Archive for April, 2011

What’s Hot in Travel for 2011? Classic Destinations

Saturday, April 9th, 2011

Villazzo’s “V” Villa Sogno di Luce in Classic St. Tropez
While many magazines, newspapers and tour operators are constantly touting the hot new thing and far-flung destinations as the epitome of luxury travel, it seems that the trend is now going in the opposite direction. While the lure of the new and undiscovered will always hold some appeal, it seems that the well-heeled are constantly being drawn back to their tried and true vacation haunts like St. Tropez and Ibiza, and exclusive accommodations like luxury villa rentals. Or so claims Nota Bene, the bespoke, membership-only travel management service.
Villazzo’s VillaHotel Nathalie, St. Tropez
In a recent article in the Huffington Post, Nota Bene’s Anthony Lassman expounds on what he sees as the true trends where luxury travel is concerned. Namely that everything old is new again. “Why are the media so focused on the new? Why do upmarket weekend supplements assume we are no longer interested in the traditional ‘watering holes’; ready to forsake them for new pastures, new hotels and the so-called ‘hot’ destinations?” Lassman asks. “How much of this is true and what are the current most popular vacation choices of the international cognoscenti?”
Villazzo’s “V” Villa Pompea, Capri
The answer, it seems, is the same naturally beautiful, exclusive places that have drawn the wealthy for decades. Places like St. Tropez and Capri in the summer, and Aspen during the winter, will never lack visitors. And while there will always be a market for so-called experimental travel (like “Mongolia’s Gobi Desert [or] Norway’s remote terrains” according to Lassman), not much beats landing a luxury villa in St. Tropez during the peak months. If your luxury villa rental also happens to have VillaHotel Service–basically the advantages of a five-star hotel in the privacy of your own “home”–then so much the better.
Of luxury travelers Lassman writes: “They still want to ski in Aspen, St Moritz, Gstaad and Courchevel over New Years…have summers in the Hamptons, St. Tropez, Ibiza, Capri and Mykonos. One year Ibiza may have more pull over Mykonos; Gstaad may be more popular than Courchevel…but, in overall terms, the jet set locations will continue to attract the same audiences over the holidays, in peak periods and for key sporting events” Lassman writes. “So, while the undiscovered is exciting, it is unlikely to replace the old.”
The pull of the classics like St. Tropez and Ibiza is strong, so booking your luxury villa rental early is definitely recommended if you’re looking forward to a summer getaway in 2011. Visit http://www.villazzo.com/ for more information about top notch, stunning vacation villas. Choose between Villazzo’s VillaHotels, with their five-star amenities and private butler services, and the “V” Villas that offer more flexibility and independence for your luxury European vacation.