Villa holidays seem to be the ‘in-thing’ for travellers in 2022, with a 130% increase in searches for “villa holidays” in the past 90 days (Google Trends). This guide will help those trying to locate the finest luxury villas and residences in the UK and Europe and the best bit is they all currently have availability for the summer months.

Best for family reunions and missed celebrations:

*NEW* “Villas Della Marchesa” at Hotel Santa Caterina
The iconic 19th century Hotel Santa Caterina, located on the Amalfi Coast, is opening its Villas Della Marchesa this summer. The new villas can sleep up to 14 people and offer panoramic views from every room and suite directly out to sea.

The villas boast vast newly landscaped garden terraces and a 36m swimming pool with a solarium and a wine cellar. The space offers guests their own private sanctuary amongst the Amalfi lemon groves and makes it ideal for those travelling in larger groups, with plenty of space for guests to celebrate with exclusive lunches or dinners. It is possible to arrange personalised home cooking and wine lists from the hotel brought to the villa.

The main villa consists of three bedrooms – two junior suites and a front sea view double room. Nearby (accessed by steps or elevator), you have a further two separate Executive Junior Suites, bringing the maximum capacity of the entire complex to 14 people. All rooms and suites have clean lines and muted tones, dotted with splashes of Mediterranean colour for that classic Hotel Santa Caterina appearance – that the hotel has become famous for over the years.

In addition to the villas, guests can enjoy the hotel’s flagship restaurant, Glicine, a recipient of a Michelin star three years in a row. Hotel Santa Caterina is the only Leading Hotel close to Amalfi that benefits from direct sea access. It has two private elevators carved into the rock of the coast that leads to their private beach club, where guests can soak up the Mediterranean sun and swim in the heated pool.

The prices of the villas start from 4,000 euros per night.

Best for Beachfront Living:

Martinhal Sagres Beach & Family Resort
Located on the eastern tip of Portugal’s Algarve coast, Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts’ flagship hotel, ‘Martinhal Sagres’, remains the leading light in luxury family holidays. With award-winning kids clubs, a huge variety of activities ranging from mountain biking to surfing and sleek and stylish design, Martinhal keeps even the most active of kids entertained and gives even the most stressed parents a chance to breathe and unwind. Martinhal Sagres is incredibly spacious, with the facilities and green areas spread out over 220,000 square metres and access to a 700m beach.

Individual houses and villas at Martinhal Sagres, some with their own private gardens and private heated swimming pools, allow families to enjoy their own little space in the Algarve. Families can choose from stylish townhouses with impressive views over the Sagres peninsular and park, Ocean Houses with private verandas perfect for al fresco meals overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Garden Houses and the exclusive private collection of Luxury Martinhal Villas, each with sea views and private garden with swimming pool.

Martinhal also understands that a multi-generational holiday is a great way to reconnect and spend quality time with your loved ones. Their Extended Family Package includes a 30% discount on a double room when booking a 2 or 3 bedroom Village House. This offer is valid for travel until 28 December 2022.

The price is from €428 per night for a 2 Bedroom Ocean House.

Best for Culture:

JW Retreats with JW Marriott Venice
JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa is an oasis set on its own private island, ‘Isola Delle Rose’. JW Retreats – a cluster of residences set apart from the main hotel offering another level of seclusion with their own private gardens, with select properties including private pools. Villas include:

  • The ‘La Residenza Pool Deluxe’.
  • A collection of one-bedroom villas with plunge pools.
  • Stunning rooms that seamlessly open onto a deck with a plunge pool and private garden, where guests can recline with views over the lagoon and Venetian skyline.

Larger groups can book the ‘Villa Rose’ – a luxury private villa with a separate swimming pool within the island resort’s gardens. All interiors are finished in designer Matteo Thun’s fluid style, rooms filled with light and air, merging with the surrounding nature. This large private home can be configured for up to seven guests.

The first floor has views over the lagoon towards the Venice skyline, and the two master bedrooms each have sleek light-filled bathrooms, one even complete with a soaking tub. The extensive living area with a sitting room and dining room and a separate kitchen make up the ground floor, with a further small lounge that can be converted into a third bedroom with its own en-suite bathroom.

Just a short boat ride away from St Mark’s Square, the villas make an ideal base for exploring Venice’s cultural scene. Launching this week and running to the 1 May 2022, guests can visit the renowned Homo Faber Event, a celebration of creativity, design, and contemporary craftsmanship. The event will welcome 15 immersive exhibitions curated by 22 curators and designers, 350 master artisans, rising stars and designers, focusing on Japanese National Living Treasures.

Also taking place from 23 April, 2022 is the famous Venice Biennale, held in the Castello district of Venice. Founded in 1895, it is an international art exhibition featuring architecture, visual arts, cinema, dance, music, and theatre – the ideal family day out.

  • Prices for the JW Retreats start from 701 euros per night.
  • Prices for the Villa Rose start from 5,111 euros per night.

Best for a City Break:

Martinhal Cascais
Martinhal Cascais luxury resort combines the best of Cascais, Estoril and Sintra whilst being within easy reach of Lisbon. Martinhal Cascais offers an amazing experience for the whole family, providing a five-star hotel as well as a selection of stylish luxury family villas – a perfect home from home that allows families to enjoy the best of both the city and coast.

The contemporary 2-bedroom villas provide modern conveniences and have been designed with families in mind. The villas feature loft-style double-height living spaces, linking to the private terrace with an open plan kitchen. Each house has its own parking spot, and all villas are located just a short walk from the main hotel, right next to the Kids Clubhouse and heated pool.

As a leading family resort, Martinhal knows that sightseeing with the kids can be a challenge. Their Family Concierge team are on hand to help guests experience the best of Portugal’s vibrant capital and recommend activities that little ones and parents will love. There is a lot to keep everyone entertained in Lisbon, with plenty of family-friendly museums, castles, tropical gardens, aquariums, and more.

Prices from: €553 per night for a Grand Deluxe Villa

Best for Getting Back to Nature:

Upgraded Glamping Sites at Luxury Family Hotels’ Woolley Grange Hotel, Bradford Upon Avon
For those families looking to swap the usual villa walls for an escape to the countryside under canvas, Luxury Family Hotels is delighted to announce the return of Woolley Grange’s Glamping suites from 2 April, with several upgrades and new additions for 2022.

Guests at the Woolley Grange Glamping site have access to the hotel and its facilities, including heated indoor and outdoor (in season) swimming pools, spa, OFSTED-registered childcare, and the Woolley Grange Restaurant. A staple of all Luxury Family Hotels properties, all bookings come with 90-minutes of complimentary childcare per night stayed.

Rates for Woolley Grange’s Glamping Suites start from £445 bed & breakfast basis. Minimum two-night stay.

Best for Exclusive Luxury:

The Langham Nymphenburg Residence, Munich
Langham Hospitality Group and Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg offer the most exclusive residence in Munich. It features a direct view of the majestic 490-acre imperial estate of Nymphenburg Palace, unique handcrafted artworks in every room, and elegantly appointed interiors, The Langham Nymphenburg Residence, Munich was a defining milestone for The Langham Hotels and Resorts’ expanding European portfolio in 2020. Steeped in Bavarian royal history and adjacent to the world-renowned Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg, the residence offers luxurious comfort, privacy and exclusiveness.

The 18th-century manor was meticulously restored and revived in 2020 as a bespoke private residence for guests. Extending to 9,000 square feet, it features seven bathrooms, four bedrooms, three living rooms, an airy dining room, a fully-equipped kitchen, fitness centre, conference suite, home cinema and wine cellar. It also has a private terrace where guests can relax in the middle of a beautifully landscaped garden with enough space to seat 100 guests if it is desired to organise an exclusive outdoor event.

From the ground floor, guests enjoy a direct view over the magnificent estate to Nymphenburg Palace. The home cinema, furnished with an inviting lounge, comfortable armchairs and a large screen, is perfect for private viewings and the Royal Bavarian Spa on the first floor reflects its truly regal setting for relaxation. Alternatively, guests can maintain their fitness regime in the gym furnished with Technogym equipment and includes an en-suite spa-bathroom comprising a treatment cabin.

The Langham Nymphenburg Residence, Munich, sleeps eight guests and costs from €35,000 per night.

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