With home-sharing revolutionizing the rules of vacation accommodation, villa rental companies are constrained to adapt to the rapidly changing market in order to keep up with new rental trends. While the home-sharing market is estimated to be currently worth $100 billion and is expected to rise to $170 billion in 2019, this isn’t merely about an increase in travelers staying in rental apartments, the changes go far deeper. UltraVilla’s network of top boutique luxury rental companies are witnessing this on a daily basis. Sink or swim? Here’s what they have observed about these new villa users and how our savvy villa specialists are shifting position to ride the wave of this home rental revolution.

Illusions at Sugar Hill, Blue Sky Luxury, Barbados

An Increase in Last Minute Bookings

It’s not surprising with the growing “mobile phone” culture and the convenience of “insta-booking” that last minute bookings are a growing trend noticed by several of our experts. According to global expert Tim Roney of Villa Concierge, this is especially the case with famous and wealthy clients, whereas K.D. Burke of Blue Sky Luxury, Barbados’ premier villa rental company, notes that the last minute traveller has definitely been a trend over the last six months or so, making bookings windows much shorter.

Carimo Villas, St-Martin

Shorter Stays in Convenient Destinations

The rise in low cost flights to Europe and enhanced transportation links to Central America and the Caribbean mean that travelers can more easily get away for short stays of three to five nights, a trend detected by Meghann Cundall of Carimo Villas in St-Martin. The island is home to one of the largest airports in the Caribbean and with regular daily flights from North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe they host a high number of international short and long stay guests.

“This upturn in short stay bookings, aren’t only for last minute requests,” precises Meghann. “We’re getting these requests as far as a year out. While we’ve likely been having requests like this for some time, the reality is we’re considering them more and more now because of the introduction of Airbnb to the villa market.”

This is a bit of a catch-22 for villa companies which have traditionally been very set on seven-night minimums and therefore are unsure if it’s worth accepting shorter-term rentals. “Everyone still believes that taking shorter stays prevents longer rentals,” continues Meghann. “However, if shorter stays mean more guests, this also leads to more reviews and overall provide the same level of service – but to more people. It only means we’re busier and we’re also keeping the villas occupied. And a four or five-night rental might leave a gap open for a 10-night rental for the next guest which could easily happen too.”

So what’s the best approach? Meghann suggests finding new ways to please these new client requests while continuing to offer the best products available such as adding on supplementary fees for shorter stays or extra fees for housekeeping due to more frequent turnovers.

Rooftop Splash Pool at KanXuk Private resort, Riviera Maya, In Villas Veritas

Family Travel, A Surge in Villa Resorts & Multigenerational Vacations

Most of our experts have noticed a rise in family travel. “It used to be the other way around, but kids are foremost these days,” states Laura Blair of In Villas Veritas. “Trips are now being specifically tailored around their activities.”

One way to families are choosing the approach this is by staying at villa resorts. This option provides families with the private villa experience, accompanied by the personal staff and facilities of a hotel atmosphere. “Villa resorts have kid camps and all kinds of fun activities for them to give the parents a break as well,” notes Laura.

“Out of concern that the children will get bored in a private villa, where there will be fewer activities, parents are finding a resort offers the ideal choice which can fulfill their adult needs as well as well as those of their kids,” elaborates Sylvia Delvaille Jones of Villas and Apartments Abroad. “There are well organized kids’ club where little ones are kept busy with arranged fun things from scavenger hunting, dressing up like pirates, face painting, arts and crafts, splash pools and a whole range of activities for the older children and adults like snorkeling, kayaking, boogie board, giant water slides and tennis courts. The resort can also arrange for off-property exploration and adventures like helicopter fly over volcano, river tubing, zip-lining, scuba diving, swimming with sharks, cave explorations and cultural excursions.”

To please the parents, these villa hotels are making sure they have spas and other luxurious amenities for adults. “Spas are big and these resorts are competing for the best spas,” details Tim Roney of Villa Concierge. “Many are trying to up their game with special features like manufacturing their own products from natural local ingredients.”

Families aren’t only turning to these villa resorts, most of our our experts have seen a boost in multi-generational holidays. “Younger couples bringing their parents and family,” observes Mara Solomon of Homebase Abroad. “We’ve seen lots of younger couples beginning to replace the Baby Boomers as the primary travelers, and organizing trips themselves!”

These trips are often to celebrate a special occasion or milestone birthday, so the families want private, quality time together. “Renting a villa can also be financially beneficial,” explains K.D. Burke of Blue Sky Luxury. “There’s value for money when traveling with larger groups and needing special services and requirements for all ages.”

Mykonos WRV, Five Star Greece

Millennials & the 21st Century Villa

The driving force behind much of this rental revolution, and with a good amount of their disposable income allocated to travel, millennials are a rapidly growing villa clientele and have different requirements than their baby boomer parents or the Generation Xers with their young families.

“I find the new generation of villa guests wonderful to work with,” enthuses Tim Roney. “They tend to prefer contemporary interiors and are fine with spending a bit less money and being a short drive from the beach rather than taking a more expensive beachfront house.”

This preference in millennials for modern villas was commonly felt by our experts across the board. “This isn’t a problem in places like the Caribbean where they can have their choice of sleek contemporary rentals,” comments Sylvia Delvaille Jones. “However, it can be more of a challenge in Europe, where villas are often more classic. Some villa owners are finding way to attract these clients by improving their interior design and decoration to give their properties a modern feel, as well as 21st century features and amenities. This is particularly the case with Tuscany, where the law requires historical buildings be preserved. Instead, villa owners are modernizing the interiors whilst maintaining their exterior structures.”

Sylvia has also discerned that millennials often seek out villas with in-house spas and professional gyms “so they can keep up with their exercise routine while watching the TV for updates on the stock market, business and political news. They can also be impulsive, so the villa needs a good butler who can arrange that big catamaran for sundown champagne cruise, a yacht for a day to enjoy the beauty of the coastline.”

They want to be assisted on their travel whims, yet Tim Roney notes they tend to require more advice about how to deal with staff at a villa and less advice about which restaurants to book, which they usually research on their own. Considering all of this, many new destinations on the rise to satisfy these millennial desires, like certain Caribbean islands.

“Barbados has always appealed to the older visitor, but we are keen to grow our millennial guests given the wide range of activities available here alongside the best-in-class homes and staff services,” says K.D. Burke. “These younger travelers seek authentic experiences and ways to customize the holiday for their own need – villa stays allow just that and our concierge team are best placed to provide unique trips.”

Boca Overwater Villa, Panama, Villas and Apartments Abroad

Boca Overwater, a sustainable villa in Panama, Villas and Apartments Abroad

Experiential travel

This growing quest for unique travel experience is overall more prevalent in this new wave of villa clients, both young and old.

“My feeling is that villa guests are increasingly looking for authentic experiences, experiences that they can’t find at home, that can only be experienced there,” claims Ileana von Hirsch of Five Star Greece. “They want a local cook not hotel cuisine, they want to walk to a taverna or village, they want to make friends, see how local life is, find the secret beaches, have less well known but more intimate sightseeing experiences that they feel no-one else has felt or seen or discovered. They are almost like explorers, who want to bring unique storied home with them.”

Similarly, Sylvia Delvaille Jones says travelers are considering their holiday as “an all-inclusive adventure, a journey where they learn new things along the way and meet others of a different culture. I cannot stress enough just how much this can be beneficial for family travel. Exposure to other cultures, isn’t merely an educational experience, It builds character and self-confidence in children. Depending on the length of stay, it’s extremely valuable to incorporate activities like arranging a soccer match with local kids in Italy or Spain, visiting a local school in the Caribbean and making kites with the students or a salmon fishing outing on a lake or river with a seasoned gillie in Scotland or Ireland.”

In addition to “activities,” food and wine have been climbing up the ladder of holiday requirements and villa owners have needed to adapt accordingly. “This has always been the case in Europe, but the Caribbean owners are rising to the call from travelers,” says Sylvia.

“Clever villa owners have poached top chefs from the world’s leading restaurants at hefty costs,” explains Sylvia. “Villa owners are sending their cooks to work with chefs or to attend cooking schools for a more sophisticated dining experience and diverse menu. Whereas yachters know about tiny islands such as those in the Grenadines chain of islands for delicious fresh seafoods. Bequia has some excellent restaurants where yachters stop to dine, and chefs replenish their kitchen stock with fresh fish, fruits and vegetables at the local market.”

San Lorenzo Lodge

San Lorenzo Lodge, Italian Dolomites, Homebase Abroad

New Destinations on the Horizon

This quest for adventure and experiencing the moment is also playing a larger role in the choice of destination. Perhaps this is why Mara Solomon of Homebase Abroad has seen an increase in guests needing to go offline and take a tech detox. “With so much of our daily lives revolving around our phones and computers, travelers really enjoy putting those away for the duration of the trip,” she says.

“Vacationing in the summits of Switzerland and France is really taking off,” says Sylvia Delvaille Jones. “I have seen an uptick from my American clients wanting to enjoy the freshness of the clean air, the outdoor living, adventures, nature walks, summer events taking place, lake activities and beautiful nature walks experiencing breathtaking views, the beautiful wild flowers and animals. These summer destinations speak to the families who can do more fun things together much more so than other destinations.

“The young and healthy are looking for challenging outdoor activities, the steep mountain peaks, the rapids of a river for kayaking, the big waves of the ocean for surfing. Some islands are building and importing activities they can install and those islands with natural sites/resources creating exciting and challenging  adventures out of sites they already have such as the walk in volcanic crater in St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Lesser visited destinations are waking up and getting in the game by adding exciting activities to attract more holiday seekers.”

In addition to these types of active holidays, Tim Roney has seen an increase in clients looking for villas instead of hotels for their trips to large scale international special events like Coachella, the Super Bowl and the Cannes Festival du Film. As such urban apartments are becoming a solid alternative to hotels.

BORA-BORA-ONE-Villa-Concierge

Bora Bora One, Villa Concierge

Looking to the Future

What can villa specialist do to further embrace these new villa users and keep afloat in the market that might seem to be on the brim of saturation?

“I try to encourage these new clients to think of villa rentals as their holiday away from home,” says Meghann Cundall of Carimo.

Tim Roney also has some good advice for these new villa users: “They search online for villas at a destination and then judge the properties within their price range primarily by the images. The value of a villa specialist is knowing the property and the aesthetics of it, knowing what you cannot see in the images. Thus I find they often contact me with a specific house to book, but upon closer consideration of the client and the villa it could be a wrong choice even though it looks like the right choice.”

These experienced villa specialists not only represent the best villas on the globe, they know them inside and out and have the insight into the best ways to turn a trip into a real travel experience. Peruse all of our destinations here.

One of the most enjoyable ways to things to do on a seaside holiday destination is taking to the waters, equipped with a mask and snorkel. An easygoing sport that pleases young and old alike, it’s a fabulous way to witness what is going on under the waves. Catch glimpses of vibrant pristine coral, a rainbow of tropical fish, regal sea turtles, graceful rays and perhaps even a shark fin (from a distance!) at these incredible snorkeling spots across the world’s oceans and seas.

Mauritius

Virtually entirely surrounded by a coral reef, the stunning Indian Ocean island of Mauritius is a fantastic destination for snorkelling. There are many places to snorkel on the island, however, a good place to start is at Blue Bay Marina Park in the southeast of the island. You can snorkel right off the beach through crystal waters full of a range of colorful fish like parrotfish, clownfish, vibrant coral and other aquatic life. Families might prefer the pretty Trou aux Biches with its tranquil, shallow waters. In the north, Pointe aux Piments has an protected coral reef that is easy to access and which is a popular spot for sea turtles. Alternatively, another great place is the spectacular Ile aux Cerfs, with its white sandbars, turquoise lagoon, colorful fish and brilliant coral.

Where to Stay in Mauritius.

In villa veritas turks and caicos diving

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

There are many fabulous places to snorkel in the Caribbean, among the top is this chic island of the Turks and Caicos.

“The archipelago has the third largest barrier reef in the world,” details Laura Blair of In Villa Veritas. “The water is the most lovely turquoise and the spectacular reef is teeming with a fabulous array of fish and coral life.”

You can snorkel right from the beach on Providenciales, another great draw for snorkeling lovers. The best place for this is at the north coast’s Bight Reef and Smith’s Reef. Over these two reefs you can often spot barracudas, trumpetfish, stingrays, turtles and lobsters. To go a little further afield, In Villa Veritas can arrange snorkeling boat trips for their guests so you can swim above the most exceptional areas of the reef’s rainbow coral.

Where to Stay in the Turks and Caicos.

Northern Lau Group, Fiji

Described as “one of the world’s most beautiful places” and “Like No Where Else,” the pristine waters of the Southern Pacific Ocean are just one of the reasons this area is such a spectacular and naturally amazing place for snorkeling. Discerning travellers looking for a luxurious and conscientious experience of the Fijian waters can find this at Kaibu and Vatuvara Islands.

“The islands boast some of the planet’s most unspoiled surrounding reefs with an abundant marine life and multiple varieties of hard and soft coral,” explains Jacqui Reyes of Vatuvara Private Islands. “With the island beaches as significant nesting sites for endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles, there’s great chance of seeing these incredible creatures while snorkeling in the water.”

Vatuvara Private Islands accepts their responsibility as stewards of our natural environment and has joined together with the Vatuvara Foundation in protecting marine life with ridge to reef conservation. Whether delighted with snorkelling just off the island or traveling a bit further and deeper, scuba diving off one of the island’s three Marina boats, there is plenty to explore.

Where to Stay in Fiji.

Saint Barthélemy

The lovely Caribbean island of St Barthélemy offers some great snorkeling. According to our local expert Peg Walsh of St Barth Properties, the best place is off Colombier Beach, although you can only reach it by goat path or boat. The path starts very close to St Barth Properties’ Villa Les Embruns and Villa Brume to Mer and the hike takes around 20 minutes. Peg suggests spending the day there and bringing along a picnic lunch, a cooler filled with cold drinks, snorkeling gear. St Barth Properties can also organize renting a catamaran or private boat half or full day excursions to the bring which include drinks, lunch, snorkeling equipment and towels.

Where to Stay in Saint Barthélemy.

sea turtles bahamas

Harbour Island, The Bahamas

Of the thousands of islands of The Bahamas, one of the best places for snorkeling and diving is Harbour Island, located two miles off the north coast of Eleuthera. Made famous by Jacques Cousteau and National Geographic, the waters off this idyllic small island include impressive ridges and coral canyons full of alluring sea life. As such, this is an excellent spot for those who love underwater photography.

“On the whole, snorkeling and diving are much better during the rainy season, May to November, when the water is warmer and clearer,” recommends our local villa expert Pamela H. Murdock. “However, in the dry season, with the cold water, there is an abundance of rays and very rich plankton fill the water creating a lot of action. Snorkelers hoping to swim with sea turtles should come June through November. Whereas you can catch giant manta rays and other rays from January to March and sharks from May to November.”

For guests of her villas, Pamela can arrange excursions with the best boatman on the island who knows the best places to snorkel and observe the seasonal sea life.

Where to Stay in Harbour Island.

Sri Lanka

Offbeat and beautiful Sri Lanka is a great year-round snorkeling destination where you’ll be able to observe a huge range of tropical fish, coral and marine life, plus its warm waters are relatively shark free. The three-mile Bar Reef on the west coast at Kalpitiya is the largest in the country and the stunning waters around Pigeon Island, north of Trincomalee on the east coast, are ideal for snorkeling. If you’re looking for some intrigue other than fish, head to the southern and eastern coasts to discover some captivating ship wrecks around Trincomalee, Arugam Bay, Tangalle, Hikkuduwa, Weligama and Kirinda.

Where to Stay in Sri Lanka.

Barbados

The crystalline waters and long stretches of beautiful beaches will always impress visitors coming to beautiful Barbados, it’s no wonder that snorkeling is a favourite pastime of most holidaymakers.

“The calming depths remain picturesque and absolutely breathtaking,” describes Betty Cathrow of Blue Sky Luxury. “There are some amazing spots on the island for snorkeling as well as the popular Carlisle Bay wrecks.”

The bay is home to six shipwrecks through which swim schools of tropical fish, sea horses, rays, octopi, turtles and eels. These wrecks range in depth from 12ft to 55ft so you may also want to do some diving.

Avid snorkelers can swim with turtles and enjoy sightings of unique marine life of the Caribbean Sea all just a few steps to your door at the gorgeous Leamington Pavilion, one of the best beachfront holiday retreats in Barbados and available through Blue Sky Luxury. Travel virtually to this exquisite villa in this video tour here.

Where to Stay in Barbados.

Riviera Maya, Yucatan, Mexico

Home to the world’s second largest reef, the 450 miles (724 km) Riviera Maya coastline is one of the world’s top snorkeling destinations. While it may be a busy at times, Akumal is an incredible place for snorkeling, especially for swimming with sea turtles. You may also catch a glimspe of some of its other 150+ species of reef fish and nearly 100 varieties of coral. Akumal is a popular spot for night snorkeling during which you can marvel at a “Wall of Fish,” thousands of silver fish that swim in a dense school. More advanced snorkelers will appreciate the challenge at Yalku-ito, where freshwater flows into the ocean creating a mixture of freshwater over the heavier saltwater which attracts unique schools of fish. You can also snorkel in the cenotes sinkhole though these are best explored by scuba diving.

Where to Stay on the Riviera Maya.

Mahé, The Seychelles

Comprised of 115 stunning islands, the Seychelles is an fantastic place for snorkeling in the Indian Ocean. While many of the smaller islands offer excellent snorkeling, the archipelago’s main island of Mahé features a number of destinations to suit all levels. You can snorkel all year round in its warm waters, plus the reef is abundant in well preserved coral and marine life, especially angelfish, parrotfish and sea turtles. Beginners may prefer to get their feet wet in picturesque Baie Lazare or Anse Royale, due to their shallow lagoons and reef located close to the shore. The long and lovely Anse Soleil beach has some breathtaking aquamarine waters and pristine coral, whereas Anse Major requires a little more effort since it’s reachable by an hour long hike through the forest of Morne Seychellois National Park. Nonetheless, the coral is stunning and it’s a great place to admire the Seychelle’s beauty both above and below the water.

Where to Stay in Mahé.

Búzios, Brazil

The north of Brazil has some excellent snorkeling destinations, however, if you’re looking for an easy seaside getaway close to Rio de Janeiro, consider the luxury resort of Búzios, found only a two hour drive north. This stretch of coastline features 21 beaches and 26 hidden coves fringed with gorgeous turquoise waters and filled with exceptional marine life. The picturesque peninsula was once the hideaway of French pirates, therefore, you there are a number of shipwrecks which you can explore. You can also take a boat ride out to nearby Ilha Feia for some exceptional snorkeling. You won’t be short of other activities and entertainment during a holiday here at one of the area’s beautiful luxury villas.

Where to Stay in Brazil.