There are many benefits to a villa holiday: private facilities, flexibility, added space, Instagram-ability… yet not all villa holidays are created equal. Some come with added extras that combine all the benefits of staying in a private villa with hotel-like service and facilities – whether it’s a concierge or laundry service, spa facilities, gym or yoga room, or a private chef or massage therapist to hand.
These villas below, from hand-picked villa holiday company, CV Villas, all offer that little bit extra; each with facilities and services that provide the best of both worlds – a luxury villa stay with a hotel-like feel.
Ezzahra, near Marrakech, Morocco – eight bedrooms; sleeps 16
Hotel-like facilities: Gym, cinema, games room, tennis court, hammam and beauty/massage centre, personal laundry service, housekeeping, driver, house chef.
Positioned in the great oasis of the Palmeraie, this superb luxury villa in Morocco combines all the intimacy of a private country house with the exceptional service of a fine boutique hotel. Situated in a coveted location, just 8km from Marrakech, the exquisite house sits in magnificent grounds, where palms, pine trees, lawns and rose gardens create a relaxing counterbalance to badminton and paddle tennis courts, table tennis and outdoor chess.
The jewel in the gardens’ crown is a beautiful swimming pool, its poolside terraces adorned with sunbeds, sofas and large umbrellas, with the added comfort of a big Berber tent. The innately elegant house has its own gym, cinema and games room, as well as a hammam and beauty/massage centre. The spacious living room continues outdoors on the adjoining terrace, lavishly furnished for lounging and dining, covered for summer shade, and with a fireplace for cooler months Styled with a sense of exotica, the villa’s seven bedrooms are complemented by a one-bedroom private pavilion with its own plunge pool and the discreet team of staff includes a house chef.
This eight-bedroom property (sleeps 16) is priced from £2,419 pp (£38,701 total) per week, including full catering, personal laundry service, housekeeping, massage/beauty therapist, driver and an airport transfer on arrival and on return. Flights extra.
Cobalt Blue, near Marrakech, Morocco – seven bedrooms; sleeps 14
Hotel-like facilities: Tennis court, hammam, yoga room, croquet & boules court, housekeeper, concierge service, house chef.
This large, fully-staffed villa is set in a prime countryside location near the renowned Assoufid golf course, in a very private position just 15 km from Marrakech. Each of the spacious high-ceilinged rooms is beautifully decorated in a contemporary style with Moroccan touches. The sitting room leads to a dining room with fireplace and many of the ground floor rooms open on to the broad terraces, with ample soft seating and dining areas. Five of the spacious seven bedrooms are in the main house, two with spectacular views of the Atlas Mountains.
The large first-floor terrace has a fireplace and is ideal for sundowners while taking in the panoramic sunset views over the Atlas Mountains. In the guest house there are further double and twin bedrooms, opening on to a shared terrace. The extensive gardens feature a large private pool and patio with comfortable loungers and sofas, pool house with kitchenette, hammam, yoga room, plus a clay tennis court, croquet and boules court. The relaxing atmosphere is enhanced by breakfast, housekeeper and concierge services.
This seven-bedroom villa (sleeps 14) is priced from £529 pp (£7,407 total), including chef-prepared breakfast, transport from and to the airport, house manager (non-resident). Lunch and/or dinner can be provided at additional cost, as can excursions with car and driver. Flights extra.
Villa Balbina, Portugal – five bedrooms; sleeps 10
Hotel-like facilities: Gym, games room, pool bar, pool-side Jacuzzi, the services of a cook.
Part of CV Villas’ Private Collection, Villa Balbina is set in an exquisite location above a sheltered semi-private sandy beach, with sweeping lawns leading down towards the sea. With equal emphasis on style and comfort, the interior décor – with Asian touches – is softened by subtle natural shades and warmed with rich reds, while outdoor sofas on an open terrace are infused with summer colours via their bright cushions.
The living room has dark, colonial-coloured terrace doors, with the flair of Italian design found in the dining room.
The unrivalled range of fine facilities includes a gym, an infinity pool surrounded by furnished sun terraces, and a poolside Jacuzzi and bar overlooking the sea. The sitting room is spacious, cool and contemporary and each of the five bedrooms is en suite. The services of a cook are included here for breakfast and lunch and, for four-seasons comfort, Villa Balbina has central heating, pool heating and a games room looking out to sea. Deservedly popular, the villa is within walking distance of two beach restaurants and is just 1 km from the well-known Villa Joya Michelin-starred restaurant as well as shops, restaurants, and sports on land and sea.
Sleeping 10, Villa Balbina is priced from £1,911 pp (£19,107 total). Price includes daily maid service, the services of a cook and pool heating. Flights extra.
Cepheus House, Corfu – seven bedrooms; sleeps 1
Hotel-like facilities: Cinema room, gym, sauna & steam room, concierge, housekeeper, chef service.
An ultra-luxurious villa on a blissful wooded headland, Cepheus House is perfect for special gatherings, boasting exceptional views from its swimming pool. Superbly designed to incorporate traditional Corfiot features, Venetian influences and 21st century comfort, this luxury villa has spacious indoor and outdoor living areas on several levels, all with a sense of romance, character and style. Italianate stone columns and archways link chic sitting and dining rooms with their huge and elegant al fresco counterparts.
Two ancient olive trees are the centrepiece of a beautifully formed courtyard, furnished with an intricately carved daybed and surrounded by lavender. Within the house, a cinema room, gym, sauna and steam room complement the seven bedrooms, and concierge, housekeeper and chef services add an extra level of luxury. Outside, a stunning infinity pool overlooks the sea, served by a lavish pool house, and a network of pathways leads to a pebble beach and jetty. This idyllic retreat is just fifteen minutes on foot from Kassiopi.
Sleeping 14, this seven-bedroom villa is priced from £1,029 pp (£14,400 total) for a week’s stay, including housekeeping service, chef service, concierge and laundry service. Flights extra.
Kingfisher Point, Corfu – eight bedrooms; sleeps 16 across two villas, each with its own pool
Hotel-like facilities: Yoga platform, tennis court, breakfast service, housekeeping, concierge.
A scenic headland is the setting for these two luxury villas in Corfu. With a timber yoga platform over the water by a boulder-strewn beach, a relaxing reading deck raised above the sea in the shade of a tree, a series of stone terraces for al fresco lounging and dining, and a private jetty and tennis court, this exquisite estate looks out to sea across two infinity pools, one of them an incredible forty metres long.
A magnificent venue for a gathering of family or friends, Kingfisher Point is a pair of adjacent, highly-luxurious houses, Amarea and Ophelia, each with four bedrooms and each with airy sitting rooms and direct sea access. Built of local stone and mellowed wood, the properties are beautifully furnished with contemporary elegance, with a touch of rustic charm added in furnishings and architectural features.
The ultra-relaxing atmosphere is enhanced by breakfast, housekeeper and concierge services and, although the villas are very privately positioned, they are also within walking distance of shops and restaurants in Kassiopi and Avlaki, and a short drive from St. Stephano harbour and Kassiopi’s nightlife.
This eight-bedroomed pair of villas (sleeps 16) is priced from £2,869 pp (£45,911 total), including drinks, canapés and fresh flowers upon arrival, breakfast service, chef and waitress service for lunch/dinner, housekeeping service, gardener, concierge service and complimentary Nespresso coffee. Flights extra.
For more information, call CV Villas on 0207 261 5400 or visit www.cvvillas.com.
