Caribbean villa rentals raise the bar on vacation experience
Published: 04/04/2009 by Nancy Anderson
Caribbean villa rental guests have become a valuable mainstay of the current travel scene. Their continued devotion to the ultimate vacation experience has been a saving grace to many Caribbean destinations.
Nancy Anderson, President of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands-based McLaughlin Anderson Luxury Villas, is familiar with repositioning her company during rapidly changing times. Having seen her way through major hurricanes, 9-11, and the internet’s growing predominence, Nancy was feeling highly optimistic about the upcoming winter season as summer turned to fall of 2008. Then, suddenly, the entire world was faced with uncertain financial times, added to already increasing global competition. A struggling economy, and the rise of the internet as the first stop in vacation planning have changed the landscape for many owners and island managers.
In spite of these factors, Nancy feels that the villa rental industry survives because it provides value, luxury, and the opportunity to see island culture in an upfront and personal way. And, guests keep coming back for more. "Our villas are luxurious," Nancy states. "They raise the bar on island living and elevate our accommodations to four- and five-star standards. They attract upscale travelers with money who are more likely to make luxury purchases on island." Furthermore, hotel taxes are paid on all rentals, fortifying government coffers.
Villa renters charter boating, sportfishing and dive trips, frequent local restaurants and nightclubs, grocery stores, as well as hire chefs, caterers, massage therapists, and nanny care providers. Villas pull their collective weight by providing multiple layers of financial support to communities by creating local jobs in maintenance, painting, plumbing and electrical, housekeeping, extermination, landscaping, and pool care, to name but several. In addition, island utilities such as power and water, telephone and internet receive income.
Villas also present a unique value. For example, the new St. Thomas villa Gwenn offers 5 air-conditioned bedrooms with baths ensuite for a daily cost of $208.57 per couple in winter, and $177.14 in summer/fall (plus Hotel Tax). Guests have a fully-equipped kitchen and gas grill to prepare their own meals, and their own swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Space for intimacy, romance and quality family time, experiencing local culture, and a greater sense of "belonging" to the island community are perks that come only with visiting a "home away from home"... a private villa.
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