is the former home of the anthropologist and author Jacqueline Roumeguère Eberhardt, who left her diplomat husband to elope with a Masai warrior and study the tribe’s culture. It’s charming, with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a staff of guide (with vehicle), cook, nanny and housekeeper, and a lounge area by the river – the perfect place to read a book while waiting for the neighbours to drop by.
The damage:£1,700, year-round, with Holiday Lettings (01865 312000, www.holidaylettings. co.uk ). Fly to Nairobi with Kenya Airways (01784 888222, www.kenya-airways.com ) or British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com ); from £470.
AN EASEL Mellow Brook Cottage, Cheshire Sleeps 6 A converted 17th-century barn on Harrop Fold Farm, this cottage has stone-clad floors and exposed timbers. But the real draw is what goes on next door – day-long art classes with Michael Moore (not that one), a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild. You start from scratch in the morning and, fortified by lunch and cakes, you’ll have finished your masterpiece by the end of the day, when it’ll be framed, ready to adorn the nearest wall. The damage: from £350 in February to £500 in the school holidays; art classes from £85. Call 01625 560085 or visit www.harropfoldfarm.co.uk .
YOGI Baraka Point, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands Sleeps 14 (10 adults max) This one’s a cracker for action types, with four mountain bikes, two sea kayaks, 10 snorkel sets and a fitness room, all waiting for you to abuse them. Once you’ve warmed up, you can enjoy the attention of your private yoga and Pilates teacher in the villa’s Balinese pavilion. Breathe and smile, everybody, breathe and smile ...
The damage: from £9,848 in September to £17,172 in February, through Wimco (0870 850 1144, www.wimco.co.uk ). Fly to the British Virgin Islands with American Airlines (020 7365 0777, www.americanairlines.co.uk ), via New York and Puerto Rico; from £620.
WINE CELLAR Villa Verriere, Cape Town Sleeps 8 In 2007, South African wines scored 12 gold medals at the International Wine Challenge in London. Of those, two came from the Kleine Zalze wine estate, in the Stellenbosch area. Villa Verriere sits merrily in the middle of this rich vineyard country, and has its own wine cellar, in which tastings can be organised. So, if you indulge in a little surreptitious swallowing, there’s (a) nobody to tell you off and (b) not far to go to bed. In fact, there are 106 wine estates within a half-hour radius, so you’ll not go thirsty, and the award-winning Terroir restaurant is nearby. The villa also has a home cinema and a 12-seater spa bath.
The damage: from £1,610 in May to £3,185 in January, with The Villa Book (020 7873 2111, www.thevillabook.com ). Fly to Cape Town with BA (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com ), Virgin Atlantic (0870 380 2007, www.virgin-atlantic.com ) or South African Airways (0870 747 1111, www.flysaa.com ); from about £750.
OUTDOOR CINEMA Bournella, Corfu Sleeps 2 Designed as an adults-only retreat, and tucked out of the way in olive groves outside the village of Aghios Marcos, this modern but traditionally designed stone villa has a wood-burning stove and a gymnasium, but the real treat is the 10ft outdoor screen by the infinity pool – so you can have Jaws dumdum, dumdum, dumduming right behind you as you finish your last length.
The damage: from £1,249 in May to £2,499 in August, with Meon Villas (0870 901 4011, www.meonvillas.co.uk ). Airlines flying to Corfu include Flythomascook (www.flythomascook.com) and XL Airways (0871 911 4220, www.xl.com).
The commission is a lot higher in most cases. A relative of mine rented her villa through one of the main villa rental companies and received between £1,000 and £2,000 per week but found out that they had it in their brochure for up to £10,000 per week - the only addition they made was to provide daily maid service which was around £100 a week cost to them!
Emma, London,
I actually have stayed in a couple of these and used a couple of the companies mentioned - However I know that these properties have about a 30-40% commission fee loaded into the price which sticks a little in my throat.
I think customers should feel comfortable in asking what commission they are paying over and above the owners net price. If they don't want to answer then ask yourself why :-)
I actually asked the manager of a company called 'Luxurybreaks' that very question and was answered honestly - "15-20% depending on the property and its location."
When I asked why I was impressed with the response - that it was an "insurance policy" in respect to peace of mind - how many properties do you see advertised by owners direct to the public and then hear stories of what a dump they turned out to be having been seduced by clever photography etc. And when disatisfied try getting some compensation out of them and think of the internal arguments at home as to who chose the place!
Andrew Forbes-Hamilton, London, London
Hi Nick,
More possibilities for you if you look at the non-agent/local agent ones first.
Thanks
Catherine
Catherine, london,