Recommend February 2013 - (Page 52)

it pays to book villas continued to rent one. Granted, some cost $100,000 a week, but others cost just $3,000 a week, even in high season. Low-season rates generally run 30 percent or 40 percent less. Also remind clients that they may be able to afford a fancier villa than they imagine, because kitchens save travelers money on meals. Paradoxically, even luxury villas make vacationers feel less like outsiders on the islands. Villa vacationers can buy food in the local market or banter with the ﬁshermen who come in with the catch of the day, explains Jones. By contrast, most hotel guests are, ultimately, mere observers. what comes first, the island or the villa? That varies, but “most clients start by narrowing down which island they are interested in, based on its attributes, how easy it is to get there, etc. Then we assess their needs and recommend villas for them,” says Bennett. No wonder it’s important to understand each island’s qualities. Whereas many resort guests spend most of their time on property, clients in villas are likely to drive around to different beaches, bars, shops and restaurants. Okay, then, which island? All three destinations described here are English-speaking, easy to reach places in the northern half of the Caribbean. All offer villas that are hillside or beachfront, affordable or expensive. jamaica This island has the greatest number of villas, not just because it’s so large, but because villas are a tradition in Jamaica: Ian Fleming, Noel Coward, the Duke of Marlborough and Errol Flynn all considered Jamaica their second home. It ﬁgures, then, that some of the best villa staffs in the Caribbean are here, says Pristera. But not all Jamaican villas are expensive. What’s more, says Eastman, “Many who choose Jamaica are drawn by the country’s culture”—reggae, jerk spices, Blue Mountain coffee, and aged rums, not to mention world-class golf, historic mansions, hiking, birding, and rafting. (Boating? Not so much.) Many of the new as well as the historic villas occupy private plots of land, but villas at places like the Tryall Club, Goldeneye (yes, Ian Fleming’s hideaway), and Moondance Villas are part of resorts. These provide a handy mix of privacy and resort amenities, so they’re ideal for ﬁrst-time renters or clients who want easy access to a golf course or spa. For example, Villa 12 at Round Hill, formerly owned by Oscar Hammerstein, features access to the resort’s facilities, a dedicated staff, and a private pool for $2,680 per night, winter season, plus taxes and gratuities. Fortlands Point at Discovery Bay offers a different variety of luxury: This 7-bedroom, waterfront villa is contemporary, and it’s unafﬁliated with a resort. At $2,714-$3,000 a night, plus gratuities, “it offers total privacy and a staff of ﬁve,” says Eastman. Clients with more modest budgets have options like the Kima Villa, a 3-bedroom near Ocho Rios that Villas and Apartments Abroad lists for $536 a night. british virgin islands The BVI attracts independent travelers of all ages who love beaches, sailing, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, and ﬁshing, etc. “We recommend Virgin Gorda—especially in the Mahoe Bay area—to 52 february 2013 50-52 CB Villa.indd 52 people seeking a quiet, beautiful place that is less developed than many other islands. Tortola has more ‘action,’ thanks to the shops and bars in Road Town,” says Bennett. But even Tortola is better for families and self-starters than for folks who crave glitz, golf, or history tours. Longboat Key on Tortola and Leverick Bay on Virgin Gorda, where Wimco lists a 2-bedroom for less than $3,000 a week in winter, offer resort-based villas, as do private islands like Peter Island. Most other BVI villas, though, are unafﬁliated homes near secluded beaches. Bobby Gibson of Travel Keys admires Aquamare and Baraka Point villas for having raised the bar for high-end homes. “Aquamare, an enclave with three 8,000-sq.-ft., 5-bedroom villas, is a superior product with great service, spectacular views, and Maho Bay Beach.” Caribe Villas’ rates per villa at Aquamare range from $2,319-$7,000 per night ($3,357 plus 19 percent tax in winter), and large groups can book all three villas. Most BVI villas, though, like beautifully landscaped Arundel on Tortola, fall into the $6,000-$9,000 mid-range. antigua This island has two golf courses, but above all, its long, scalloped coast features hundreds of beaches and natural harbors, attracting both beach lovers and people who enjoy boats, large and small. Speaking of boating, UNESCO may soon name Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour a World Heritage site. “This is the only continually working Georgian shipyard in the world, with 18th century buildings (some housing shops, pubs and restaurants), a maritime museum, and a world-class marina,” says Jones. People who’ve built villas on Antigua include guys named Armani and Clapton, whose sprawling, 5-bedroom Standfast Point compound features three buildings with hillside vistas, a pool, a billiards room, a children’s playroom, a staff of four, and “rock star” privacy. Villas Caribe lists it for $50,000 a week in high season. At the other end of the spectrum, Villas of Distinction lists several homes that cost $3,500 a month. Some of Antigua’s most popular rental houses, though, are not the stand-alones but the villas at Jumby Bay, which, says Pristera, “has a beach to die for, watersports, great restaurants, an excellent spa, a kids’ club, and terriﬁc tennis facilities.” These villas range from about $3,400 a night (3-bedroom) to $10,500 a night (the 7-bedroom Bananaquit) in winter. Cheap? Hardly, but your clients deserve no less. Archived related articles (available on recommend.com): A Villa Vacation in Europe (October 2012) contact information Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Ofﬁce: (888) 268-4227; antigua-barbuda.org British Virgin Islands Tourist Board: (800) 835-8530; bvitourism.com Jamaica Tourist Board: (800) 233-4582; visitjamaica.com Travel Keys (Caribe Villas): (877) 815-1242; travelkeys.com/travel-agents The Villa Experience by Travel Impressions: (888) 284-3786; thevillaexperience. net/pages/Afﬁliate.html Villas and Apartments Abroad: (212) 213-6435; vaanyc.com Villas of Distinction: (800) 289-0900; villasofdistinction.com Wimco Villas: (800) 449-1553; wimco.com recommend.com 1/23/13 8:49 AM http://www.recommend.com http://www.antigua-barbuda.org http://www.bvitourism.com http://www.visitjamaica.com http://www.travelkeys.com/travel-agents http://thevillaexperience.net/pages/affiliate.html http://www.vaanyc.com http://www.villasofdistinction.com http://www.wimco.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend February 2013

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Virgin Limited Edition
Tour Talk: GeoEx
Celebrity Reflection
Villa del Palmar Cancun Beach resort & Spa
Karisma's Gourmet Feast: Top-End Cuisine & Service
El Secreto, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Hamburg Travel Planner 2013
The Kenya Formula: Wild + Tribal + Luxe
Fiji-3 Luxe Resorts Reflect its Plush Side
Gansevoort Turks & Caicos
It Pays to Book Villas
High-End stays Stateside
The Angler's Boutique Resort, Miami Beach

Recommend February 2013