You need a Personal Villa Holiday Advisor

Villa with Pool holidays - it's our thing...

If you're looking for a villa to rent for your 2011 holiday it could be a tough job finding the right one. With so many owners and rental agents all vying for your attention, you have to play a new game.

This is what they say, what do they actually mean?

• Does handy for the airport mean under the flight path?
• Does spectacular setting mean difficult to reach?
• Does close to nature mean the garden's overrun with wild animals or worse, insects?

It's so easy to get carried away writing descriptive copy of beautiful villas in fabulous places, words just seem to flow so easily describing the "infinity pool" or the "incredible views" or the "designer interior" but the reader needs to take care.

Has the person who wrote this copy actually seen the property or at least the resort it's in? Do they share your ideals when it comes to being wowed, or what constitutes "designer furnished" never mind the basics like cleanliness and comfort. Photographs help build an impression but they are so easily "doctored" to disguise failings or hide the truth, how do you find someone you can build trust with?

What you need is a strong head before letting your heart have any say in the villa choice, having someone you can speak to, to discuss your requirements with, someone who knows the ins and outs of the villas available will help you select the best villa for your family and not just one that looks right.

Early in my career, I learned that you can't hope to pull the wool over people's eyes when it come to villa holidays, prospective customers should expect a lot of information about the villas and the only way to useful information is to see the villa with your own eyes, and spend at least a night there if possible.

I make sure that every villa we offer has been visited, detailed notes taken, impressions about what might be distractions gained and lots of pictures taken.

When you're thinking about your choice, phone up and interrogate us, ask questions about subjects that are relevant to you or give us your requirements and we'll help you select a villa that will work perfectly for your family or group. 0845 052 0660, local rate call!

We have a number of customers who use our expert knowledge to find the right property every year in different locations, because we know what and why they like certain villas we can select and recommend similar or even better villas in new places they want to explore. This takes away a level of uncertainty, they are more relaxed on arrival as they know just what to expect although there's generally a few features that will wow them!

If you're thinking of taking a villa holiday in any of these locations, have a look at what we offer then give us a call and ask some questions about some villas you like the look of, we'll help you make the right choice.

The Algarve and Vale do Lobo in particular, which is perhaps the most requested resort.

Florida, villas near the wonderful attractions around Orlando and villas close to the incredible white sand beaches at the Gulf Coast.

France, wonderful France where we specialise in the Dordogne and the charismatic South of France amongst other locations where we have a smaller selection of villas, but still chosen with care.

Italy provides a stunning selection of villas that I'm particularly fond of, they do things just right. Choose from Tuscany, Umbria and the beautiful Lazio region close to Rome.

Finally, our selection in Spain's Costa Blanca and the Island of Mallorca (or Majorca if you prefer) where we have a choice of villas around the Pollensa area of the island.

My History

I've been involved in selecting family holiday accommodation since the 1980's, originally in the south of France and Greece before joining "Something Special" holidays in 1987, one of the best respected and most popular villa holiday operators ever. As head of contracting under the influential MD, I broadened my horizons to include the Algarve, Costa Blanca and the Balearics before being packed off to Florida and instructed to "bring home the bacon". I spent 13 wonderful years at Something Special and finally specialising as Marketing Director when the company was sold to what was then Thomson Holidays. I left shortly afterwards (was never a "corporate" person) and started the Villa Company in 2001 which morphed into the Holiday Villa Company in 2011.

Thanks for reading about The Holiday Villa Company.