Private, Personalized, Perfect: What Travelers Want in Their Luxury Villa Stays
Imagine arriving in St. Barths, where a sleek hilltop villa awaits, complete with panoramic views of the turquoise sea, an infinity pool framed by lush gardens, and interiors curated with designer furnishings and contemporary art.
Photo: Rental Escapes
Imagine arriving in St. Barths, where a sleek hilltop villa awaits, complete with panoramic views of the turquoise sea, an infinity pool framed by lush gardens, and interiors curated with designer furnishings and contemporary art. Each day begins with a gourmet breakfast prepared by your private chef. The afternoon brings spa treatments on the terrace or a yacht charter arranged by your dedicated concierge. At sunset, you relax with cocktails by the firepit and a curated wine-pairing gastronomic experience under the stars. At a luxury villa stay, this elevated level of service is the standard.
Luxury travelers around the world seek personalized, private, and immersive experiences—and villa stays provide a superb answer. From ultra-curated escapes for couples to multigenerational getaways, today’s high-end clients expect a beautiful property, but they also want seamless service, elevated amenities, and the kind of exclusivity that rivals the world’s best resorts.
We asked top travel advisors to share what their clients want and how they deliver unforgettable stays that go far beyond the ordinary.
The Must-Haves
First, what do luxury travelers most desire as they are whisked away to their luxury villa?
“Aside from the beautiful views, privacy, spacious accommodations, and sparkling private pools, most travelers appreciate the attentiveness and accessibility of the staff on site. From chefs to butlers to in-house concierge team to housekeeping, your wishes are their desire to fulfill,” says Jade Williams, chief experience officer, Travel with Gem.
As for the must-have amenities or services, she says, “the most requested service is the chef, as they often serve welcome and farewell dinners along with a brunch. Next, is ensuring daily housekeeping services. The most considered amenities are a pool, sound system, and air conditioning!”
Concierge Services Required
Concierge teams tailor every aspect of the stay—from private chefs and in-villa spa treatments to curated excursions—making travelers feel seen and catered to. They connect guests with exclusive local experiences (think a private wine tasting at a vineyard or a dinner prepared by a local chef), transforming a good trip into a one-of-a-kind memory.
Williams further explains the role that concierge services and personalization play, and how she helps to facilitate that for her clients: “Concierge services are the differentiator and what sets the travel advisor and villa company apart. I take pride in arranging not only excursions in destination, but also day trips, restaurant reservations, club/lounge tables, photographers, spa appointments, transfers, decorators, etc.
“Over the past 10 years, I’ve built strong relationships with suppliers and vendors across the world that work with me to plan the most memorable experiences for my clients. It’s the special touches that make the trip feel complete and special—and yearning for your next vacation.”
Catherine Whitworth, CTA, travel advisor, Brownell Travel, agrees with the significance of concierge services: “Concierge service is a huge factor for us. The ability to arrange everything from airport fast track—if available, airport transfers, car rental delivered to the villa, daily activities if wanted. Everything all arranged and established, so the guest does not have to worry about any detail. Just enjoy their stay.”
Different From Luxury Resorts
It is important to understand that,unlike luxury hotels and resorts, villas do not have onsite staff by default, so a dedicated concierge bridges that gap, ensuring elevated service quality and peace of mind throughout the stay.
And while some resorts have villa and multi-bedroom accommodations, it is the added layer of privacy that differentiates the villa stay.
Additionally, depending on the number of adults, a villa can also be more cost-effective, as the overall cost per room can be less than that of a 5-star resort.
Tailoring Villa Recommendations
Travel advisors play a critical role in tailoring villa recommendations to match the unique preferences of luxury clients, whether they are families, couples, or groups.
Williams recommends: “When selecting a villa, the style, layout, and location are most important. When it comes to style, it can be modern or more traditional—colorful or clean sleek lines. Layout and bed setups matter. Is it all king beds? Is it bunk beds? Are there enough bathrooms? Are there a lot of steps or does it have an elevator? Is it close to nearby attractions and restaurants or is it super secluded and further away from the things that matter most to your client? These are all important things to consider.”
And for Whitworth, “The most essential component to villa rental is having a good amount of options and the villa rental’s level of concierge service. The company I work with most often has a very responsive rental contact, an impeccable concierge service, and they offer a great many worldwide rental options that are well located and exclusive to the area. Hard to beat.”
Examples Please
Let’s end with examples of luxury villas stays that our experts recently booked. Consider it fodder for our travel advisor readers to get the creative juices flowing.
Whitworth describes: “We booked a 12-bedroom villa for a family of 10, with stunning gardens (often used for weddings) in Sicily. It had a terrific onsite chef, security, housekeeping staff, and the villa concierge service was impeccable. We planned an afternoon activity every day, including an onsite cooking class per the client’s wishes, and the family loved it. Every detail was carefully planned, and they had a flawless experience. We see that villa in a lot of magazine wedding publicity, which is fun. It was around July 4th, an American family, and Mount Etna erupted on the morning of July 4th. The family is still talking about it.”
Williams relays another example: “The memorable stay started the day before arrival with a personalized welcome video for the group. Once they arrived, their butler took care of all their needs from ordering food delivery to arranging their transfers around town. Each day the team set up their pool and beach area with towels, drinks and umbrellas. The clients left their villa vacation super appreciative of the experience and the onsite team. The actual villa was beyond their expectation and they fully enjoyed themselves.”
The Opportunity
Discriminating travelers expect personalization, privacy, and high-touch service with every luxury villa stay. For travel advisors, the opportunity lies in carefully and creatively curating these elevated experiences. When done right, a villa stay is more than a place to sleep. It becomes the centerpiece of an unforgettable journey.
FROM THE SPONSOR:
Rental Escapes is a full-service luxury villa company that prides itself in providing top-notch personalized service and unforgettable villa experiences. The company offers a hand-picked selection of more than 5,000 carefully vetted and curated private rentals in over 175 destinations across the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, the United States, and beyond. Its team of highly trained villa specialists assist guests and travel advisors in planning and booking the ideal villa stay. In addition, every reservation is provided with a concierge service to take care of arranging everything from private chefs to boat charters.
