![]() From the fresh alpine air to warm sunshine shores, from the highest peaks to hidden beaches. It can be hard to choose between mountain or beach, winter or warmth, ski or swim. Which is why our travel experts have compiled a list of the most desirable luxury vacation rentals around the world. Inspired by golden shores, rugged clifftops and mountainous ranges, there’s a destination for everyone in this contrasting list of unbeatable properties. |
Magnificent MountainsIf you’re looking to change your scenery completely with outdoor adventure and total escapism, there’s no better refuge than the mountains. Calm and crisp, high and mighty, there’s something inviting about the highest peaks that beckons traveler’s year after year. Whether it’s for adventure travel, getting back to nature or just getting away, there’s many reasons why a mountain break could be the right choice.
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Blissful BeachesIf you’re more in tune with the gentle sounds of crashing waves and sand between your toes, then a beach holiday may be more suited to you. There’s certainly no end of choice when it comes to white sands and turquoise waters – the challenge is finding somewhere unspoiled and undiscovered.
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Whether you’re seeking magnificent mountains or beautiful beaches, Global Luxury Villas offers unrivaled luxury in some of the most desirable locations in the world. |
Archive for October, 2018
MOUNTAIN VERSUS BEACH – WHICH ONE’S FOR YOU?
Wednesday, October 24th, 2018Posted in Aspen, French Alps, Global Luxury Villas, Luxury Travel, Miami, St Barts, Travel, Turks & Caicos | 454 Comments »
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT CHILL IN ST BARTH
Saturday, October 20th, 2018
![]() A jewel in the ever-gleaming turquoise Caribbean shores, St Barth is a truly exceptional island that should be visited at least once in a lifetime. And staying in a St Barth luxury villa is the only way to visit, for a truly memorable trip. A popular destination all-year round, visitors come here for the tranquility, unspoiled natural beauty, world-class villas of St Barth and a warm Caribbean welcome. It’s the go-to destination for total relaxation and chill, with stylish boutique dwellings to match. If in any doubt of its restorative qualities, or you need tempting any further, read on… |
Beach LifeThere are 14 pristine beaches on St Barth which are never crowded, even in peak season. These are places of sanctuary and chill, where impossibly white sands meet delightfully blue waters. When in search of total relaxation, any one of its five-star beaches lend themselves perfectly to a touch of calm and serenity. Although Colombier Beach is the most popular, Saline beach is a favorite with locals, for its laid-back style. Here you can enjoy postcard-perfect views, brilliant white stretches of beach and a local rum punch, while enjoying the blissful weather.
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Watch the World Go ByThis is an island where you can sit back and watch the world go by. For total chill, the Pink Parrot Beach Bar at St. Jean Beach provides a fabulous backdrop to unwind with a good book in one hand, glass of something bubbly in the other!
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Sail AwayThere’s nothing more calming and restorative than the gentle lapping of waves. Luckily, you’re in the right place for every kind of water sport, or transport vessel imaginable! Head over to Gustavia Harbour for boat hire and catamaran tours of the island, it’s what St Barth life is all about!
So, there you have it, three good reasons to head to St Barth for the ultimate chilled and chic holiday. |
For an unforgettable vacation, Villazzo offers a wide selection of St Barth’s luxury villas to complete your stay. With outstanding customer service and an unrivaled portfolio of properties, you’re guaranteed a five-star break. |
Posted in Luxury Travel, St Barts, Travel | 452 Comments »
THE INTERVIEW SERIES:
CHRISTIAN JAGODZINSKI – CEO, VILLAZZO
Wednesday, October 10th, 2018
![]() In our latest interview series, we’re delighted to provide a rare glimpse into the world of Christian Jagodzinski, founder of Villazzo and widely celebrated tech entrepreneur. An innovator ahead of his time, Jagodzinski made a name for himself in his early twenties launching ‘Telebook’ – Germany’s first fully automated online retailer. The business was snapped up by Amazon and became Amazon Germany. After working as a Director for Amazon for a while, realizing a need to fulfil his entrepreneurial spirit, Christian took an extended sabbatical to travel the world. It was during this time he discovered an untapped niche in the market; premium luxury villas with all the trappings of five-star hotels, for the ultimate vacation. Bringing his passion for luxury travel together with his technical prowess, Villazzo was born. |
Q: You grew up in Germany and now live in Miami where Villazzo is based. This isn’t your typical Silicon Valley start-up, tell us a bit about how you came to reside in Florida?I’ve always loved Florida, especially Miami Beach. The climate is perfect, it’s a cosmopolitan city with an international vibe and ‘happening’ buzz. It feels like a small resort town with a big city in its backyard! We used to have a small office here already in the late 1990s, long before it became the big international destination it is today. All our workers loved it and still do. Wherever you stay on South Beach, or any of its islands, you’re only ever minutes away from the water, the hottest restaurants, the beach and shops, as well as just 15 minutes from a major international airport hub. Tell me any other place in the world that has the same great set up? |
Q: Sixteen years’ on since it launched and Villazzo is still going strong. How do you keep up with an ever-changing online and travel landscape?We remain true to our core values that we launched with in 2002. These are to provide a five-star hotel service and management for select top-of-the-line vacation villas. Unfortunately, this hasn’t improved with the abundance of online villa booking sites, driven by price while compromising customer service. I fear that we have come to see the same cut-throat price competition in the villa market as we have in the airline industry, where customers are willing to give up luggage rather than pay $25 extra – it’s a short-sighted approach. You only have to look at the excellent service First-Class customers are given, to understand their loyalty to an airline. Despite fierce competition, premium flyers remain loyal to the provider they receive the best service from. That’s really our approach at Villazzo too. We deliver a First-Class experience to our customers (when booking online or with other agents), and the price difference is well worth it. |
Q: Tell me a bit about your day-to-day involvement in Villazzo and what your ‘job’ involves?At the start, I was very hands-on managing all the day-to-day operations, greeting clients and hand-picking the villas myself. I realized that in order to focus my efforts and expand the business, I needed to grow them team. Last year I was delighted to appoint Hanna Talaie as General Manager, who oversees everything now. I still care passionately about the business and work hard to uphold our high standards, so remain involved at a strategic level in my new role as Chairman. |
Q: And what is the most challenging part of your job?Two things come to mind. First of all, the technical side (website, app, client service systems) has become increasingly important in recent years. While I have a tech background, it remains a challenge to find good developers that can continue to pioneer. We invest a lot in new properties, this includes educating home owners on ‘the Villazzo approach’ to client and property management. It’s a skill we’ve honed over the past 16 years, which ultimately leads to a better experience for home owners and guests alike. |
Q: Villazzo lists Beyonce and Jay-Z, Madonna and Cristiano Ronaldo among its clients, is it just for the super wealthy?Villazzo-serviced villas do attract an elite customer, with the $5,000+ a night price tag they come with. Acknowledging this, we recently launched our sister company Global Luxury Villas where prices are much lower, and you have a ‘concierge’ service’ instead of a ‘VillaHotel’ service. This is sufficient for a range of clients, and still much better value than a pure online booking site. |
Q: What makes Villazzo stand-out from a five-star hotel, or another luxury villa rental company?We are completely unique. There is no other villa company in the world that offers the level of care and detail that we do. From our carefully curated list of villas and ‘VillaHotel Transformation’ process, to our dedicated service training. We have a reputation for offering the best properties with unrivalled customer service. While there are many outstanding hotels in the world, none of them can offer the sanctuary, space and privacy or our large estates at Villazzo. |
Q: What’s the most unusual request you’ve had to fulfill from a client!?This is one of the great parts of the job, where you can really make a difference to someone’s stay. We’ve emptied and refilled a 140ft pool (it took six days!) to ensure it was untouched. We furnished a complete villa with brand new mattresses costing $4,000 each, and once we even bought a Rolls Royce Phantom at short notice for a client, which we later shipped to his home in Europe! The most decadent request though, goes to one delightful guest who invited us to redecorate their villa for a quarter of a million dollars – the same value as the villa itself. That was a fun weekend for sure! |
![]() Q: If you had to pick a destination in the world for unrivalled luxury, where would you choose?One of the perks of the job is that Villazzo is made up of all my favorite destinations; Miami Beach, St. Tropez and Aspen. It’s hard to choose a personal favorite, but Courchevel in France is my go-to destination for skiing, while Mykonos is quickly becoming one of our worst kept secrets! It’s really blowing up in popularity, making now a great time to visit. |
Q: Do you have any insider tips for online rental bookings?If you can be flexible with timings, you can expect less than half price rates travelling off-peak. The downside though, is that you might miss out on all the action and buzz that make these destinations so great. Holidays are so important, and so brief, that they should be spent well. I can only advise renting luxury villas with Villazzo’s ‘VillaHotel’ service whenever possible, to guarantee an unforgettable vacation. It’s the main reason why I started Villazzo. |
Q: And finally, what’s next for Villazzo?As mentioned, we recently launched our sister brand ‘Global Luxury Villas’ by Villazzo, to offer concierge-serviced villa rentals around the world. While they don’t come with the full hotel setup and staffing as VillaHotels do, they are more affordable and in a greater variety of destinations too. We have also opened a Villazzo Investment Fund, to acquire properties with great potential that can make money through VillaHotel rentals in the meantime. |
Posted in Global Luxury Villas, Interviews, Luxury Travel, Mykonos, Travel | 19,001 Comments »
WHY WINTER IS THE PERFECT SEASON TO VISIT MIAMI
Friday, October 5th, 2018![]() While winter may be the season to wrap up warm for many of us, the lucky people of Miami get to bask in the glorious Florida sunshine and revel in the many events taking place. It’s one of the reasons why the ‘Sunshine State’ is so popular for luxury villa rentals this time of year. If you’re wondering where to take a vacation this winter, look no further than Miami – a city that has great food, a thriving art scene, plenty of events and golden beaches for days! |
Go for the WeatherThe tropical climate of Miami makes it a year-round favorite with holidaymakers. Yet, winter is one of the most popular seasons to come, with typical temperatures around 24°/75 and rising. At a time when many parts of the world are wrapping up, Miami bucks the trend with its glorious sunshine. |
![]() Enjoy Happy HourMiami is known for its thriving nightlife and with its privileged island position, sets the perfect scene for cocktails at sunset. Whether you prefer to enjoy this from your own luxury vacation home, such as Villa Valentina surrounded by water on Jungle Island, or one of the many rooftop bars the city has to offer, you’re spoilt for choice! |
![]() Special Get-TogethersWith thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s taking place in Winter, Miami is the perfect gathering for groups. All that’s required is a luxurious place to stay, such as Villa Siri, which includes six bedrooms and its own heated pool (game room, indoor bar, piano and steam room!). With so much on offer, you’ll never have to leave the island to celebrate with good company. |
The BeachKnown for its golden stretches of sand and turquoise waters, Miami’s beach scene is one of its timeless tourist attractions. With so much space, there’s always plenty of room for visitors, some who come for the surf.
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Awesome Events!During the winter months, Miami perks up with some of the most renowned international festivals coming to the city. Miami’s famed art deco scene comes alive during Art Basel (6-9 December) with 70,000 visitors descending on the city. This is a fun time to experience the city’s vibrant art scene, with paintings, sculptures, installations, photos and film, showcased throughout 250 galleries.
If you’re a foodie, then stick around and join the 60,000 guests that come here for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival from 20th February. With 85 events throughout the five-day festival, it’s an unmissable opportunity to enjoy renowned chefs serving up creative fusions at the forefront of international cuisine. And finally, winter in Miami means only one thing for fans of electric dance music, and that’s the Winter Music Conference. Attracting global superstars and international DJs, Miami is put on a world stage when it returns on 25-21 March. Get those glow sticks out! |
Enjoy Miami as it’s meant – in true style, staying in a luxury villa rentals with Villazzo. With outstanding customer service and an unrivalled portfolio of properties, you’re guaranteed a five-star stay. |
Posted in Entertainment, Luxury Travel, Miami, Miami Beach Luxury Travel, Travel | 12,743 Comments »