When I was married many years ago, we spent a week of our month-long Italian honeymoon in Florence at a vacation rental. We planned the trip this way to catch our breath, do laundry, cook our food from local markets, and get an idea of what living in Italy full-time might be like. My then-husband was also in the travel business, so hotels meant work, not a vacation for him. We were hooked. On our second anniversary, we met close friends from New York and San Diego in a vacation rental home in Santa Fe.
My point?
We were using vacation rental homes when Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, was a toddler and long before the 1995 launch of VRBO. There have ALWAYS been short-term rentals. We just did not call them that. We leased through real estate companies, and they were available anywhere from a couple of nights to a couple of months. They have always been a terrific option.
I still use short-term rentals exclusively because I want a quiet neighborhood and the ability to cook. Most of all, I want to gather with friends as I would in my own home to have a quiet dinner and catch up with people I love and have not seen in a while. Over the past few years, my high school girlfriends and I have met regularly and stayed in apartments in beautiful historic districts in Amsterdam, Prague, Vienna, and, most recently, in a historic former factory building in Chicago.
We simply can’t have the same experience in a hotel.
Hotels have their place and don’t get me wrong, offer me a night or two at the Four Seasons Georges V in Paris and I’m not turning you down. However, no hotel offers the intimacy of a vacation rental, so once the holiday frenzy has passed, you know you’ll be craving a relaxing getaway.
Airbnb has a service called Luxury Retreats that is light years away from Chesky’s original concept of couch surfing. I did a search for January 15th through 30th, but as we know, these luxury retreats book up quickly. Here are a few luxury vacation rentals that fit the bill.
Telluride Luxury Retreat For Your Post-Holiday Getaway
This beautiful luxury vacation rental in Telluride is perfect for those of you that want a snowy getaway. Sunset Ridge is in Telluride, Colorado. It’s being called a midcentury masterpiece with a pond and panoramas, and I think that’s spot on. You can sleep 14 guests here in six bedrooms and add on a slew of private services, from a chef and driver to a butler or nanny. It’s $13,333 per night so figure about $213,904 for two weeks.
A gentle stream feeds into the placid pond surrounding this designer mountain estate with panoramic views of the San Juan Mountains. Take a glass of vino across a footbridge and sip around the sunken fire pit, or head inside the soaring interiors to admire the wild beauty of the West through floor-to-ceiling glass walls. You’re minutes from the slopes, with the Alta Lakes a short drive further.
Airbnb
A Vacation Rental in Long Bay Hills of Turks And Caicos
If you are craving a beach holiday, head to Turks and Caicos, specifically Long Bay Hills in Providenciales. This 12,000-square-foot luxury oceanfront villa comes with a chef, butler, and housekeeper, and sleeps 12 in five bedrooms.
TIP is a luxury, celebrity-caliber villa with nearly 500 feet of spectacular oceanfront and within an enclave of 40 coconut palms. TIP is at the “tip” of a peninsula that is one of the most prestigious areas in Turks & Caicos called Turtle Tail Drive. This safe, exclusive residential area is on the beautiful south coast of Providenciales.
With water views everywhere and access to the sea on two sides, TIP has a private island feel to it. The action of Grace Bay is just 15 minutes away. This is paradise where the only neighbors are the colorful fish, turtles, stingrays, and lobsters that call this natural wonderland home.
TIP is like a small private resort but exclusively available to one group. There is sufficient space and unique areas to enable guests to find their own slice of paradise if they wish. The features are numerous, including a glass-walled pool, huge built-in pool lounger bed, fire pit, private beach, palapas, dock & decks, volleyball court, putting green, Crystal Clear Kayaks ( yes you can see right under you), paddle boards, games room including billiards, darts, video games, etc.
The villa is staffed by two professionals with years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry.
VRBO
Africa is Calling With This Glamping Retreat in The Serengeti
If you want to really get out of town, Africa is calling. There is no better glamping experience than One Nature Nyaruswiga Serengeti within a national park. This is a great hybrid vacation rental, offering privacy but with the amenities of a resort. For two weeks, it’s about $70,000 to enjoy a 1,163-square-foot luxury tent that sleeps five.
The area’s natural beauty can be seen at Serengeti National Park and Seronera Information Centre. Discover the area’s wildlife on a nearby safari, or try your luck with game viewing.
You can look forward to a free cooked-to-order breakfast, a free roundtrip airport shuttle, and a swim-up bar at One Nature Nyaruswiga Serengeti. Treat yourself to a massage or other spa services. Be sure to enjoy international cuisine at the onsite restaurant. In addition to a poolside bar and a terrace, guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
Expedia.com
