11 Sun-Soaked Villas to Visit This Winter
With winter fast approaching, our eyes are turning to warmer locales where we can enjoy sun, sand, and waves. If you're looking for a perfect vacation to get away from it all, consider renting out a private villa at a top-notch resort, so you can have the perfect combination of seclusion and fun activities. Plus, with all the extra space in your personal accommodation, you can take the whole family away for the holidays. We've rounded up 11 such private villas in warm-weather destinations that are sure to be a welcome retreat.
1/11Bay View Casa, Amanera, Dominican Republic
Though the Dominican Republic is best known for its all-inclusive resorts along popular beaches like Punta Cana, Aman Resorts opened its more than 2,000-acre luxury property Amanera along a pristine stretch of jungle and the quiet Playa Grande beach. Its crowning accommodation is the two-bedroom Bay View Casa, which offers indoor-outdoor living at its finest atop a 60-foot cliff overlooking the Atlantic. Enjoy the private pool, or an in-house meal cooked by a top chef. If that's not enough, the resort offers an 18-hole golf course, an on-site restaurant, and a spa (treatments can be enjoyed in your villa, as well). From $1,100/night; aman.com
Copyright 2013 Ryan Forbes / AVABLU2/11Casona Don Carlos, Mukul Resort, Nicaragua
Nicaragua is on everyone’s travel hot list of late, due in no small part to the debut of this luxury resort near the surf town of San Juan del Sur. When he’s not in residence, owner Carlos Pellas shares his family’s private compound, which has six gorgeously appointed bedrooms in side-by-side villas. The preferred hangout spot is the elegant palapa-style living room, with open walls, a dramatic thatched-roof cathedral ceiling, and a wraparound infinity-edge pool overlooking the Pacific. From $6,000/night; mukulresort.com
3/11Casa Tres Soles, Punta Mita, Mexico
The more the merrier at this villa compound, with nine en suite bedrooms (seven in the main house and two more in an adjacent casita) decked out with Mexican textiles and artwork. The breezy thatched-roof pavilion overlooks the infinity pool and ocean. And if it happens to rain, settle into the 16-seat theater for a movie night. From $9,000/night; luxuryretreats.com
Don Riddle Images4/11Makaloa Villa, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii
This stand-alone three-bedroom bungalow at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Hualalai offers the privacy of a residence with all the services of a five-star hotel. Local materials, such as bamboo and tropical hardwood, and an outdoor lava-rock shower in the master bath contribute to the property’s strong sense of place. From $12,495/night; fourseasons.com
- Architecture + DesignStep Inside June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer’s Character-Filled Los Feliz Home
5/11Villa Manzu, Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
Inside this 30,000-square-foot estate designed by local architect Abraham Valenzuela are eight stylish en suite bedrooms, plus a bar, gym, and garage stocked with surfboards and kayaks. Outside are two swimming pools and a private point overlooking the Pacific—an ideal spot for sunset cocktails. From $16,500/night (all inclusive); villamanzu.com
¬©Miz Watanabe/www.aQuaStudio.co.nz6/11Owner’s Cottage at Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown, New Zealand
There’s no better place to enjoy views of Lake Wakatipu than from the private balcony at this four-bedroom cottage. The villa also boasts an airy lounge, a deckside hot tub, and local furnishings such as wool carpets created by the costumers for The Lord of the Rings, which was filmed nearby. From $6,819/night; matakaurilodge.com
- Architecture + DesignStep Inside June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer’s Character-Filled Los Feliz Home
Photo: Gili Lankanfushi7/11Private Reserve at Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives
Bigger is better at this floating estate, said to be the world’s largest over-water villa. Accessible only by boat, the three-bedroom playground has a freshwater pool, two outdoor dining areas, a private cinema, and a rooftop deck perfect for stargazing. From $11,000/night; gili-lankanfushi.com
8/11Lazy Lizard, Jumby Bay, Antigua
This private-island Caribbean resort from Rosewood is a favorite of high-profile guests seeking quiet relaxation. The six-bedroom estate was designed with friends in mind, with the suites set around the master living area, which features a teal-and-white scheme punctuated by Asian accents. The centerpiece is the free-form swimming pool with a “floating” diving pavilion, where meals are served by your private chef and staff. From $11,250/night; luxuryretreats.com
- Architecture + DesignStep Inside June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer’s Character-Filled Los Feliz Home
9/11Villa Rockstar, Eden Rock Hotel, St. Barts
The tri-level villa has four en suite master bedrooms on the top floor (the choicest room has a circular tub accented with white-gold tiles) and two singles cabins on the ground floor, with separate entrances. Get creative in the on-site recording studio (complete with guitars, drums, and a Neve mixing board), or hit the game room for pool, darts, or table tennis. Just beyond the swimming pool and hot tub is a gate that opens onto St. Jean Beach. From $18,000/night; edenrockvillarental.com
10/11Royal Villa, The Oberoi, Bali, Indonesia
Privacy is the premium at this 4,305-square-foot retreat in Seminyak. The stand-alone thatched-roof master suite has its own private garden (viewable from the sunken tub) and a separate living area with an open-air dining room and kitchenette. A 20-foot swimming pool lined with frangipani trees reinforces the exotic appeal. From $1,250/night; oberoihotels.com
- Architecture + DesignStep Inside June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer’s Character-Filled Los Feliz Home
11/11Villa 33, Amanyara, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Serenity awaits at Amanyara’s premier villa, a five-bedroom estate with its own stretch of beach. The master bedroom pavilion commands a prime setting overlooking the sea, while four additional stand-alone sleeping pavilions accommodate family and friends. Additional amenities include expansive sea-facing terraces and patios, a dramatic living space decorated with Indonesian carvings and Thai silks, and a 106-foot volcanic-rock infinity pool. From $12,900/night; aman.com
