Feature: Villas in Paradise
01/01/2004
The emperor Hadrian built a villa at Tivoli for the express purpose of escaping the stress of Rome. The complex of gardens, courtyards and fountains epitomized what a villa is meant to be: a place of luxurious respite. And that is just what these 10 rental villas—among the finest in the world—offer. They provide guests with a level of service tailored to precise desires and unique environments in which to forget the realities of day-to-day life. Spend a week—or a month—at any of these villas, and you might just feel like an emperor yourself.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Baroness Thyssen-Bornemisza built Chalet Eugenia in Klosters as her family’s
winter residence (right): The wood-paneled dining room (below). (Click image to enlarge)Chalet Eugenia, Klosters, Switzerland
Klosters has long been a favorite ski destination for the British royal family, and it is close to Davos, renowned for its skiing and for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. Chalet Eugenia, offering a well-measured blend of rustic Alpine atmosphere and sophisticated luxury, can accommodate up to 15 guests in its eight bedrooms. Save the master bedroom suite for yourself, if only for the bathroom’s sunken tub and fireplace. Most bedrooms have balconies and southerly views of Gotschna mountain, and children can practice skiing on a beginner’s piste while parents watch from the comfort of the living room. The chalet’s six-member staff includes a chef who specializes in regional cuisine and makes extensive use of the wood-fired oven. Although it is located near the center of Klosters, the chalet is privately situated on several acres. A chauffeured SUV remains on call throughout your stay. The cost for up to 12 guests starts at just under £14,000 (approximately $24,000) per week.
Descent International
+44.20.7384.3854
www.descent.co.uk
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Château des Palmiers, French St. Martin, West Indies
Nearly every seagoing European nation has
at some point controlled the island’s 33 square miles, a heritage reflected in
the island’s unusual political and cultural divisions—part French, part Dutch.
Ultraluxe meets la mer on St. Martin at this rambling property, which stretches
from the sparkling shores of white-sand Plum Bay to the road, and then continues
across the street. Both the five-bedroom oceanside villa and its four-bedroom
garden neighbor are surrounded by manicured grounds and have opulent, formal
French Regency–style interiors. The beach villa’s huge heated pool (rimmed with
chaise longues and enlivened by a state-of-the-art outdoor sound system and
shaded outdoor bar) is a focal point, but the gleaming fitness center, tennis
court, billiard room—and that perfect beach—invite activity as a prelude to
chef-prepared meals indoors or out. $90,000 per night. (Click image to enlarge)
Island Hideaways
800.832.2302
www.islandhideaways.com
Villas
Caribe
800.645.7498
www.villascaribe.com
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Villa la Quiete on Lake Como, which has been in the same family for four
centuries, has a breathtaking location (right and below). (Click image to enlarge)Villa la Quiete, La
ke Como, Italy
George Clooney’s recent purchase of a Lake Como villa has
brought new publicity to the northern Italian playground, where Milanese
aristocrats have summered since the 17th century. One of the finest of Como’s
historic villas still in private hands, Villa la Quiete has been owned by the
same family for almost 400 years and contains artistic treasures amassed over
several centuries. A recent restoration preserved the original Baroque frescoes
and plasterwork, and the villa’s top two floors are maintained as a private museum that can be
toured with a member of the owner’s family as a guide. Each of Villa la Quiete’s
six bedrooms has a view of the lake and a private bath. A full staff includes a
chef, who so impressed a recent party that they eschewed local restaurants in
favor of dining at the villa during their entire six-week stay. Due to its
museum-quality furnishings, Villa la Quiete does not allow children. The villa
is available between June and September; $24,500 per week.
Homebase Abroad
781.545.5112
www.homebaseabroad.com
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La Lune d'Or, Marrakech, Morocco
With Morocco back in vogue, the best way to luxuriate in
some Marrakech decadence is to rent La Lune d’Or. Surrounded by the palm groves
of La Palmeraie, close to the center of Marrakech, the property is an exotic
amalgam of North African architecture—domes, fretwork and intricate tilework.
There are 10 suites and a staff that includes a chef trained in Moroccan,
Spanish and French cuisines. In addition to a swimming pool and a gym, guests
can indulge in a traditional bath called a hammam (Arabic for “spreader of
warmth”). Spa services can be arranged. If you would like to do something more
active than lounging beside the pool, La Lune d’Or is close to tennis, golf,
hunting, hiking and skiing. Daily rates range from $1,295 to $1,400; higher
during the Christmas holidays. (Click image to enlarge)
Marteyne van Well
+212.61.28.01.39
www.goin2travel.com
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The Villa la Quiete has superb antiques (right and below). (Click image to enlarge) Greensleeves, Barbados
Great Britain ruled Barbados for over three centuries, but the
country owes its name to Portuguese sailors who thought that its shaggy fig
trees resembled “bearded ones.” The design of Greensleeves’ 13-acre compound brings a touch of another former
British outpost—East Asia—to the calm waters of Barbados’s west coast. Raised
teak walkways lead through a lush Oriental water garden to the guest quarters
(eight air-conditioned suites with ensuite baths). Balinese chairs and
overstuffed bamboo sofas invite relaxation. Dine beside the pool in the 20-seat
indoor dining room or on the shaded outdoor terrace. Catch a movie in the
theater-style entertainment room, work out in the air-conditioned gym or on the
floodlit tennis court, swim in the 100-foot-long freeform pool (with sunken wet
bar) or walk the beach or the private 10-acre landscaped park across the road.
The staff of 25 will handle the rest. $125,000 a week.
Villas Caribe
800.645.7498
www.villascaribe.com
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Tower Of Lethendy, Scotland
The original Tower of Lethendy in Perthshire, about an
hour outside Edinburgh, was built in 1570 by Sir David Herring. Substantial
additions in 1885 transformed the structure into a mansion in the Scottish
baronial style, and a recent renovation completely modernized the house without
sacrificing its historic elements. Located in golf Mecca—St. Andrews,
Gleneagles, Carnoustie and Rosemount are all within a 30-mile radius—Lethendy
also boasts its own 18-hole course. The estate includes two tennis courts, a
heated swimming pool and a complex with a gym, sauna and steam room. Shooting
excursions or fishing on the River Tay can be arranged through Loyd &
Townsend-Rose. The seven-bedroom house rents for £24,000 (approximately $40,000)
a week, which includes chef-prepared meals, the services of a full staff and the
use of all facilities. (Click image to enlarge)
Loyd & Townsend-Rose
+44.1573.229797
www.ltr.co.uk
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The Tower of Lethendy, a Scottish baronial mansion in the heart of golf
country, has its own 18-hole golf course and a billiard room (right and below). (Click image to enlarge)Château de Farcheville, France
Built between 1290 and 1304, Château de Farcheville is encircled by a moat
and sits on 1,100-acres of gardens, forests and streams less than 25 miles from
Paris. A 14-year renovation has resulted in a residence that gilds the past
while coddling latter-day visitors with rich silks, polished woods, cozy
hearths, regal furnishings and sumptuous appointments. The castle’s 12 bedrooms
can accommodate up to 24 guests. The office is worthy of treaty signings, the
red velvet dining room would impress any Louis, and an indoor swimming pool is ozone-treated (children have an outdoor pool).
Amenities effortlessly blend the ancient with the modern: guests enjoy the use
of a theater with THX sound, a chapel, stables, a music room, a billiard room, a
fitness center, Turkish baths, 24-hour security, a tennis court and a helipad.
Experience the Middle Ages sans the Inquisition for just over $20,000 per
day.
LaCure
800.387.2726
www.lacure.com
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Roaring Pavilion, St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica
Surrounded by five acres of gardens with tropical plants and
with a free-form swimming pool, Roaring Pavilion rests above the pristine beach
that was used as a location in the James Bond picture Dr. No. Interiors of the
four-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot residence were designed using feng shui
principles, and a nine-member staff (including a chef) sees to the comfort of
the villa’s guests. According to Roaring Pavilion’s owners, it is the only
private villa rental home with its own spa and full-time therapist, and guests
have unlimited access to such spa services as massages, wraps and facials. The
spa features a steam room with a rain shower, a nine-jet therapeutic
hydrotherapy facility and a hydraulic massage bed that overlooks a river. There
is also a fully equipped workout room, and a personal trainer can be requested.
Should you see any reason to leave, a chauffeured car is at your disposal. Rates
range from $4,000 to $5,500 a day. (Click image to enlarge)
LaCure
800.387.2726
www.lacure.com
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Roaring Pavilion in Jamaica comes with a full spa, complete with a full-time
therapist, and a private beach made famous in Dr. No (right and below). (Click image to enlarge)Casa la Cruz, Mexico
Set
amid lush jungle and perched above a private beach on the Costa Alegre, one of
Mexico’s most desirable destinations, Casa la Cruz is a villa of inviting
geometric shapes and sun-drenched colors. Renowned architect Ricardo Legoretta
built Casa la Cruz in a cross shape (la cruz means “the cross” in Spanish) that
serves various functions. First, the shape provides a panorama of views of the surrounding jungle and ocean in
addition to allowing breezes to cross-ventilate the entire house. The shape also
allowed Legoretta to leave as many trees intact as possible, such as a towering
300-year-old cactus that sits adjacent to the main entrance. All windows and
doors were rendered from the same enormous parota tree; an open-air shower
adjacent to the master bedroom provides a staggering vista of the coastline. The
six-bedroom, eight-bathroom villa balances the modern (a media room featuring
wide-screen TV and distributed audio) with the best of Mexican design (a natural
sand terrace with hammocks, traditional furnishings). The cross motif recurs
throughout—on shower handles, embossed on linens and tableware and the
cross-shaped pool. A separate bungalow overlooks the ocean and the Tamarindo
golf course. $3,500 per day.
GrupoPlan
+52.315.351.5032
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North Queensland, Australia
On the edge of
the Great Barrier Reef in North Queensland, this estate’s 3,000 acres encompass
coastal plains, high ridges, valleys, rainforests and fresh waterways, all
surrounded by national parks. A central house for gathering is surrounded by six
private huts for sleeping. One of the huts, Dream House, is in a rain forest and
features a shower overlooking a bamboo garden. Another, Pebble House, has an
outdoor bathtub surrounded by a tropical garden, and the Honeymoon Hut is
notable for the side-by-side bathtubs in its separate bathroom pavilion. The
property is utterly private, and guests can jet-ski, tour the rain forest, canoe
and fish. Helicopter tours, parachuting, paragliding and a multitude of other
activities can be arranged. The estate is a two-hour flight from Sydney and a
10-minute flight from Hamilton Island. Weekly rates range from $31,150 to
$67,200. (Click image to enlarge)
Villa Getaways
+64.7.865.6625
www.villagetaways.com