Why Renting a Staffed Villa Makes the Vacation Special For Everyone
When choosing a vacation getaway, renting a villa is an ideal choice for a family, multi-generational family, two families, or groups of friends traveling together. VHR, WORLDWIDE also offers several one bedroom cottages that are popular among our clients looking for honeymoons or a couple's escape. While being more affordable than hotels and resorts of similar caliber, there are a few other distinct advantages to renting a villa. The most obvious is value - you get a lot of bang for your buck. Renting a villa always comes out favorably dollar-wise when compared to other similar-quality accommodation options.
The second factor is privacy: having your own space, whether it be a private swimming pool with an ocean view, a chaise lounge or hammock tucked away on a quiet terrace or coralstone nook, or the property's exclusive beach access devoid of pesky local vendors selling their straw hats and jewelry.
And then there's the staff ... the wonderful hospitality professionals whose service adds a very special element to your villa vacation or other venue, unobtrusively catering to your every need - from managing meal preparation to taking care of your personal laundry to serving drinks by the swimming pool or on the terrace. (Click on each photo to go to the corresponding property.)
While almost every property we offer features - at minimum - a housekeeper and grounds/swimming pool supervisor, most of the accommodations also include the services of a chef or cook. After all, when on vacation, the normal 'home culinary manager' deserves a break from the tasks of planning, purchasing the food for and cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Larger and more elaborate properties might add a sous chef, laundress, butler and/or driver. What a pleasure to have someone else assume these responsibilities!
Whether you select one of our company's seaside cottages or lavish estates, our villas on Jamaica and Barbados almost always have a cook or chef in residence ready to serve the guests. This means that you can awaken to the wonderful aroma of your freshly-brewed Blue Mountain coffee, with a full Caribbean or Continental breakfast of your choosing waiting for your arrival ...
... then look forward to a delicious lunch of lobster salad, pizza or flying fish on a cutter with your favorite libation, served poolside.
Dinner might be pumpkin soup, curried chicken, peas 'n rice and a side of calalloo ... with baked bananas in coconut cream for dessert. Or a wonderful repast of Continental fare as shown below. The selection and scheduling of meals is entirely up to you.
Our clients tell us that having someone on staff to take care of their meals is truly a bonus. "Imagine coming back from the beach in the late afternoon, and dinner is already being prepared by Ivy in the kitchen", remarks a frequent guest at VHR, WORLDWIDE's Jamaican villas. "By the time we are showered and dressed, the butler is ready to make us drinks and serve hors d'oeuvres while we wind down and watch the sun setting over the Caribbean. It doesn't get much better than this!"
If the adults want to go out for dinner, dancing or to a nightclub, one of the staff can be secured to watch over the children for a nominal fee. "We hired a nanny to care for our six month old to give us the freedom to go to the beach or on a tour with the rest of our group. She sang to our daughter! We fell in love with this wonderful lady and wanted to take her home with us," noted Molly, another happy VHR, WORLDWIDE client. Upon returning home, guests will share their delight about the villas they rent from us, but the most ecstatic comments we receive are about the wonderful, caring and helpful staff.
Perhaps the best part is that the staff's service is included in the rental charge. That's correct, all you pay for is the actual cost of the food and beverage purchases ... plus a gratuity to the staff when you depart, the amount of which is at your discretion (don't worry, we will offer helpful guidelines).
So, as you are planning your next trip to the islands, put your mind at ease and allow someone else to take care of the cooking, cleaning and other tasks. Just relax and enjoy your moments in the sun.
