Cinca House, Greatness, Madrid

“Nobody goes to bed in Madrid,” said Hemingway, “until they have killed the night.” The legendary writer wasn’t wrong. This capital city sleeps not when it’s dark, and barely even when the sun comes up. The night is for neighbourhood restaurants, mesones, tapas bars and music, music, music. But when, eventually, you do want to rest your head, Cinca House from Greatness is where you’ll want to be.

This beautiful, cosmopolitan property is a refurbished luxury family house decked out in a classical, clean style in the El Viso district close to the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid’s football stadium, and the Salamanca commercial district. But for all its central location it feels secluded and quiet, exactly what you want in a city like Madrid.

The front of the secluded townhouse

Highlights are in the space and the details: Bay windows, wooden shutters, Andalusian style tiles. Enter into the central living area via a spacious hall and find two exquisite sitting areas surrounding one window and a fully functioning fireplace.

One of the bright open plan living spaces

Bookshelves bordering the beautiful working fireplace, perfect for winter warming

There’s a separate dining room with a table that seats 12 guests and the large kitchen is surrounded by open patios perfect for outdoor meals (when you’re not out experiencing Madrid’s fine cuisine of course).

The modern open plan kitchen

Just one of the pretty external patios

The first floor has three bedrooms all ensuite with the master bedroom bathroom being of a very high standard. The first floor also has a large external terrace.

The second floor has further double bedroom with showers and benefits from stunning light with access to the roof terrace which has spectacular views of the Madrid skyline.

For maximum comfort after a night out in Madrid, tuck yourself in here

The central wood stairs connect the whole property without felling enclosed 

There’s also a lower floor with an office and laundry room and more living room spaces with doors opening onto the lovely garden with its elegant fountain.

Chill out and watch a movie in the lower ground garden sitting room

It’s rare to have outside garden space in Madrid, just one of the highlights of Cinca townhouse

A truly elegant, classic yet modern home, unique in Madrid and perfect for families, friends and those who want to have somewhere truly relaxing after an all nighter in the Spanish capital.

Gran Via and trails of light at night. After an evening out in Madrid, you’ll sleep soundly at Cinca, iStock.com/inigofotografia

To find out more about Cinca House click here

To find out more about Greatness click here

The Eiffel Tower from the banks of the Seine, iStock.com/IakovKalinin 

So many spots to stay in Paris but so few that are truly worth it. Our two Parisian villas of the day then, St Sulpice Elegance from Haven in Paris and Beaumes de Venise from Paris Made Perfect, are two which are. Classical, elegant and oh so Paris. Book now for a winter in the most romantic city in the world.

Paris. A sophisticated city of good looks, erudite cultural tastes and nonchalant cool. Take your time, don’t rush and the City of Lights will win you over. Divided into 20 districts with distinctive traits – from the posh and intellectual 5^th and 7^th to the hip 3^rd – start your Paris stay with the basics: museums like the Louvre and Pompidou, the Sacré-Coeur basilica and the Champs-Elysées, and naturally the Eiffel Tower. Then take some risks and move deeper into gritty, arty Belleville aka ‘Parisian Brooklyn’, and the Canal Saint-Martin where a wealth of shops, buzzy bars and restaurants line the picturesque canal side. There’s always stuff going on in Paris – don’t believe the lie that the city is sleepy – from the buoyant gastronomic scene, bold architectural projects, new multi-purpose endeavours like Wanderlust (a funky green building on the banks of the Seine housing a restaurant, film house, workshop spaces and more) the French capital is rocking and you need to be staying there.

The church of St Sulpice, iStock.com/orpheus26

Or rather, staying here: the St Sulpice Elegance apartment in St Germain from Haven in Paris. This classic three-bed/two bath property, once lived in by that famous French revolutionary Robespierre, is on the second floor of a building erected in 1690.

Did Robespierre read a book here? 

Sleep like a baby in this antique bed

Only a modern, fully-equipped kitchen will suffice

It’s grandly decorated in true Parisian style with elegant wood flooring and paneling and beautiful antique furniture, and has been fully restored with modern hi-tech touches including a contemporary kitchen, air-conditioning and modern appliances.

The entrance staircase alone is magnificent and you’ll want for nothing in the surrounding neighbourhood, one of the most lovely in Paris.

Take a long soak in the freestanding tub

Making an entrance

To find out more about the St Sulpice Elegance click here.

To find out more about Haven in Paris click here.

You could also stay here: Beaumes de Venise in the 7^th district for something even more romantic. This stunning two-bed apartment from Paris Made Perfect is close to the Champ de Mars gardens and in winter has an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower.

The exquisite open-plan Beams de Venise

Enjoy breakfast in the sun 

It benefits from an open-plan layout decorated in a luxury farmhouse style with stained wood flooring, an open kitchen and stunning antique oak dining table in front of an original grey marble fireplace. The master bedroom has an exquisite ensuite bathroom and the living room can be closed off to create an extra bedroom.

The living room converts into a third bedroom

The sleek open kitchen

Small but perfectly formed – just one of the apartment’s bathrooms

To stay at Beams de Venise is to be at the heart of Parisian life, and have the most relaxed vacation possible.

To find out more about the Beaumes de Venise click here.

To find out more about Paris Made Perfect click here.

There are enough snaps of sunsets in the world. So put down your camera, sit in stillness and just watch, says UV Editorial Director Ramsay Short. Here’s where!

It’s simple really. You could spend all your time as the sun goes down trying to frame the perfect photograph of the orange yellow globe sinking below the horizon on your smartphone or top-end digital camera and still end up failing. My advice? Don’t try to capture the magic at all. After all how many pictures of sunsets do we need? Think about it – watching that most breathtaking of daily earthly occurrences is one of life’s exceptional moments. Chill, reflect on the 24-hours just passed and consider what the next 24 will bring. Sunsets are a regular marker of time rolling by and if you were to reach the grand old age of 82, for example, you would have lived for about 30,000 of them. The key then is to make as many of them count as possible. So go somewhere special, witness a particularly spectacular sunset and truly enjoy the day’s end – without a camera.

Somewhere special like these five beautiful spots…

CADAQUES, COSTA BRAVA, SPAIN

It’s no wonder 75 or so artists live in the beautiful Spanish village of Cadaques: the light is spectacular. And the sunsets? Well you can imagine them but it’s better to see them. And see them from the pool at the fabulous waterfront Villa Dali (El Sol Villas).

Find out more here.

Pool with a view at Villa Dali, Cadaques

THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka has some of the most beautiful landscapes the world’s got to offer. And Adam’s Peak Holy Mountain in the World Heritage recognized Central Highlands is part of one such panorama. Sip tea or cocktails and watch the sun set below the peak and over the magnificent Castlereagh Lake from the comfort of a Sri Lanka Mountain Lodge (Global Nomad) on the edge of a tea plantation.

Find out more here.

Laze while the sun drops from sight over Castlereagh Lake

BOZEMAN, MONTANA, USA

Speaking of mountains, you could do a lot worse than to contemplate time and the setting sun with a view of the Rockies in and around the USA states of Wyoming and Montana. Get out that cigar, crack open the Bourbon and lean back in your rocking chair on the porch of Rocky Creek Ranch (Mountain Home) just outside the town of Bozeman to really enjoy this postcard view.

Find out more here.

Sip your drink, sit back and chew the cud in front of a live painting

AVLAKI BEACH, KASSIOPI PORT, CORFU

One of the prettiest Greek islands off the nation’s northwest coast in the Ionian Sea, defined by rugged mountains and silky, sandy-covered coves, bays and beaches, the particularly stunning Avlaki Beach has some of the best views in the world. Experience dusk here from Corfu CH (Five Star Greece) a luxury waterfront villa with the longest private pool in Greece.

Find out more here.

Could this be the best place to watch the sun go down in the world?

THE ALPS, LECH, AUSTRIA 

There are many mountains in the Alps and many spots to watch the sun go down, all of which can be pretty spectacular. But seeing it sink below the peaks surrounding the town of Lech in the Oberlech region of Austria is particularly moving – especially from the privacy of Chalet Uberhaus’s (Ultimate Luxury Chalets) sleek sunken outdoor hot tub. This is where you’ll find us come January.

Find out more here.

Picture the view from the hot tub as night falls

What’s not to love about Hawaii? The island group dropped in the Pacific is simply stunning. And staying at Hawaii Hideaways’ Golden Sands villa on Maui is doubly so.

Why is Hawaii stunning? Let’s start with O’ahu, home to capital Honolulu and where on the North Shore giant swells slam into the beach from the deep ocean and pro-surfers seriously strut their stuff on the waves. Or Kauai and its Na Pali Coast Wilderness Park – seriously like a world out of time and worth visiting via sea kayak. The Big Island is all about volcanoes: star gaze at the Onizuka Centre for International Astronomy atop the dormant Mauna Kea or go hiking in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where the crater rim trail around the edge of the also dormant Kilauea features rainforest, desert and volcano vents. If that’s too much like hard work then just chill out on Moloka’I Island, where the most native Hawaiians live filled with tropical forest walks, jungle drives and relaxed beaches.

View of Maui’s Kaanapali Beach from Black Rock, iStock.com/7Michael

And then there’s Maui where the local saying goes “Maui no ka oi” or “Maui is the best,” and named for the Polynesian demigod who after having plucked all the Hawaiian islands up out of the sea, decided to make this – the most beautiful one – his home.

When on the most beautiful island you must stay in one of its most beautiful and prestigious properties. Golden Sands on the exclusive Ka’anapali Beach is an eight-bedroom luxury estate that’s all about gathering spaces.

The view from the balcony overlooking the Great Room, the pool and private beach beyond

Hang out in the expansive and high-spec appointed kitchen, come together in the fabulous living room (the Great Room) overlooking the magical landscaped pool and Pacific Ocean or gather outside in the lush garden.

The beautifully appointed kitchen

The layout of the property is perfectly balanced, the two master suites overlooking the Great Room below while the kitchen, incredible billiards room, dining room and TV/Media room all surround the Great Room and face out onto the pool. There’s also a fully-equipped exercise studio.

Billiards, snooker or pool anyone? 

A movie perhaps? 

One of the master bedrooms overlooking the Great Room with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and…

… the simply exquisite master bathroom

Of the remaining bedrooms two are also located on the second level of the main house while the last four are all on ground level and surround a beautiful inner courtyard through the main garden.

The garden reception at night

Take breakfast with a view

Did we mention the bathrooms? The finest Italian marble, full power showers and luxurious deep sunken private baths are dream-like.

A further double bedroom…

… and bathroom

Golden Sands is truly golden. Just like the Maui and its beaches.

The beach at dusk

View of Golden Sands, the lawn and wide-open living spaces at night from the beach 

To find out more about Golden Sands click here

To find out more about Hawaii Hideaways click here.

Nothing but the road and the country ahead of you, iStock.com/oneinchpunch

There is nothing like getting on a motorbike, feeling the wind in your face and travelling end-to-end through a country or even a continent. During your journey and by the time you finish you’ll have a sense of mental, physical and geographical satisfaction that simply cannot be beat. And of course you can stop off and take a relaxing week’s break in a stunning villa along the way.

TRIP 1: LAND’S END TO JOHN O’GROATS, UK

1400km by road and motorbike of your choice, be it comfy seated modern-day Harley or an old school Triumph, the toe of England to the top of Scotland, is a truly beautiful journey. By the time you’re done you’ll have passed through some of the UK’s most stunning areas: the Cornish coast, Exmoor, the Cotswolds, the Pennines, the Union Canal perhaps, and the gorgeous Great Glen. A journey to remember.

STAY AT: BARONIAL CASTLE from LOYD & TOWNSEND ROSE                                                                         

Close to Inverness on the banks of Loch Ness, by the time you and your two-wheeler reach Scotland you’ll need another break at this incredible castle before the last stretch to John O’Groats. Huge, spectacular and historic after living like a Lord here you’ll be ready to end your UK cross-country in style.

TRIP 2: VIETNAM TOP–TO–BOTTOM

Cross Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh trail and you’ll be riding for an incredible 1600km from Hanoi to near Saigon through a little bit of neighbouring Laos too across truly stunning country. It’s a spectacular journey, and full of history along the way. The trail, which was used to distribute supplies to the Vietcong during the Vietnam War, has been named “one of the great achievements of military engineering of the 20^th Century.”

STAY AT: KOH SAMUI BEACHFRONT VILLAS from GLOBAL NOMAD

After all that riding you’ll want to do some lounging by the beach so jump a plane from Saigon to nearby Bangkok and head down to the east coast and a boat for Koh Samui. Here indulge at one of the island’s most luxurious beachfront villas with all the mod cons you could possibly need to unwind.

TRIP 3: THE PAN–AMERICAN HIGHWAY

This one, put simply, is the mother of all road trips starting in the US (you’ve just got to ride it on brand new Harley-Davidson or it wouldn’t be the same) and heading all the way down through central and southern America to the end of the line. We’re taking 48,000 kilometres of road between northern Alaska and Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego. You need to take a little detour to get through Panama’s Darién Gap but aside from that you’ll be driving the entire length of the Americas. Result!

STAY AT: CASA TRES SOLES from VILLA CONCIERGE

When you’ve got to Mexico and Punta Mita you know you’re just about half way through so stop off at this stunning beach resort and take a load off. Chill out in the sauna and spa and enjoy some movies in the home cinema. You’ll be hard pressed to continue the journey.

When it’s winter in the rest of the world it’s summer in Jamaica, and at Jamaica Villas’ exclusive property in Montego Bay’s desirable Tryall Club you’ll find it’s sun, sea and sand all day and all night long. Or to put it another way: heaven.

There’s much to love about Jamaica in the Greater Antilles: the sun and sea of course, the reggae – the island’s heartbeat, soul and inspiration; and an UltraVilla favourite, the spice. You can find all of the above in Montego Bay, especially the spice. It’s a known fact that Jamaica is the world’s largest exporter of spice, and it’s the ‘jerk pits’ (each one using its own blend of spices to season meat, sausage, fish and more which are then cooked slowly over pimento wood) that are the big pull for foodies. You’ll be greedily munching on it all complimented with sweet baked yams, deep-fried cornbread fritters and good old Red Stripe beer, and better yet you’ll be doing it underneath a thatched gazebo by the sea courtesy of the villa chef at Seaclusion on the Sea.

Who needs the sea when with an infinity pool like this…

… but you can’t argue with your own private beach

The images speak for themselves when it comes to arguably the best villa in the private gated community that is the Tryall Club. But here’s a run down of the specs anyway – seven ensuite bedrooms spread across the main villa and the separate Rum Punch Cottage set within three acres of gorgeous seafront that is all yours including a private beach, two beautiful pools (one heated), full tech (60” Apple TV and 23-speaker Sonos sounds system in the main villa) and even your own golf buggies to speed around on.

Built in February 2015 it’s the highest level luxury property you can have at the Tryall and comes with a full compliment of staff and even has it’s own reef (ie. reserved exclusively for guests) 30 yards off shore for snorkeling.

When we say the highest level of luxury we mean it – all bedrooms throughout have remote control quiet air-conditioning, state-of-the-art designer fans and pillows menu with choice of feather or hypoallergenic.

A bedroom with a view anyone…

… or a (stunning) bathroom

All bathrooms are air-conditioned, have double vanities, rainfall showers and chic Axor Hansgrohe polished stainless steel fixtures.  Six bathrooms provide deep bathtubs in addition to walk-in showers and all bedrooms in the main house have cable television, the cottage has a communal Apple TV.

Rum Punch Cottage

Dine in style

But we daresay you won’t spend too much time hanging out inside when the large landscaped grounds and sandy beach populated with hammocks and palms are here to enjoy. And especially not when you’ve got access to all the amenities, pools, golf, tennis and other sports activities on offer in the rest of the Tryall Club resort. With the ever-changing colours of the sea to gaze at (and swim in) and the joy of anticipation in knowing that your chef is cooking up a feast of ackee and saltfish, callaloo quiche and fresh lobster, fried red snapper and yes his very own spiced jerk chicken, Seaclusion on the Sea is a villa and an experience to savour.

The central living area

Chill out in the media room

Lush palms and vegetation are landscaped throughout the villa

Total comfort awaits

Jerk chicken or fish in true Jamaica style, iStock.com/cacafuegos

To find out more about the Seaclusion on the Sea click here.

To find out more about Jamaica Villas click here.

It’s been 13 years since Martin Frankenberg founded Matueté Villas. Today it’s arguably the top concierge and private villa rental service in Brazil. You couldn’t be in safer or more experienced hands. Here’s how it all began.

“When I started my travel company, Matueté, in 2002, I had no idea it would produce a spin-off company, Matueté Villas. At the end of the 1990s, I was working for Microsoft, representing Brazil in an advanced technology group, looking at the future of technology. It was an exciting time to be there, with the first Internet boom and technology breaking through into all aspects of people’s and companies’ lives. I used to spend as much time as possible travelling, both for work and for pleasure. It had always been my hobby and with my job I finally had enough money to be able to really make the most of it!

“One day I understood that rather than spend money travelling I could make money out of my passion for travel. It was time to stop swallowing the blue pill of the corporate world and become an entrepreneur starting a travel company.

The stunning Angra dos Reis Villa I on Gipóia Island and just one of its two gorgeous coves

“The idea was to explore a niche of the market that had not yet been explored: take very wealthy Brazilians to explore their own country. Rather than build itineraries around the limited travel infrastructure that existed, we decided to create a ‘tailor-made’ soft expedition company where we actually ‘produced’ the experience. Much in the same way as a film is produced. Luckily, the idea caught on very quickly, and soon we had many Brazilian clients who were also the owners of some of the most gorgeous villas in the country. These villas were under-utilized them and through our business the owners started asking us if we knew of a company who could rent them out for them…

“Why not us? One thing led to another, and all of a sudden we were ‘renting out’ these villas to our whole Brazilian client base, and our ever-growing base of international clients.

“Matueté Villas was born out of the belief that deluxe villa holidays are a natural evolution of a trend where high end travelers are (i) demanding more and more personalization and (ii) travelling in larger groups or families, where a villa becomes a great option for intimacy and privacy.

The view of Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon from the beautifully furnished terrace of Rio De Janeiro Villa 7

“Today we have over 80 properties all over the best beaches of Brazil including Trancoso, Angra dos Reis and Paraty and many special apartments and penthouses in Rio de Janeiro as well. What they all have in common is that they each have been hand-picked and represent the best the destination has to offer. Most villas are fully serviced and staffed and a Matueté Host will act as a private concierge guaranteeing everything works perfectly.

“We have organized trips for some of the World’s most demanding clients and had a hugely successful World Cup in 2014. We are now gearing up for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which is going to be spectacular. But don’t just take my word for it, come and see for yourself!”

Swim in the lush pool of the delightful Trancoso Villa 21 high on a clifftop in the Trancoso 

To find out more about Matueté Villas and to see some of their properties exclusively on UltraVilla click here

As told to Ramsay Short

Villa Isaura, a modernist, minimalist dream

It’s coming to the end of season in the Greek Islands but that’s no reason not to book now for next year, especially when UV’s villa of the day is this incredible dream home on Mykonos from White Key Villas.

We know that Mykonos, the smallest island in the Cyclades at a mere 10 by 7 miles, is Greece’s party island. Dance-till-dawn Eurotravellers mix with slick jetsetters at the cosmopolitan bars, clubs and beaches and the lush beaches (many naturist) attract an up-for-it crowd. But don’t be put off if that’s not your scene for Mykonos others much more in terms of quiet retreat. There’s a dry, rugged charm to the island landscape, dotted with no-longer-functioning windmills and some 400 churches, chapels and shrines. Houses in the main town are beautiful as a postcard, stacked like sugarcubes with sky-blue painted doors and domes peeping out, and getting lost in amongst the maze of narrow streets and finding hidden tavernas is simply joyous.

Get lost in Mykonos town, iStock.com/tepic

But where to stay when you’re here? The answer is easy. Villa Isaura, in the area of Kounoupas just seven minutes by car from Mykonos town and a mere ten from incredible secluded beaches, is a spectacular minimalist dream. Completely sheltered from surrounding houses, the front of the property opens towards the sea with ocean views and sunsets to die for. The house even it’s own masterpiece chapel adjacent to it, and the whole property has been built to the utmost standards of luxury.

The gate and driveway up to the villa, the old chapel visible in the background

Moulded from grey concrete and natural stones to create a minimal perfection, Villa Isaura offers an aesthetically elevating living experience in spaces that perfectly match design and practicality.

The accommodation here is superb, almost filmic in style, in large en suite bedrooms and stunning common areas where geometrical lines interact with Mykonos’s magical light and are accentuated by handpicked signature furniture and strong-minded pieces of art. The ground floor is made up of a spacious entrance, open-plan living and dining area, open-plan fully equipped kitchen and guest bathroom as well as two double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and walk-in closets and one double bedroom with en-suite bathroom and an independent entrance.

One of the stunning bedrooms

An equally stunning ensuite bathroom with sunken bath

And a walk-in closet that couldn’t be more aesthetically pleasing and functional

It’s worth highlighting the beautiful kitchen, gorgeous to look at yet supremely practical to cook in – it’s fully equipped to cater to the highest of standards.

The kitchen comes with the highest standard of equipment

The lower level of the property is made up of a stand-alone guest house with living and dining area, open plan kitchen and an independent gym area with the latest work-out machines as well as a ping-pong table and bathroom. There are also two more en suite double bedrooms.

The lower level kitchen and living room

A lower level bedroom

Then comes the stunning outside. The large infinity pool is the stuff of legend – imagine your perfect infinity pool then imagine it one hundred times even more perfect. Along with the pretty outdoor sitting and lounge areas there’s a wonderful barbecue and bar area too.

Lounge by the pool or…

… dine next to it

The house is simply electrifying in style and perfect for a group of friends with an eye for minimal design combined with state-of-the-art amenities, luxury at its finest.

So although you might be planning to go out and party on the island, we think you’ll find once you get to Villa Isaura you might just end up inviting the party to you instead!

Villa Isaura’s lovely garden

To find out more about the Villa Isaura click here.

To find out more about White Key Villas click here.