If there’s one country I want to visit in the near future, it’s Thailand. My mom grew up in Thailand. I have heard all the stories, seen all the photos, and tasted some of the food when we’d dine at Thai restaurants. But I’ve never been there. Thus I’ve been on the lookout for seat sales with roundtrip tickets to Thailand. Then there’s also accommodations. My online quest had led me to Luxury Retreats. It’s an accommodation booking website which rents out villas from all over the world. They have vacation rentals in Breckenridge, Amalfi Coast, Cape Town, Maldives, and yes, even Koh Samui in Thailand!
I’m not one to trust online entities so easily so I did a bit of research. As it turns out, Luxury Retreats is a full service villa rental company started by Canadian Joe Poulin back in 1999. Interestingly enough, he started out as a web designer who was asked by a client to develop an online rental platform for his villa. He realized right away that he was onto something — and the rest as they say, is history.
Anyhow, I got around to checking out the villas in Thailand listed on Luxury Retreats. When you say Thailand, the places that usually come to mind are Bangkok and Phuket. But I saw a lot of really luxurious and picturesque villas located in Koh Samui. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Koh Samui is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand because of its natural beauty. It has white beaches, clear seas, majestic waterfalls, and even beautiful temples. It’s also popular for its spas. Koh Samui is definitely a viable alternative to Phuket, which seems to be the usual destination.
But more importantly, Koh Samui presents a lot of options for luxury accommodations! Now I’ve never really considered staying in a posh villa that looks like it came straight out of the 80’s TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous but surprisingly, rates are not unreasonable at all.
Let’s take Villa Akira in Koh Samui, Thailand as an example. It sleeps 10 people and the rate ranges from US$575 to US$1,300 per night depending on when you book. I tried booking 3 nights at Villa Akira in September 2018 via Luxury Retreats. It costs US$665 per night for 10 adults. That’s US$66.5 per person per night! Considering this villa has a home theater, satellite television, a game room, an infinity pool, alfresco dining, and other amenities, it’s a really good rate! In addition, they have housekeeping service and one complimentary return airport transfer. I was so surprised that you can actually stay in a villa like this for such a reasonable price. Last April, 12 of us went to Tokyo, Japan for a vacation so personally I think forming a group of 10 people to maximize the villa rate won’t be difficult.
If you’re thinking that maybe it’s reasonable because it’s in Asia, guess again. Let’s go to Europe. Just for fun I tried checking out the villas in Tuscany, Italy. I have never been to Europe so if I can find somewhere to stay that’s reasonable, why not consider it? According to the Italian Tourism official website, Tuscany is located in central Italy. It has everything from long sandy beaches to medieval villages and beautiful abbeys — definitely one of the places to visit in Italy.
Anyway, I tried booking the same 3 nights via Luxury Retreats for Maramai in Tuscany, Italy. It came out to US$665 per night, exactly the same rate per night as the villa in Koh Samui! Like Villa Akira, Maramai sleeps 10 adults so it’s also US$66.5 per person per night. This is very very reasonable for a European country. I remember my friends and relatives telling me about small, cramped, and expensive European hotel rooms that set them back US$200 to US$300 a night.
The Maramai property has a charmingly rustic design that’s befitting of the Italian countryside. It has a swimming pool, an alfresco dining space, cable TV, wi-fi access, and housekeeping service. They actually have photos of all the rooms and common areas of the listed villas at the Luxury Retreats website so there’s no second guessing. All the details are provided so you are fully informed of what the rate includes and what is charged extra prior to booking. Judging from the glowing reviews I’ve read online, what you see is what you will get when you book via Luxury Retreats.
I love how booking accommodations at Luxury Retreats guarantees a truly relaxing vacation. Housekeeping service is always included in the bookings so you have more time to enjoy your destination. You don’t have to worry about the little things like cleaning your room so it’s way better than just renting a vacation house. With 300+ destinations and 5,000+ villas listed, you’re sure to find somewhere nice to take off to for a vacation. I’m definitely considering booking a villa for our next trip abroad. I think it beats getting several hotel rooms.
If you’re always mobile, you can also download the Luxury Retreats app from the App Store.
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Amazing view!