With high end real estate booming in sought after cities like Aspen or Miami, many might consider getting into the game themselves. Of course, buying real estate, especially in a red hot market, comes with many considerations including location and how much time you’ll be spending in any given city. All of which makes the option of luxury villa rentals increasingly attractive for many who travel often or who are looking for vacation properties rather than more day to day family homes. The advantages of renting rather than owning your very own luxury villa as a vacation getaway are numerous, including getting a property in the best location, as well as receiving five-star service without having to staff a home year round. And when it comes to U.S. markets like Aspen or Miami, not to mention luxury European spots like St. Tropez, the booming luxury market means that prime homes aren’t always available either.

Take the 2013 Coldwell Banker Previews International Luxury Market Report, for instance. This report details sales markets in the United States when it comes to properties over $10 million sold in 2012. Aspen, Colorado was in the third spot after traditional luxury markets New York and Beverly Hills. An article in Luxury Daily outlines the report’s findings, including that the numbers “uncovered that there are a few up-and-coming areas that have not always been considered luxury real estate hubs.” To this end Betty Graham, President of Previews International at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, explains that she was “quite surprised to see Aspen have almost as many high-end sales as Beverly Hills,” a clear indication that the mountain town is as popular as ever with jet setters, but also gaining traction as a wonderful location year round.

All this is definitely good news for the sleepy but decidedly upscale town of Aspen, where according to The Aspen Business Journal, occupancy rates have been on the rise this year. The newspaper states that “occupancy rates at Aspen and Snowmass lodges in March were up 7 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively, compared to last year, according to the latest data. Numbers for April are also positive so far, according to MTRIP, a travel research program that keeps track of stats for mountain destinations. Bookings in Aspen for April are so far up 6.2 percent and they are up 49.8 percent in Snowmass compared to the same month last year, MTRIP reported.” If you’d love to enjoy the beauty of Aspen, but don’t want to deal with ever crowded lodges and resorts–or a red hot real estate market–then renting a luxury villa rental is definitely a great choice.

Not that Aspen is the only real estate market that is booming. Miami too has benefited in the luxury sector from an influx of dollars from Latin Americans eager to soak up the sun and culture in this beautiful city, according to a recent article in The Global Post. “Miami and its surroundings, according to the latest report on the luxury real estate market by Christie’s, in 2012 burst into the group of the world’s main markets of this type, thanks to the general recovery in demand and low prices,” the article states. “[And] calculations are that Miami at the end of last year had more than 2,000 residences with prices above $1 million, half of what New York has despite the fact that the population of the Miami metropolitan area does not have even one quarter the people of the Big Apple.” Of course, if you’re looking for less of a long term option in amazing Miami then one of the stunning luxury villa rentals and VillaHotels available from Villazzo–with all the comforts of home including gourmet kitchens, expansive bedrooms and baths, pools, and even elegantly appointed indoor and outdoor dining areas–are a great alternative for a getaway this spring or summer.