By Bob Morey
Many people dream of taking a vacation and renting out their own luxury villa. It’s a dream vacation for many. Since it is not such a common for the average tourist, here is a list of 7 things to consider before booking your luxury villa and a few tips to save you some headaches.
Most property owners don’t put their ads up trying to deceive you. It is only fair that they try and make their property as appealing as possible to make sure they fill their vacancies. In fact, most, if not all would like their guests to leave happy. Happy guests leave happy reviews and become return customers. However, sometimes, things may get lost in translation, or there isn’t enough info, however, rarely is there a blatant lie. The term villa is typically associated with a large, antique, manor estate. The problem here is that a similar term is also used interchangeably on occasion and that term is “vacation villa.” which can refer to any structure new or old that is independent of another connecting structure. Interchanging these two terms can be extremely frustrating to the client if they don’t receive what they think they are renting. Always get as much info as you can and if you are not familiar with the terms or language make sure you ask to clarify. Don’t get caught off guard!
Once you are happy with the location and the type of building you are renting, it is time to inquire about the interior of the building. Is it one building? A shared space with multiple apartments? If so, who else will be there? It’s not to say that one variation is better than the other, but it is important to understand the living spaces that you are going to be dealing with and how many guests can comfortably live in the same space. Individual apartments within a villa can be a convenient way for multiple families to get some privacy during a vacation. Conversely, a large single space would be great for a large family gathering where one communal space can be shared for everyone.
Photos can be deceiving. There are many tricks to make a property look vastly different than reality. It is important to consider what other properties are going to be around you and their proximity. If privacy is important to you then this is something that definitely needs to be considered. There are plenty of ads out that say “independent villa” and yet can run into your neighbors by leaving the front door. Not exactly, the private villa you were looking for.
Most of the time everything goes without a hitch on vacation, the property owner wants to make sure all goes well. However, there are times when things just happen to go wrong. You don’t want to be caught in an emergency like the power going out and you have no idea who to call or talk to. Always have some “go-to” person, whether it be a caretaker or the property owner, don’t let yourself get stranded without a way out. Not only will these people be able to help you, but they are most likely very friendly and familiar with the area. They can give you tips on local places to visit or restaurants to eat at.
There is usually a bunch of extras you can check off when booking your villa. Most high-end villas will offer a bunch of extra packages when you are first booking. This can often be the tipping point when making your decisions. What comes with your booking and what comes at an extra cost? Is there a chef on hand? Is there available transportation like bicycles? Are there extra amenities I have to pay for when staying such as a spa or hot tub? These and many others are questions you have to ask yourself before pressing the book now button. For villas, in particular, it would be ideal for a rental to come standard with certain amenities such as services offered in Nox Rentals, which come standard with 24/7 support, concierge, wifi, and cleaning. Villas come loaded with plenty more amenities such as hot tubs, pools, loungers, jacuzzi and tons more. Just be sure to make read through what you are receiving.
The best part of the internet is how freely available information is. Check out if the company you are booking with has a website. Does it look credible? A professional website is the calling card of a reliable, well-reviewed property manager. There is a very small chance that someone hasn’t already reviewed the villa you wish to stay at. It is in your best interest to take a look at the most recent reviews of the previous visitors. Villa owners do their best to keep their offers competitive and change offers yearly. Remember to read the date of the review so that everything is as up to date as possible.
Chances are your wallet doesn’t magically fill up at the end of every night. That means you want to get the most out of your money. Saving money on something you expected to pay full price for anyway is a great feeling. Plenty of times the property owners need to pay a commission to have their villa posted. This can add a lot to the price of your booking. Next time you try to book a location to stay try and get a hold of the owner and book through them directly. You might be able to save as much as 30% over booking the same space online.
Keep these considerations in mind, when planning for booking a villa. The language can be skewed to mean all sorts of buildings. Keep that in mind, especially when browsing for a place. Make sure your choice is suited for you and well-reviewed. Try and book directly through the owner and you might save an easy dollar or two. Most importantly, no matter what happens, do your best to enjoy yourself! It’s a vacation after all.
