Fact: Virtuoso reported a 40% increase in demand for private homes and villas among luxury travellers in 2024. Fact: in a post-pandemic world, (U)HNWIs are prepared to invest in more space and privacy than ever before. Fact: we have just the solution. From exclusive-use country manors to stand-alone suites at the world’s most exclusive hotels, these are our favourite luxury private-hire properties around the world right now.
In this article:
- Villa Sawan at Trisara
- Six-Bedroom Villa at Amangiri
- Silver Turtle Villa at Canouan Estate Resort & Villas
- Various at Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel
- Various at Villa d’Este
- Royal Villa at Chablé Yucatán
- Various at Domaine de Vieux-Mareuil
- The Muraka at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
- Villa Azuree at Eden Roc Cap Cana
Villa Sawan at Trisara
Phuket, Thailand
Best for: a tropical trip to Thailand.
If you’re spending a perfect day in Phuket, you should do it properly – and on the northwestern tip, that means a ten-bedroom villa. No matter where you stay, you'll be greeted with a warm welcome, a chilled jasmine-scented hand towel to cool down from the humidity, and a fabulous flower garland – a traditional Thai symbol of love. The housekeeping team have a few more tricks up their sleeves, too: at turndown, they’ll surprise you with animals made from bamboo leaves (our favourite was the crab – a subtle nod to the island’s hefty hermit crab population).
Villa Sawan at Trisara
The private residences range from two to ten bedrooms, each peeking out from the wildlife-laden jungle and featuring an infinity pool that seems to spill into the ocean. But Villa Sawan is the residence of all residences: having hosted its fair share of wedding vows, with views of jet skis vrooming across the still Andaman Sea in the background. When we say it’s vast, we mean it: there are ten en-suite bedrooms, three pools, a private cove, a cinema room, plenty of chefs and butlers, and enough real estate to rival a full-blown resort.
Sleeps 26 | from $14,100 per night | trisara.com
Six-Bedroom Villa at Amangiri
Utah, USA
Best for: a literal oasis of calm in canyon country.
You’ve no doubt seen this red sandstone, desert-encircled resort before, with pavilions planted in the dunes and ridges of Utah’s rock landscape. But what you might not have seen yet is the first of Amangiri’s 12 private residences it will roll out across the destination: the Six-Bedroom Villa. Encircled by canyons, the private residence is cocooned in complete seclusion. Which means it’ll just be you, your herd, and views from every angle that resemble a laptop screensaver.
Six-Bedroom Villa at Amangiri
Onto the facilities: if a private chef and villa host wasn’t enough, it also has its own fitness room and spa with steam room and sauna. Oh, and an oasis-like, 36-metre pool which adds a splash of turquoise to the otherwise earthy desert tones. As for the bedrooms, each one has an en suite – but the main event is by far the master. You can slink off to this space for some much-needed downtime, thanks to its separate terrace and courtyard pool. Sublime.
Sleeps 18 | from $45,000 per night | aman.com
Silver Turtle Villa at Canouan Estate Resort & Villas
Canouan Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Best for: swimming with sea turtles.
Five things you need to know about Canouan Island: 1) it’s so small you’ll struggle to find it on a map without zooming in; 2) it translates to turtle island; 3) it’s said that more red-footed resident turtles than humans call it home; 4) there are only three luxury hotels on the entire island; and 5) the one to have on your radar is Canouan Estate, which handily offers you an ‘invisible key’ that unlocks access to all three hotels, so you can slurp coconut water straight from the husk at Soho Beach House Canouan or settle in beneath the Mandarin Oriental, Canouan’s hot pink parasols.
Silver Turtle Villa at Canouan Estate Resort & Villas
Another thing to note is that if you want to shell out, you should book the Silver Turtle Villa – a six-bedroom, split-level residence resting on the hillside with far-reaching views of the Caribbean Sea. As is standard for every trip, you’ll start with a complimentary VIP concierge service at Barbados airport and a welcome cocktail and canapés. The rest is up to you. Whether that’s overlooking the turquoise coral reef below from the crow’s nest-like jacuzzi, snorkelling with sea turtles, or taking a short catamaran charter to the deserted island featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.
Sleeps 12 | from $3,400 per night | canouanestateresortandvillas.com
Various at Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel
Tuscany, Italy
Best for: a traditional Tuscan escape.
If you’re gunning for a rural Italian getaway, this former medieval village south of Siena will scratch that itch. It’s surrounded by all the usual suspects of the Tuscan countryside: towering cypress trees, higgledy-piggledy hills, gnarly olive groves, and about every single shade of green under the sun. Not to mention Italy’s only private golf club, home to one of the world’s most beautiful courses. But if golf’s not your bag, you can instead head out on wine tasting tours of the estate’s own vineyards and ageing room.
Villa Sant’ Anna at Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel
The hillside hides 11 luxury villas in total, sleeping six to twelve guests. Each 17th- and 18th-century farmhouse-turned-villas are uniquely designed, but all are decked out in mellow yellow stonework, exposed beams, and thoughtful touches like embroidered personalised laundry bags. Most have views of the Val d’Orcia from their private heated pools, but if you really want to up your game, the five-bedroom Villa Sant’Anna, which faces the 18 holes, has your name on.
Sleeps 4–12 | from €7,895 per night | rosewoodhotels.com
Various at Villa d’Este
Lake Como, Italy
Best for: old-world glamour.
If we had to spend one perfect day in Lake Como, we’d spend it here. Because, with a lakefront location like this, it would be easy for any hotel to rest on its laurels. But not Villa d'Este. In fact, Villa d’Este ups the ante on every level possible. Sights that shouldn’t surprise you here: George Clooney dining at the Grill, dogs decked out in designer gear, and one of Lake Como’s best luxury spas.
Villa Cima at Villa d'Este
And when the glitz and glam gets too much? Retreat to the privacy and comfort of your private villa. From a magnificent mansion discreetly designed by Loro Piana to a one-bedroom bolthole that’s ridiculously romantic, there are four properties here: Villa Cima, Villa Garrovo, Villa Malakoff, and Mosaic House. Just picture your favourite foods always plated up for you at the dining table, your loved ones lounging around in the drawing room, and your music playing from the Sonos. It doesn’t get better than this.
Sleeps 2–13 | from €3,790 per night | villadeste.com
Royal Villa at Chablé Yucatán
Chocholá, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Best for: spirituality and seclusion.
Seeking spirituality at Mexico’s most luxury hotels? Look no further than Chablé Yucatán – a colourful 19th-century hacienda surrounded by jungle and centred around a sacred cenote. The setting alone is special enough to evoke a sense of spirituality. But its endless experiences – from cacao ceremonies led by the resident Abuela to poolside cocktails containing rare Melipona honey from the resident bees – really seal the deal. Its collection of over 3,000 tequilas helps, too…
Royal Villa at Chablé Yucatán
Chable’s sense of spirituality is always served with a slice of serious seclusion when staying in its Royal Villa. Days here are spent swimming in your private pool, booking a bespoke treatment in your private spa cabin, and curling up in front of a film in your private cinema. Your only company? The sounds and smells of the jungle. There are three private villas at Chablé Yucatán, but the Royal Villa is by far its most exclusive – and a stay here feels like an otherworldly escape.
Sleeps 6 | £5,433 per night | chablehotels.com
Various at Domaine de Vieux-Mareuil
Périgord Vert, France
Best for: a countryside escape.
When Madame Laëtitia Morlat restored four historical properties around the Périgord – France’s forgotten province – into the private villas that make up the Domaine de Vieux-Mareuil collection we know and love today, everything changed. They’re each a living, breathing fairytale. The kind of places that make you want to don a floaty dress and frolic through the nearby sunflower fields and vineyards. Except the real fantasy is the five-star service that allows you to switch off like nowhere else.
Domaine de Bagatelle at Domaine de Vieux-Mareuil
The stars of the show are Château de Chanet (a honey-hued home), Domaine de Bagatelle (an open-plan and airy estate), Domaine de Lavy (a meticulously manicured manor), and La Roussie Villa (a former farmhouse). Each property tells its own story. There are dry moats, giant chess sets, secret caves, sun-lit Orangeries, cosy libraries, grand pianos, local honey – the list goes on. Your only job is to choose the one that speaks to you and let them take care of the rest.
Sleeps: 8–23 | from €3,000 per night | domainedevieuxmareuil.com
The Muraka at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
South Ari Atoll, Maldives
Best for: blowing the budget.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island saw every other resort in the archipelago and decided to raise the stakes – by having not just one island, but two (linked by a long footbridge surrounded by that signature shade of Maldivian blue). Everything else here is just as blissful as you’d expect from a five-star Maldives resort – from overwater bungalows and underwater restaurants to movie nights beneath the stars and Champagne toasts with your toes in the sand.
The Muraka at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
As undeniably dreamy as it is above sea level, the Maldives truly shines below the surface – and this hotel knows it. Because its private villa, The Muraka, was the Maldives’ first ever underwater residence (and is still the most mind-blowing). This submerged suite is where reef sharks, rays, and technicolour fish swim past your windows as you sleep. It’s a bit like a Bond lair – but with a private chef, butler, jet ski access, and a fitness trainer on call.
Sleeps 6 | $9,999 per night | conradmaldives.com
Villa Azuree at Eden Roc Cap Cana
Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
Best for: multi-generation family holidays.
If there’s one place that knows how to level up your family time, it’s Eden Roc Cap Cana – Relais & Châteaux’s only hotel in the Dominican Republic. Cupped in an enclave on the white-sand shores that slowly slip into azure waters, this sprawling resort is the very best of European elegance and Caribbean charm. From golf clubs to kids’ clubs, there’s something for every age and interest here. It's 30,000 acres of tropical paradise.
Azuree Villa at Eden Roc Cap Cana
Which brings us to Villa Azuree – the private villa that gets its name from the colour of the sea mere metres away from its façade. It’s a six-bedroom showstopper, where every single room comes with a view. Here, you’ve got your very own secret cenote, a cinema-style lounge for post-beach movie marathons, and a private butler on speed dial. Need a golf cart to get around? Done. Fancy a freshly grilled lobster by your private pool? The chef’s already on it.
