"Travel and Leisure" and "Conde Nast Traveler" offer similar advice to those planning to rent a villa. First, do your research and find out what you want. Then get on the phone with an agent who has actually visited the villas he or she represents. Ask questions on topics like the availability of emergency help and the age of appliances. Ask the agent if the owners will throw in extras, like a private chef or use of a car. Once you decide on a villa, make sure everything is carefully spelled out in a written contract.
Agent Mary Vaira, with El Sol Villas (elsolvillas.com), based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, is "Conde Nast Traveler"'s top pick for general villa rentals in Spain. Vaira represents 200 properties, which run from $800 to $26,000 a week in low season up to $1300 to $45,000 in high season. Vaira's properties range from Casa Malaga, a one-bedroom villa on the Costa del Sol that rents for 5170 euros in low season, to Finca Andalucia, a six-bedroom farmhouse in Ronda that rents for 2750 euros in low season.
Abercrombie & Kent (akvillas.com), a luxury travel agency based in Cheltenham, England, is recommended by both "Conde Nast Traveler"and "Travel and Leisure" as a reliable villa rental agency for Europe. "Conde Nast Traveler" especially recommends the services of agent Nick Westwood, who specializes in 35 villas on the Spanish Mediterranean islands of Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza. Most of Westwood's villas offer serious luxury and private pools. The agency employs on-island concierges, who are available any time to arrange trips and explorations.
If you're looking for a villa in the Andalucia region of Spain, "Conde Nast Traveler" recommends agent Maxine Harrison with Elysian Holidays (elysianholidays.co.uk), an agency based in Tenterden, England. Harrison represents 35 properties, many of which are bargains compared to the offerings of other agencies. Harrison's villas, many of which are former farmhouses, are generally rustic and full of local character. According to "Conde Nast Traveler," Harrison will also help renters connect with local culture, although she does not book activities or excursions.
