A bright idea combined with a deep knowledge of the luxury hospitality sector based on years of experience led Jacqui Spice to found Touch of Spice – Curators of New Zealand’s Finest Experiences, over a decade ago. Today it’s the leading luxury travel and villa rental company in New Zealand.
“Catering to discerning clients from all over the world is what I love and I what I do best – I believe nothing is impossible and can and will make anything happen.
“It all began 20 years ago when I worked on board superyachts looking after high profile UHNWIs (Ultra High Net Worth Individuals). At the time I saw a gap in the market in New Zealand for a luxury private villa and concierge service – it hadn’t really been done properly before – and the result was Touch of Spice.
“I started The Private Villa Collection in Queenstown in 2005 because I knew that New Zealand’s luxury private homes were of high enough quality to rival the nation’s hotels and lodges. No one was marketing “villas” in New Zealand back then so we managed to corner the market and become New Zealand’s first luxury villa rental company.
“The success of the company ever since has been based on exceeding expectations. And that means delivering exceptional service, products and experiences to clients who live in the ‘need it now’ world of today. The result is that in 2015 The Private Villa Collection by Touch of Spice is well recognized around the world as the market leader in New Zealand, winning numerous accolades. I’ve been named one of the World’s Best Villa Specialists by Conde Nast Traveller four years in a row.
“I love travelling and I love the finer things in life, and when I travel I consider every detail of the journey – that is what makes the difference between seamless and effortless travel and the rather dispiriting alternative. Attention to detail is a cornerstone of our philosophy at Touch of Spice. I’m passionate about New Zealand and all the incredible experiences it has to offer the luxury traveller – from the breathtaking scenery to the many adventure options. Bringing my passion and knowledge, showcasing the fantastic people and products of New Zealand to Touch of Spice clients and the world is what I live for.
“To be successful in this industry I believe you must have a never say no and think outside the box attitude. At Touch of Spice we will never leave a customer unsatisfied whatever the request – be that getting an entrée option out of season put back on a restaurant menu as a one off for a VIP client; organising a remote wedding anniversary celebration degustation luncheon for eight guests high up in the mountains with a beautiful table set up in front of a glacier and waterfall; or arranging for a professional ping pong player to play daily with one of one of our guests.
“Lastly it’s the personal touch that makes all the difference. As CEO of Touch Of Spice I make sure to see every lead that comes in and guide my team every step of the way to ensure all our guests are receiving the full Touch Of Spice experience. If I have one motto it’s that nothing is impossible. And at Touch of Spice we’ll make anything happen, whatever your desire.”
The exceptional and unique Copper House in Queenstown
To find out more about Touch of Spice and to see some of their properties exclusively on UltraVilla clickhere
To name your company Greatness you have to be certain you will be providing 100% top-notch luxury service. Isabel Benjumea, founder and CEO of UV member and luxury Spanish property rental and concierge firm Greatness, does just that and more. But don’t take our word for it – Greatness has just won the highly prestigious Robb Report Best of the Best award in the luxury travel category. Here’s how Greatness all began.
“I’ve always been passionate about Spain – its rich culture, heritage, land and people. It’s a nation full of hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered and I’ve always wanted to show that to the world.
“I grew up in a well-connected family of intellectuals constantly meeting the most fascinating people and discovering some of the most beautiful places, experiences and private homes in Spain. It always felt natural to me that I’d find a way to bring this background into my career.
“In 2010, after completing a Law and International Relations degree at ICADE in Madrid and further degrees in History at the universities of Cambridge and Georgetown and working at numerous international institutions including the World Bank, I decided to put my knowledge, connections and passion for Spain and its cultural heritage to use in the form of Greatness.
“And today five years later we’ve gone from strength to strength offering personalized experiences, activities and stays at arguably the most exclusive castles, villas and private homes in Spain. And it’s that level of service that has led to our success.
“I personally visit and identify every single property in Greatness’s portfolio demanding only the highest standards and encouraging the owners’ engagement in order to offer that unsurpassed service to our customers. And that’s the key – every single property is exclusive to Greatness and offers the utmost privacy and luxury.
“In order to keep ahead of the game and continue to generate new experiences and ideas, when I am not in the office in Madrid I spend a lot of time travelling through the country. It’s something I love to do, meeting my local partners and seeking out unknown hidden treasures, special parts of the country few people know about, finding unique local restaurants, architectural highlights and planning special historical and cultural tours. Spain has so much to offer and we need to share it with the world. When I am not on the road I supervise every single booking at Greatness to provide that exclusive luxury service Greatness has come to be known for.
“My goals for the future? Reaching excellence. My team and I are very proud of our service but there’s always room for improvement. For example, I am particularly in love with the north of Spain, an area that’s much less known than the south, major cities and coastal areas and I want to increase our presence there.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned it is that nothing compares to personal and high end service. Our aim is provide that unforgettable individual and unique vacation experience for all our clients, paying attention to every detail and accommodating – and exceeding – every need. That’s what myself and the team at Greatness take pride in. And that’s why our clients keep coming back.
“My best experience with Greatness? Continuing to discover the magic of Spain. I thought I knew my country but my incredible adventure with this company has shown me there is so much more.”
To find out more about Greatness and to see some of their properties exclusively on UltraVilla click here.
Gisborne Bay, North Island, New Zealand, iStock.com/K9wooley
The Land of the Long White Cloud is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world, a once-in-a-lifetime must-visit. When it comes to superb New Zealand places to stay UltraVilla has them and when it comes to stunning experiences to be had, UltraVilla has them too. Just take a look a below…
WATCH THE DAWN
There is nothing like sunrise. And there is nothing like witnessing it in an incredible landscape. Why not try Gisborne (pictured above), the easternmost city on New Zealand’s North Island and the first major city to see the sun come up. The vistas are magical and once that sun bursts upon the horizon you’ll breathe deep and think there’s no better way to start your day.
GET A TATTOO
Photographs fade and souvenirs get broken, trashed or forgotten. But get a Maori-style tattoo and you’ll remember your New Zealand trip forever. Traditionally they were the mark of a warrior and you’ll need the strength and stamina of a warrior to endure the pain of ta moko, where designs are literally incised with a hammer and chisel into your skin. Find some of the best trained ta moko artists in Rotorua and Auckland.
TAKE A WATERFALL SHOWER
There’s nothing as refreshing as feeling the splash of a cool, rippling waterfall upon your head outside in nature’s wilds. Cool water to swim in, jungle landscapes to take in – pure unadulterated invigoration. One of the loveliest to jump in is Rainbow Falls in Kerikeri. Walk the riverside trail, nipping between kauri and totara trees before coming out at this most stunning of waterfalls. Take a moment to gaze at its beauty as it tumbles over volcanic basalt into a picture-perfect plunge pool but not too long. The water’s calling you. Jump!
GO SEA KAYAKING iStock.com/Sam Camp
Not only will you learn how to kayak on the waves you’ll see some of the most incredible wildlife the world has to offer. At Kaikoura’s kayak school you’ll paddle out to sea and catch sight of seals, dolphins and even migrating whales. And we’re not promising anything but you might even get to witness a pod of orcas who live in the area. Yep, like we said at the top this is once-in-a-lifetime stuff.
WATCH THE RUGBY
Though the New Zealand national team is over in the UK at the moment enjoying the Rugby World Cup, one thing not to miss when here is a rugby match. Alongside cricket, and even more so, it is the sport that rules this nation. Every weekend over 100,000 people play the game and fans support their local teams in huge numbers. Why not visit Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth for a match – with Mount Taranaki looming in the background you’ll be sucked in to the passionate atmosphere and find yourself screaming your lungs out in support.
A NIGHT AT THE ZOO
Lots of national museums around the world run night visits where you can sleep over but did you ever imagine you could do it at a zoo. You can at Wellington Zoo but it’s involves some work. On special nights, from 7pm to 9.30am you book yourself in to stay and take part with the keepers in feeding and managing the animals. You’ll sleep looking over Monkey Island and wake up to the sounds of wild animals at dawn then help mucking out before your experience ends.
GLOW IN THE DARK
One incredible to visit is the Waitomo Glowworm Caves – yes glowworms do exist! These magical caves have a huge population of Arachnocampa luminosa, as glowworms are known, and they light up the dark with an spooky blue glow. Take a boat ride through the subterranean grotto and crane your neck to see thousands of them clinging to the ceiling, glittering like stars in the sky.
TAKE A HIKE
There’s nothing like walking for clearing the mind and filling the lungs and New Zealand has some of the best (and longest) hiking trails on the planet. Like Te Araroa. Opened in 2011, the 3000km trail links Cape Reinga, at the north end of North Island to Bluff at the south end of South Island. Course you don’t have to do it all – that would take 120 days!
GO HELI-BIKING
Road toaward Mount Cook, New Zealand, iStock.com/Delpixart
If you love helicopters, mountain biking and stunning landscapes you’ll love going heli-biking in Wanaka. Fly up in the chopper, circle Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, travel over the three giant lakes and marvel at the views then land at 2200m for the beginning of the country’s highest mountain-bike trail. It starts with a dual single track weaving it’s way across the ridgeline, then moves into rolling hills as you get lower down and finally ending at Wanaka’s oldest pub. Heli-biking, hell yeah!
SKI ON NORTH ISLAND
Skiing in New Zealand happens during the northern hemisphere’s summer so right now it’s pretty much coming to the end of season but one of the best places to keep skiing till the end of October is on Mount Ruapehu on North Island. Here, the twin resorts of Whakapapa and Turoa have some of the country’s biggest and best slopes as well as its best après-ski.
For information on how to do all these experiences and the most incredible properties to stay at while doing them contact UltraVilla’s New Zealand experts here
Andy Castle, ski lover and founder of Ultimate Luxury Chalets, tells UltraVilla the story of how he went from student in the English seaside town of Bournemouth to owner of one of the most popular European chalet rental companies in the business.
“My parents were sun-worshippers rather than snow-lovers which meant I spend most of my childhood holidays on beaches instead of slopes. So it wasn’t till my student days as a business studies undergraduate at Bournemouth University that I finally had the chance to experience the fantastic excitement of a ski vacation. And it all began from there.
“The third year of my degree involved taking up a compulsory work placement for the duration. I loved Bournemouth and wanted to stay there and by chance the opportunity came up to join a recently launched ski and villa travel agency in the city. Naturally (ahem) the two directors hired me for my unrivalled charisma and sales banter and I quickly settled in (working for pennies) as their only employee.
“I was sent away to the ski resorts of La Tania and Val d’Isère to actually experience what I was selling and from my first day on the slopes I was hooked. My sales enthusiasm helped to take the company from a £500,000 turnover in their first year to £2,000,000 in sales revenues for their second year of trading. When my placement was up the company tried to get me to give up my degree and stay, and though it was sorely tempting I knew my parents would not have taken kindly to me throwing their investment in my tuition down the pan. So I headed back to finish my studies.
“Upon graduation I decided to try something new and went into mortgage consultancy. This didn’t quite fill me with the same level of satisfaction as selling dreamy ski holidays and so I succumbed to the inevitable and headed back to the ski agency, taking on the role of Sales Manager. By this time the company had grown to include three further sales staff and some new work experience students, all of whom didn’t know what to expect of their new boss who came in with a big reputation. I could never have imagined that one of those workies, Fran, would later become my wife.
“I stayed at the company for a couple of years, becoming an increasingly recognised name in the ski travel industry, even running the agency when the directors were absent. It was then I spotted a niche in the market. What if there was a separate website that focused on offering the best chalets available to rent across a variety of resorts? There were many agents who focused solely on the top end resorts and high end properties only, giving no consideration to smaller and lesser known resorts where I knew visitors could get more bang for their buck. And many agents who dealt with anything and everything at that high end of the market but without focusing on a specific level of luxury. My idea was born. I asked my boss at the agency to come into this new website with me on a 50/50 split but he declined. I followed my dream, left my job, and started Ski In Luxuryby myself.
“It was the best decision – apart from marrying Fran – I ever made. Self-funded and working alone, I set up and launched Ski In Luxury in 2005 and using extremely SEO friendly web design and content rapidly established it online. My Internet presence increased as did to traffic to the website and after just three years of operation sales were coming in thick and fast and business was booming. Alongside that I got to physically enjoy the fruits of my labour too, getting to stay in some of the most luxurious chalets in Europe. It was a match made in heaven.
“By this time Fran left her job at JP Morgan to join me once again and it was she who set up Villas In Luxury, Ski In Luxury’s sister website to offer our growing list of clients a summer, as well as winter, vacation option. Working side by side we built a reputation among our customers as a unique, grass roots service that would bend over backwards to satisfy their every need.
Le Chardon, Val D’Isére
“In 2012 we saw an increased level of competition in top end luxury chalet market and to stay with the game we launched Ultimate Luxury Chalets. While many chalet operators define their products as ‘luxury’ in our experience they often fail to live up to that description. Ultimate Luxury Chalets is not one of them. We put together the “ultimate” list of the best of the best in the luxury chalet world, providing truly sensational chalets and standards of service and cuisine. Each year the portfolio is handpicked by us and features no more than 100 chalets at any time, ensuring that quality standards are kept at their very best and enabling our clients to easily access online the very best luxury chalets in an ever-expanding market.
“When our first daughter Beatrice arrived in 2013, soon to be followed by our second Sienna, with the business working so well we finally had to grow our staff and company and take on the roles of boss. We now have a fantastic team consisting of Fran and I, three sales staff, and an IT and Web Development Manager to ensure that we remain cutting edge with our websites and maintain the SEO rankings that have become the backbone of Ultimate Luxury Chalets’ success.
“Going forward we have big plans for expansion and new websites on the horizon. We are at an exciting phase in our development, one I never would have imagined a decade ago when Ski In Luxury started. We are putting together some fantastic content and unique, fun blogs, and getting very involved in our social media, all of which are contributing to our increasing following and providing our clients with another level of service satisfaction. I am very much looking forward to seeing what the next ten years bring and am genuinely excited to build new relationships with some of the most recognised and reputed travel industry professionals in the world, and to be a part of assisting in the success of UltraVilla.”
Le Grand Joux, Morzine
To find our more about Ultimate Luxury Chalets and to view some of their properties click here
From Switzerland to Thailand here’s where to go and where to stay there this October
What:COMBAT DES REINES
Where: Martigny, Valais, Switzerland
When: First week October
The Valais area in Switzerland is well known for its pistes but every Autumn something much odder occurs. Erdinger cows fight each other to decide which beast will be ‘queen’ of the herd. The fighters stomp and snort before charging each other, locking horns and trying to push their opponent backwards. Odd as it sounds local farmers have organized battles since the 1920s and the cow-fighting circuit has become such big business that some farmers can earn more from the sport than their herds’ milk- and meat-production. Now let’s be clear, these bovines are feisty creatures, and they’ve been battling each other this way on their own for centuries. The major competitions nonetheless are a big pull here in southern Switzerland – Martigny’s Foire du Valais festival always features a huge rodeo-style cow battleattracting thousands of spectators with owners able to win big prize money. For it’s quirkiness alone it’s worth a visit.
Where: Main St, Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, Ireland
When: September through October
Lisdoonvara, or Lisdoon for short, only has about 1000 inhabitants but is known for two things: its spas and tradition of matchmakers or basadóiri. Pay their fee and these date-arrangers in the past would help unlucky singles find a partner. Traditionally, around September when the harvest was over lonely men with cash in hand would come into town in search of love and so came about the Matchmaking Festival. Today there’s still a traditional basadóiri – Willie Daly – to help set you up but also loads of other events from amateur horseracing, lots of drinking and pub craic to keep you interested as well as more modern mating rituals including a speed dating weekend as well as country dancing weekend.
For some crowded craziness why not join the largest fiesta on the River Amazon, and Brazil’s biggest event after Carnaval, at Círio de Nazaré – a festival revolving around the a small statue of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré (Our Lady of Nazareth). Pilgrims come to honour the sculpture, said to have been created in Nazareth, performed miracles in Portugal before finding its way to Brazil in 1700 and the site of the Belém’s Basilica de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré. The statue is taken from its home in the Catedral de Sé to Icoaraci and then carried back in a river procession of hundreds of boats. The next morning millions of people fill the streets to accompany the image back to the basilica, a journey that takes five hours over 3.5km, with thousands trying to get to close to the carriage holding the statue. It’s a sight to behold and an experience to join in. Of course after all that sweating and praying you’ll want to chill out on a beach somewhere. See the link below for the perfect places.
Cute baby animals may be all over the internet, but they’re also all over Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Each year, thousands of turtles make the journey to here to lay their eggs. Join local conservationists from the Banderas Bay Turtle Protection Programme on their moonlight vigils to protect the hatching baby turtles from predators. This is a great opportunity to take part in a drive to protect Mexico’s coastal ecosystem, whilst also admiring the pluckiness of these ‘hatchlings’ as they waddle their way back to the ocean.
Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, is incredible during the annual Vegetarian Festivalwhere the local Chinese community celebrate the beginning of ‘Taoist Lent’ when devout Tao followers abstain from eating meat. There are parades and performances, religious offerings and processions focused around the five Chinese Temples on the island of which Jui Tui Temple is the oldest. But be warned, this festival is not for faint hearted, as devotees perform some disturbing yet amazing acts of self-mortification. Walking on hot coals, climbing knife-blade ladders, piercing the skin with sharp objects and more. There are deafening firecrackers, ritual dancing, tea drinking and lots of prayer. Lots to see then – though of course this is Phuket, South East Asia’s St Tropez so may just want to hang out at the jaw-dropping beaches instead.
Peg Walsh, Founder of St. Barth Properties tells her story of how she went from an office manager in a busy dental practice to managing a collection of premium villa properties on the island of Saint-Barthélemy
“I have always believed in the importance of ‘recharging and reconnecting’ on vacation, and this was one of the reasons for creating St. Barth Properties. I used to be a busy mum raising three children alongside working in my husband Steve’s busy dental practice. A typical day would include packing lunches, driving to early morning hockey practice, and perhaps squeezing in a visit to the vet before work.
“Steve and I always needed an annual getaway, and I loved planning winter vacations that would take us from a grey and cold Franklin, Massachusetts, to a warm and sunny Caribbean island. We visited a different island each year, but when we arrived on St. Barth in March 1986 it was love at first sight. We loved its picture-postcard harbour surrounded by sweeping hills with red-roofed villas, its white-sand beaches, and most of all its sophisticated European ambience. Before we left, I decided to buy a small condo in St. Jean Village. It was a decision which changed my life and led me to founding the company.
“At first we tried renting out our condo using a villa rental agency. We were disappointed with the results though so I decided to try and do it myself. My success doing this encouraged me to contact other property owners and I quickly gained a portfolio of 30 private villas. I invested in a $1,000 phone line, a fax machine, business cards, and bought a few small advertisements in travel magazines, and in 1989 St. Barth properties was born!
“At first I managed the business from my desk in the dental office, and then in a room in our house. I loved it and it soon felt like I was living my dream. ‘Live your dream’ has become my trademarked motto and mantra and it’s what I hope for all my clients. As my villa portfolio grew, I also began representing many of the island’s top hotels and working with car rental companies. I began spending more time on the island and loved introducing St. Barth to my new clients and travel agents.
“In 1992, the company took a big leap forward as my son Tom joined. Fresh out of college with a business degree, Tom had a wealth of then ‘modern’ ideas which we implemented, including a new website with the domain stbarth.com and email accounts for our staff. We are so grateful to Tom who is now the company’s Vice President. In 1999, we opened our own office in St. Barth, allowing us to give our clients an end-to-end service from planning to vacation. We’ve been steadily growing since then and also now offer clients the opportunity to own their own home via our company St. Barth Properties Sotheby’s International Realty.
“At the end of 2014 we launched a new website and are getting great reviews from all who use it. We now have a growing number of international clients, and a range of premium villas and hotels, including the Grand Cru villa collection and the Hotel Villas collection. Some properties offer all the services of a hotel, from champagne delivered to your terrace to a 24/7 butler. Our team is also happy to assist clients in organising celebrations or events, from engagement proposals on a sunset cruise to massive 40th birthday parties. We’re proud to be partners with the prestigious Virtuoso network (an international consortium of high-end travel agencies) and a member of the St. Barth Hotel Association, the Caribbean Hotel Association, the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN). The company is also an allied member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), as well as a member of the Better Business Bureau, and of course UltraVilla.
“I live on the island from December to May each year, but also visit at other times. I’m passionate about the island and love seeing our clients enjoying all it has to offer. I couldn’t have done it without our great staff and clients, so ‘merci beaucoup’ to them all!”
To find out more about St. Barth Properties click here
We know it’s September, but if you want to get away and celebrate New Year’s Eve in style with family and friends in a stunning villa/lodge/castle/chalet now’s the time to book. So here’s UltraVilla’s 31 top properties for your NYE getaway Part 1.
You’re surrounded by 16,000 square meters of fig, olive and carob orchards in a home with 360˚ unobstructed views to die for and a stunning heated rooftop pool. Cold? What’s that? Plus there’s plenty of space for the kids to run around and long island walks to be had – without the usual Formentera crowds.
You don’t find many truly special contemporary homes to let in Cornwall but of the ones you do Cornwall Escape wins hands down. Designed by Mary Reynolds for open plan living, there are multi-level gardens with space heaters to keep you warm when outside and an open fire coupled with a superb sound system inside – which means your New Year bash will go with a (seriously loud) bang.
What more could you want on a wintry new year’s eve than a luxury spa/sauna/pool to relax in. This 14th century Spanish Masia has all three and more – hydro massage jets, a salt electrolysis system and a fitness room. But if that’s too much water for you can challenge your gang to a ping pong or snooker tournament instead. Then pass out in one of the eight huge luxury en suite bedrooms.
Nowhere gives you that homely Christmas/New Year festive feeling better than an ancient Irish castle. And Castle Waterford dating back to 1170 is the perfect one. Set in stunning gardens it makes some setting for a celebration – you’ll eat fresh produce from the grounds, enjoy fully staffed comfort and there’s even a home cinema for when you curl up with a Xmas movie and Irish coffee. One word: unforgettable.
Who says Greece in winter is a no-go. Not us. Stay in the high end luxury Ithaca AA villa, among 200 acres of landscaped gardens, the azure Ionian sea all around and you’ll see why. Tranquil, magical and perfect for intimate gatherings it will change your perspective of holidaying in December/January in the Med. And if the thought of hanging out inside all week gets tired you can take the party to the private motor yacht instead.
For a truly exotic New Year party take your friend to Yao Noi Island. Not far from Phuket, this stunning Thai beachfront estate will impress every single guest with every modern comfort and its design inspired by northern Thailand’s ancient temples. Wake up on New Year’s Day and start 2015 with a swim in the 30metre pool or be even more ambitious and head out for some cave kayaking instead. It’s time to party.
One of the most picturesque NYE holiday options you can imagine, El Pinar just outside the walled town of Ávila was once home to the Marquis of Valdueza and taking your family gathering here won’t fail to impress every guest. Prepare for a traditional Spanish treat.
Paris is always a good New Year’s Eve option – the city buzzes with atmosphere and the monuments and streets are lit up beautifully. What you need then is a luxury place to stay perfect for a house party and this modern loft space is just that. It’s got a superb double height entertaining space, a home cinema projection screen and Dolby surround sound so you show a Jean-Luc Godard flick to a musical sountrack while toasting your friends and 2015 with the finest Dom Perignon. Don’t forget to dress up!
December in Maui is the time to go, the weather is perfect and the sun, sea and sand as stunning as you can imagine. Take your gathering to the impressively laid out Golden Sands and spend your days snorkeling and parasailing on Ka’anapali Beach before celebrating as the sun goes down.
Located in the famed Conca d’Oro of Tuscany’s Chianti, minutes from Panzano, Ca Di Pesa is truly a home to for a large get together where chef Anna will fill your bellies with the perfect pizza and more made using the traditional wood burning oven. And of course you are in Chianti so the wine will be to die for.
Spending New Year in what was once the vacation home of Sir Paul McCartney in stunning Montego Bay never gets tired. Sitting on the highest point of Round Hill perfect for sunrises and sunsets, Janus has it all – including a baby grand piano for when you want to sing along to Auld Lang Syne on the stroke of midnight.
Where better for a seasonal countryside gathering than this storybook chateau in Cluny with beautiful views in all directions, surrounded by forests, fields and fairytale farmhouses. The chateau has nine exquisitely decorated rooms and there’s a beautiful separate pavilion with a billiard room and a heated swimming pool. Christmas in the country has never looked so good.
London in the festive season is filled with incredible entertainment options – from the best theatre in the world to the best restaurants in the world to the best musical venues in the world. But where to stay? This stately four-bedroom house in Kensington with a soaring entryway leading to an opulent living room and stunning luxury bedrooms is where. A true home away from home.
You can probably sleep everyone you know here and pretend you’re in Downton Abbey too – in fact Highclere (where Downton is filmed) is close enough to visit. But more importantly, this lavishly restored manor filled with art and antique furniture is a dream venue for a New Year break, you simply won’t want to leave. Well, except to visit the picturesque village pubs nearby for an ale or two.
Bali, New Year in a hotel that’s just for you. Smack bang in fashionable Seminyak, this five-bedroomed property is the ultimate winter sun destination right next to the beach. The party will go on and on and you won’t have to lift a finger as the 24-hour staff will take of everything. Cocktail please!
New Year in New Zealand – need we say more? Enjoy long lazy lunches and call in January 1st first with the most incredible stars above your head at Villa Oneroa, a contemporary calm property above miles and miles of uninterrupted beach. Let the festivities begin.
Look out for Part 2 of our 31 top properties to spend NYE in, coming soon
Yes we know it’s only September, but winter isn’t that far away and now’s the time to think about that ski/snow December getaway. Verbier, in the stunning Swiss Alps is at the top of UV’s list of destinations to be this year, for the perfect snow, the perfect après-ski and the most perfect places to stay. Like the incredible Chalet Spa Verbier from Ultimate Luxury Chaletsand we couldn’t resist posting this shot of the property’s magical seven-person outdoor Jacuzzi and indoor pool to whet your appetite. The southern oak clad terrace slides into two parts to reveal the Jacuzzi carefully positioned under cover of the extensive third-floor terrace. Outside, but under its own roof, the Jacuzzi benefits from the clear mountain air and unimpeded 180 degree views east from the Verbier bowl, south over the village, and south and west over the Alps toward the mountain range Grand-Combin. You couldn’t ask for more than that. In fact, who needs the snow. We could go right now.
To find out more about Chalet Spa Verbier or to enquire click here.
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The magnificent Landing Residences at the tip of the Purerua Peninsula
Inside the stunning Otaha Beachfront Lodge at Kerikeri
The exceptional and unique Copper House in Queenstown
