The Independent Villa Guide
We review luxury villas the way we wish someone had reviewed them for us. 12,000 properties, 250 destinations, one opinion per page. Last updated 2026-05.
Why this site exists
Plum Guide cannot. Onefinestay cannot. They are selling the villa. We are not. Every best-of guide on the site names the villas we passed on and explains why.
Bedrooms, square meters, distance to grocery, peak-season minimum stay, generator backup, exact deposit terms. Marketing copy disguises facts. We do not.
No platform can pay to rank higher, and we earn no affiliate commission on bookings. The full breakdown is on one page, not buried. If we recommend a villa, it is because it is good.
Editorial guides
The curation is real. The price premium is real. When Plum is the right platform and when it is the wrong one.
ComparisonTwo islands, two trips. We pick one for groups of eight and one for couples, and we explain the math.
How-ToWhat is negotiable, what is not, when the management company will move on price, and the three sentences that work.
Cost GuideHeadline rate, plus service, plus tax, plus staff, plus the chef. The total on a Pointe Milou six-bedroom for New Year’s week.
How-ToThe villa’s preferred chef is fine. The five chefs we name in this guide are better. The math is in your favor.
Best-OfPhotogenic, well-marketed, and consistently disappointing once you arrive. With named alternatives that cost less.
The Buyer’s Guide
A 32-page PDF on what to ask before you book, how to read a villa contract, the deposit games, the chef trap, and how to know when a $40,000 week is worth it. Free. We trade it for an email.
The Calculator
Pick destination, group size, dates, must-haves. Get a realistic 7-night cost in 8 seconds. No email required.
“Mykonos, 10 adults, second week of August, private chef, pool: $48,000 to $72,000 for 7 nights.”
For partners
We accept featured placements and sponsored guides. We do not accept paid rankings. Our rate card is on the advertise page.
The newsletter
The new villas we added, the destinations we are watching, and one villa we are recommending or passing on. Mondays.
Where to stay when a hotel is the better call. Where to eat at the villa’s nearest market town. Where to drink before the staff arrive at 7.
