The Thinking Traveller is the fashion set's secret to chic holiday villas
When it comes to booking a holiday, more often than not, what you are actually looking for is a “home from home”. And while there are plenty of luxury hotels that can offer this, nowhere does so better than a villa.
Whether you’re in a big group of friends on a hen do looking to go wild in peace, or on a family holiday with multiple generations juggling children and grandparents’ needs, villas are great. Everyone can have their own space while also coming together for pool time and mealtimes – with no risk of annoying other guests (unless you’re squabbling with your mother-in-law over who gets the best sun lounger).
You’re not on anyone’s schedule but your own, and can organise your day accordingly. Yet with so many to choose from these days, not to mention countless horror stories of things being missold (we’ve got visions of that hotel from The Inbetweeners film…), it’s impossible to know which actually lives up to the hype.
Enter: The Thinking Traveller. Beloved by the jet set and fashion cognoscenti alike, its stylish collection of European villas are second to none. Founded over 20 years ago by a well-travelled couple, Huw and Rossella Beaugié, its portfolio spans the Greek Islands to the Balearics, Sicily to the Dalmation Coast, with each subjected to their rigorous standards.
Rather than seeing villas you might have spotted on other websites, like Booking.com or Airbnb, instead, The Thinking Traveller are the sole keyholders, ensuring a personalised touch. As a result of this, the team have long-standing relationships with the villa owners, and have usually stayed at the property before, so they’ve got actual hands-on advice about how to turn the shower on and where the rubbish goes. This extends to having a concierge on hand 24/7 to book restaurants, boat rentals, excursions, taxis, you name it – particularly handy if you’re on a girls holiday or hen do and need to know the hottest restaurants, bars or beach clubs in town.
Oh, and there’s a daily housekeeping service plus a private chef, if you fancy. It’s basically all the convenience of a hotel with the homeliness and privacy of… home.
Of course, in 2024, the eco credentials of a holiday stay are just as important. If we are justifying travelling anywhere, then it has to be giving back in some way ideally. Happily, The Thinking Traveller has gold star credentials in this respect, employing local artisans and giving back to the community. A lot of the villas also run on green energy, such as solar panels, with organic kitchen gardens providing slow-farmed fruit and veg. As far as we can tell, the only drawback is you might never want to go home.





