Archive for September, 2010

St. Tropez Cited as One of the World’s Top Honeymoon Hideaways

Friday, September 24th, 2010
France, as chosen by Vogue and Mr & Mrs Smith, is a luxury villa rental paradise for newlyweds.
What do people look for in a honeymoon destination? Privacy and romance, usually, adventure sometimes, and luxury in most cases. According to Vogue Australia and elite travel site Mr and Mrs Smith,one of the best places to get all of the above is a classic choice: France. While Paris has been done to death by honeymooners for generations, the South of France remains an idyllic getaway destination for those looking to bask in their fresh nuptial happiness. “Prefer a sexy yet stylish beach getaway? The French Riviera is for you. The coast that defined seaside glamour is still a balmy playground, equally endowed with look-at-me glitz and laid-back cool,” Mr and Mrs Smith explains to Vogue. “Fancy something a little more cutting-edge?” they ask, then St. Tropez is where you and your honey need to be.

Luxury Travel Destinations Beset by Concierge Scams

Saturday, September 18th, 2010
Looking into luxury villa rentals with extra perks? Be careful who you sign up with

On the heels of the recent St. Tropez luxury villa rental frauds comes word that vacationers in high-end destinations are being preyed on in yet another way. According to The New York Post one Russian billionaire was duped out of 10,000 Euros by a concierge hired to make his time away the vacation of his dreams.

Most people who turn to luxury villa rentals for their vacations are looking for more privacy and luxury that your usual five-star hotel offers, but they also want the added perks of services like housekeeping and onsite laundry. Unfortunately, despite what some advertise, most luxury villa rentals don’t come with these extras. At best what you’ll find once you arrive is an estate agent who is generally unequipped to provide the kind of services that guests require. Another option is to hire an independent concierge service to fulfil your needs during your luxury villa rental stay, but even then it’s difficult to know what you’re getting and on what kind of a timeline.

The majority of people hoping for a memorable luxury villa rental vacation in gorgeous places like St. Tropez or Miami don’t want to have to worry about mundane tasks like cleaning or doing laundry, tasks that with most villas will fall squarely to them. If not that then the adventure of trying to find a housekeeper or cook in a foreign locale during high season will. Neither seems particularly appealing when one is hoping for a relaxing, luxurious getaway. Worse still is the reality that hiring a concierge service to fulfil your needs while you’re away from home can lead you to being duped out of large sums of money. There are many concierge horror stories floating around from harried concierges attempting to serve the needs of several renters at the same time to services promised but never rendered. (more…)

Is Lincoln Road Miami’s New Up and Coming Area?

Sunday, September 12th, 2010
Those Vacationing in Miami Beach Luxury Villa Rentals May Want to Check Out What All the Fuss is About with 1111 Lincoln Road and its Neighbors

Lincoln Road in South Beach is one of those rare pedestrian-only streets in a city of cars and traffic that reminds one of Barcelona’s tourist-trap Las Ramblas in many ways. Except now several companies, developers, and designers have moved in to rethink Lincoln Road and regentrify the area, producing buildings, stores, and restaurants meant to usher in a new era for the foot traffic on this road. Real estate developer Robert Wennett’s 1111 Lincoln Road is the biggest and showiest of the projects here and seeks to “further Miami’s international prominence as a 21st-century destination for art, commerce, and culture.” While Wennett has managed to pull in several international retailers for his multi-purpose building, it remains to be seen if he will have the same success with Lincoln Road as he has had with his other projects, like the Meatpacking District in Manhattan. If you’re planning a vacation in one of Miami’s luxury villa rentals you may want to head down to Lincoln Road to see for yourself the evolution currently taking place here. (more…)

Miami Beach In October: Fashion, Wine, and the Prelude to Luxury Villa Rental Season

Saturday, September 4th, 2010
Fashion, wine, and the prelude to Luxury Villa Rental season make for a great Fall South Beach getaway.

As the summer season draws to a close, that doesn’t mean all ideas of vacation need flee until winter. In many locations, as seen in St. Tropez, autumn is the perfect time to visit. Usually you will find less of a crowd and, in the case of Miami Beach, some great events to help pass the time when you’re not whiling away the hours poolside at your luxury villa rental. In October alone, the city of Miami is hosting two great events that shouldn’t be missed if you’re vacationing there at the time. In fact, they’re pretty great reasons to plan a jaunt to Miami in October, even if you had no prior plans to visit. (more…)