Best Luxury Vacation Rental Websites in Europe

In recent years vacation rentals have gained a lot of traction and become one of the popular ways in which people book their accommodations. The millennial generation is ditching hotels to opt for a more homely yet exquisite holiday experience that some of these properties have to offer. A lot of people in the luxury market are opting for vacation rentals as a way to find themselves at a different home when they travel.

European Revenue in the Vacation Rentals segment is projected to reach US$17,989m in 2020. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2020-2023) of 19.4%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$30,591m by 2023. Even though most of the rental vacation market remains in the USA. Europe is home to some of the finest luxury properties in very premium locations. From villas in Tuscany to castles in Scotland Europe offers is luxury customer almost everything that’s available on the plate.

The trend took a hit when COVID disrupted some of these non-essential travelings. But nonetheless, luxury vacation rentals are getting more attention, especially in localized markets.

Some many websites and companies are peddling the revolution of this growth in the luxury vacation rental market. UK, Spain, Italy, and France are leading in terms of the number of properties registered. It attracts a good amount of local European traffic as well as Americans who happen to find Europe’s beauty and culture irresistible.

Here is the list of 8 companies that have played a pivotal role in establishing Europe’s luxury vacation rental scene.

Plum Guide

Plum Guide has over 1200 excellently curated properties mostly based in the UK. But they do have a considerable amount of properties in Italy. They use a 150 point Plum test to ensure the property meets a certain amount of luxury standard that the company offers. It has its presence on multiple social media accounts and has well-curated and documented properties for potential customers to see. They take pride in integrating their blog posts suggestions for their properties. They have a suggestive tone that aptly fits the luxury potential customer that they are targeting. They are rated 9.5/10 by trust pilot rating and have a striking 4.9/5 Google ratings. The website also hosts many comments by customers which adds a human touch.

Olivers Travel

The company was launched in 2013 and has ever since provided with one of the best property listings in Europe. From chalets in the French Alps to villas in Dubrovnik Rivera from coastal waters of Mallorca to islands of Corfu. Their website has more than 4000 listings and they do not shy away from flaunting it on their website and other social media platforms. The website interface is easy to use and it also hosts a property map that shows where their properties are located. Many categories host different kinds of experience a potential luxury customer asks for. The website has a suggestive tone which coupled with blogs of the properties and experience of other travelers helps to establish the authenticity in their service. They also have a 261 point rating system for the properties and only 2% qualify.

Villas of Distinction

Probably one of the oldest players in the market with an experience of over 25 years. Villas of Distinction has always been a premium villa rental company. It offers properties that are from one-bedroom penthouses to 42 bedroom estates. Their properties are listed on more than 50 locations most of them are in Europe and the Caribbean.  The company boasts its 2500 well serviced and maintained villas all across the globe. They have hosted more than 600,000 guests which puts them far ahead in terms of their experience in dealing with luxury listings. Their offers encompass other essential services that include transportation, cultural, culinary life, and an inclusive environment for people of diverse backgrounds. They also have villa concierge services that help their customer to have an all-inclusive luxury experience.

Coolstays

Coolstays has one of the best collections of 1800 properties some of which are in very remote locations. The company wants to reinvent the image of luxury listings. Accommodation includes glamping options such as gypsy caravans, shepherds huts, tipis, yurts, tents, and cabins; luxury treehouses and cave houses; cool conversions such as planes, trains, boats, buses, churches, windmills, lighthouses, and deluxe beach huts; as well as the coolest quintessential cottages, villas, B&Bs and boutique hotels. They also host people in some of the architectural less known marvels which add a different exclusive feeling to the customer. Coolstays want to push the boundaries of what is considered a luxury and proving the point that sometimes exclusive has its luxury aspect. They also have a well-curated Instagram account which entices anyone to embark on one of these vacation holidays. Most of their listings are in the UK and part of it also based in Italy.

Luxury retreats

Luxury retreat is a giant in luxury vacation rentals with more than 5000 properties listed all over the world. Even though it’s not just the European market that it caters to but also North American one. It still has more than 2000 properties listed in Europe. Their website is very easy to use and each country has its website that is connected to the main website. Their Instagram page has more than 300k followers which probably makes them the most followed company in hospitality after Airbnb.

CV Villas

Based in 7 countries this company is relatively smaller with around 750 listings. All the properties are of the highest quality and they are present in Italy, Spain, France, and Greece. Asserting their dominance in vacation rentals on the Mediterranean. They also have a section of fully serviced listings price of which can go as high as 20,000 USD per week. They also have a special offer section that offers some listings at a discounted price keeping in mind that the upward mobility of some customers in the luxury segment is inevitable as this might be a great start to it. They are rated 4.8/5 in Feefo rating for their service and listings.

Villanovo

Villanovo is a luxury villa holiday specialist and a fully bonded travel agent. With more than 1400 listings in Europe, it is emerging as one of the great places to find luxury vacation rentals. They also take benefit from their in-depth knowledge of different cultures which is evident in their blogs which are entertaining and engaging. Not all of the listings are premium luxury but they do have their concierge services to meet the standards for special guests. The website hosts all the testimonials from all the guests which increase their credibility.

James Villa Holidays

James Villa Holidays have more than 3000 properties in more than 60 different locations. They have a presence worldwide but they have around 2000 properties listed in Europe most of them in Spain. The villas, the locations, and destination invokes a Mediterranean feel and it is unique in terms of quality of the listings to any other company out there. They are very proud of their excellent customer retention that is 93%. With more than 35 years in the industry, it stands tall with many awards and great customer satisfaction reviews that is the root of their business. Over the years they have taken extra care to keep their listings with the best of quality and always keeping customers as a center of attention. Their listings include villas and accommodations that are classic, medieval to new and modern luxury.