Ariella’s Villas Blog

For those who are a bit frustrated not to be able to play their favorite game in good conditions because of bad weather, cold temperatures, rain and storms … it could be nice to go someplace where the weather is nice. In Marrakech/Morocco or in Cape Town/South Africa, Golf lovers will find some fantastic courses in spectacular surroundings.

Ariella’s Villas manages some of the most beautiful properties in both destinations where you will enjoy a rest near the pool or under the shade of a palm tree after a hard day golfing. And to ensure a good score the day after, don’t forget to book massages at home! Stop dreaming, book it.

More info on http://www.ariellavillas.com/page.php?rubID=2&lan=en&countryID=11 and http://www.ariellavillas.com/page.php?rubID=2&lan=en&countryID=12

The 2013 edition of Le Tour de France will whiz through Provence on July 14^th when the competitors will tackle Mont Ventoux. This ascent has forever inspired the awe and respect of cyclists and the enthusiasm of spectators. It’s always a special moment.

For those who would like to see one of the most famous legs of the Tour de France and also to measure themselves against the Giant of Provence, La Bastide des Fontaines is probably the perfect haven – only 30 minutes drive from the Mt Ventoux—perfect place to enjoy a rest after such a challenge.

This authentic bastide is not only for sports addicts. Despite the pool and the tennis court, its location will allow you to easily discover Provence and its treasures the Luberon landscapes and its hilltop villages (Gordes, Lacoste, Bonnieux…), the famous Provencal market of Isle sur la Sorgue really close by, Avignon and the Popes Palace, many local wineries… And also for younger guests at La Bastide des Fontaines, many activities such as zip lining, canoeing, horse riding…

Please contact us for more info and discover Bastide des Fontaines on http://www.ariellavillas.com/page.php?rubID=2&lan=en&villaID=156

Paradise family home in Umbria

We had a great time in your beautiful house, lots of time to rest, great Italian food, excellent wine, everything needed for a splendid holiday. We will recommend your house to all of our friends. Camille and Philippe, Belgium

This is a wonderful house, everything has been done to such exacting standards. For a family with numerous children this was like our own piece of paradise. We loved your colours, your art, your taste, your saucepans, crockery, ironmongery, in fact everything. The stables with all its games and books is a child’s paradise too.
Alice and Harry, London.

View of the property & surrounding landscape

This was the perfect place to spend time with our children, our sisters and their children. We have so much fun in the beautiful pool and the children had a blast in the stables leaving the adults lots of space to enjoy peace and quiet. Cristina, Sergio and Livio have been fantastic, nothing too much trouble, going above and beyond. We hope lots of people enjoy their time here as much as we have and are sad to leave.
Sarah and Dave, London

What a beautiful, comfortable, welcoming home you have created here, we felt very honoured to share it for what seemed all too short a time. You have thought of everything that could make a vacation for a family with lots of children perfect. This is truly a gem of a property and it is clear that much thought and consideration has gone into making it feel both comfortable and luxurious. The new adventure park with the zip wire and tree house were fantastic, for children and adults alike.
Emma and William, San Francisco

Outdoor spaces are arranged for dining & lounging

Finding a suitable villa in Tuscany/Umbria for a group of 12 people aged from 4 to 75, some with very demanding standards, was probably the hardest task when organising our family reunion. With Podere Fonte Cristiano I chose the ideal property for children, parents, single adults and elderly alike. The location is perfect in beautiful and secluded countryside but 5 minutes from the next village with all amenities you require. It is an absolutely gorgeous property with lots of attention to detail and you can feel the owners built with a lot of love. You feel like somebody added all these personal touches especially for your stay. They have a fabulous collection of art, children and adult books and DVDs. The highlights were definitely the pool and the cinema room as well as the beautiful wine cellar stocked with some of the finest Italian and French wines. The staff was also fantastic. Sergio, the manager, is also a great cook and the children loved making pizza with him. There are also fabulous restaurants very close by. The owners’ favourite, Il Pozetto, is a gem indeed and the quality of food can compare with the best in London, Hong Kong or Mumbai (don’t be fooled by the less inspiring décor). The property is also ideally located to explore southern Tuscany and Umbrian gems like Assisi or Orvieto.

Infinity swimming pool & children's play area below the gardens

We can only recommend this villa, whether you are a group of single adults, a family with children or travelling with elderly, whether you just want to hang out and relax or visit a lot of cultural gems, it is just a perfect place.
Deepshikha and Rahul, Mumbai

Converted farmhouse with stone floors & beamed ceiling features

We spent a fabulous vacation this beautiful villa. The interior décor is at the same time comfortable and beautiful, respectful for the history of this 16th century farmhouse and making it feel modern and light. The staff are wonderful and have looked after us like friends. We will recommend this villa to all our friends.
Maria Cecilia, Ecuador

We have spent several fabulous days at this amazing villa. Having travelled around the world and especially Italy we have not seen a property like this. Beautiful and comfortable at the same time. History and tradition pared with modern art and luxuries. Wonderful gardens and oases of tranquillity whilst offering children a true paradise to play from morning to evening.
Lucio and Rosi, Milan

Guesthouse at Empordà Villa

This turbulent 2012 has been different than other years. Ariella’s Villas the agency saw its first dawn in July 2008. We know all about the hard times in the economy and the financial crisis. This year however has been the wirdest since, and even though everyone is still travelling and our clients are still renting properties and holiday homes, well… it’s just different. The timing is different, the periods requested are different, the lenghts of stay and sizes of the villas are different. There is nothing wrong with change. We embrace it! To keep up with change however and not just to stand it, the villa collection has grown and includes a lot more destinations, all of them close to home.

Villa Rock, Barcelona

Just last week, Ariella set off to Barcelona from Geneva for a 48-hour visit to the region. She saw private homes in Barcelona, more specifically in the high-end residential area known as La Ciudad Diagonal, where modern villas reign over the city with views to the Mediterranean Sea. With her companion David, a close collaborator for all holiday homes in the Costa Brava and the region between Barcelona, the Medieval city of Girona up to Figueras (see Dalì Museum) and the rest of the Empordà, Ariella was given an intense tour of all the nestled villages and towns clustered along this vast coast. The beaches are a blend of sandy stretches and rocky bays, the water is of the bluest swimmable, the skyline is sweeping and beautifully delimitated by the adge of the Catalonian hilltops which seem to follow a simple yet magnificently outlined pattern all the way to the Pyrenees Mountaintops still covered in snow. I was enchanted with the openness of the sky here.

Needless to say, the Spanish are most welcoming and their manner permeates the entire approach to hospitality in the region. Jamõn and pan con tomate are to be enjoyed all the time, even at breakfast, as are the thousand varieties of arroz and stews. Along the coast as in the famous restaurants of Barceloneta the fresh fish is grilled and broiled according to ancient Catalonian recipes dating back centuries. Here are vineyards and olive groves producing some of the world’s finest wines and olive oils, fruit groves galore for seasonal produce year-round.

Mas Mateu, Empordà

One night was spent at a most exceptional property in the valley of the Empordà: Mas Mateu is a very special private property where pure-bred Dressage horses are kept in impeccable quarters, just hundreds of metres below the delightfully restorted stone farm dating back to the 1700s, sided by a modern pool house almost as big as the house itself. The grounds are enormous and rolling with lawn and large trees. The bedroom suites are all so beautifully appointed that unless David had put Ariella in the library room on the third level of the building, she would never have known which one to choose. The service here is 5-star, better than at a Four Seasons, and the ladies in the kitchen are more than professionals!

For those who prefer a house less grand but with a similar structure and atmosphere, there are myriad restored farmouses (and I must say the Spanish do this with great taste, even compared to other Europeans…) with spacious gardens and swimming pools, all within minutes to the beaches of the relatively unexpolred Costa Brava.

A garden at Costa San Giorgio in Oltrarno

In the cradle of the Renaissance many visitors pass through for a few special days filled with brief fleeting moments. All those who have been swear they will return; those who haven’t yet laid eyes on the jewel of Tuscany‘s world-famous landscape do know what they are missing…

Elegant interior near Piazza Santa Croce

Dating back centuries the city of Florence has been on the map for different reasons. The first bank was founded here by the infamous Medici family in the 14th Century but already hundreds of years before them the Golden Age of Florentine art was visible with the construction for instance of the Basilica di San Miniato a Monte beginning as early as 1013. The history of art which lead Florence to the time when Humanism began and well beyond then, that same history which has granted the city her fame as creative centre through the ages, not to mention birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures from Dante to Emilio Pucci, is too long and nteresting to be recounted here, although it may be argued that the ancient Florentia the last (best) preserved Renaissance city in the world.

View over the Arno River from Lungarno Vespucci

To experience this place is something like a dream for most of us; there is however the possibility of renting a flat or apartment within the historical centre thanks to careful research and great connections through private owners by Ariella’s Villas specialist rental agency. A handful of beautifully appointent apartments and flats with magnificent locations in central Florence are available to select clients at weekly, monthly and yearly fees.

It has been an inspiring few days in one of the hottest/coolest cities in America this December with the Miami Art Basel contemporary art fair. To quote their own website the show is ‘the most important art show in the United States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas’. The event is a host of many scenes at once:

For starters and most importantly the Art Basel fair itself which compares to its Swiss counterpart held every Spring in Basel from which it draws its name, closely followed by the Art Miami and Pulse show pavilions in the trendy  Design District where all the sexiest accessories for decorating the home are collected in chic boutiques selling high brow and trendy brands. A couple of the more interesing are the NiBa Home Store and UZCA, both on NE 2nd Avenue in the downtown District.

Bigger and better known galleries and artists are in the Miami Beach Convention Center whereas smaller shows like Pulse feature a wide range of gallerists from the Americas and beyond. Some gallery names to remember are the Brancolini Grimaldi Arte based in Rome and Florence who feature photography by Massimo Vitali as well as Vermelho from Sao Paulo displaying the brand new creations of Marcelo Cidade.

My personal favourite was the NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) Art Fair held at the nostalgically glamourous Deauville Hotel. In 1964 The Beatles appeared in their second US performance ever, broadcast live on the Ed Sullivan Show, direct from the hotel’s famed Napoleon Ballroom which between December 2^nd and 5^th, 2010 contained a little more than half of the NADA gallerists’ stands. The best stand prize went to the Kate Gerble Gallery of Vandam Street in downtown New York City who represents the beautiful works of my friend the sculptor Ernest Burgos. His work was not at NADA this year but at an independent show called ‘The Every Other Day’ at Ideobox Artspace in Wynwood curated by Donald Jonson Montenegro and well worth a visit before it closes its doors on January 7^th, 2011.

Miami Art Basel is a concentration of the most exciting international contemporary art with a strong focus on the Americas in particular. Less of a high brow manifestation than its Swiss older sister it attracts visitors and international collectors, mostly people who come for the art, but many who also come for the party. I didn’t need but a little help from my friends to partake in the latter, with numerous private gallery-held, brand- and store-sponsored events every evening all over town as well as late night art and non-art celebrations in homes and famous South Beach hotels like the Delano which this year opened its cellar to the Parisian Le Baron nightclub for a special Miami Art Basel edition. My culture and art experience however was guided throughout by another friend and true curated art professional Anna Di Stasi, director at the unique travel and service provider Pinacoteca NYC, who shared with me some of the inside knowledge about up and coming art that she normally only saves for her bespoke clientele.

Some of Ariella’s Villas owners and clients will highly appreciate my new awakening to the world of contemporary collecting. I am referring for to collectors themselves who travel to inspiring places in search of new art or to those who fill their own homes with special pieces like at La Fàbrica in Ibiza. For next year’s edition of the show there will be an assortment of apartments and villas in Miami for rent through the exclusive villa agency; the collection continues to grow with every new destination visited and will constantly evolve around the events which keep the interested and interesting citizens of the world on the move.

The splendid Villa Lara, a premium waterfront property overlooking the ocean at Llandudno in Cape Town, has been made available for exclusive stays during the 2010 World Cup hosted in South Africa.

Villa Lara is an exquisite hideaway only 20 minutes from the Waterfront and Green Point Stadium. From the moment the wooden gates shut an air of luxury, comfort and tranquility envelops guests with the hypnotic sound of the sea soothing away any stress. Everywhere one looks the views are sensational.

Hospitality match tickets will be outsourced for our clients through Sports Escapes depending on availability.

Designed & owned by award-winning photographer Chris Simpson, Villa Lara reflects his quintessential taste, his love of shape and form and his enviable ability to frame views for maximum breathtaking impact. The spectacularly airy double height gallery at the heart of Villa Lara displays many of Chris’s most famous works, including Allée des Baobabs. The photographs hung on these walls transport the viewer as far as Madagascar, Namibia, Cuba, Mali, Easter Island and Mauritius while staying at beautiful Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa!

This 2010 is going to be a fun-filled New Year for all of us who suffered through a most boring and uneventful Recession-struck past few months… It appears many are low on cash, but all it takes when it comes to holidays is to learn how to spend it and where to invest. For instance, solid stone castles who’ve been staning for centuries may be a safe bet!

Save $$$ not flying half way around the world and spending most of your budget per person on air fare and start making plans for the Spring & Summer closer to home. For those of us in Europe, there are endless fabulous destinations to choose from, ranging from countryside breaks in Italy, France, Morocco & Spain to island retreats in Ibiza, Mykonos, Crete, Cyprus, Sardinia… to name a few!

A couple of new castles and châteaux have recently been added to our books; they are well suited for groups of holiday-makers who don’t want to overspend but want to have a private residence for a week or two, perhaps where they can celebrate someone’s birthday or perhaps for a cosy a wedding party? Getting married somewhere private is becoming very trendy.

At the Castello di Cabbiavoli near Siena a beautiful garden and small chapel make for an ideal venue to get hitched. The Castello di Pergolato in the hills of Tuscany is surrounded by its own medieval town across the valley from a great open winery where tours and tasting are held daily and sleeps almost 20 adults. Of the same size, the Château Saint Martory in South West France is appropriate for a gastronomical experience in the Garonne, and the Château Grand-Lucé in the Loire Valley is a convenient drive from Paris.

All villas in Mediterranean spots are hot hot hot in Summer, but give great rates for early birds and Autumn stragglers.

It’s always worth enquiring with us through the website! If you book early some saving is guaranteed and your destination of choice will be relatively tourist-free when compared to the busiest months (June, July, August depending on the spot). We are here to answer your questions and fit you with the best possible solution for big and small travelling parties.

On average, you won’t be spending more than €150 per person per day in most of our staffed European castles.

Its location on Morro Altos dos Segredos is just above the Pousada Estrela d’Àgua, most famous beachfront hotel in the popular Brazilian coastal holiday resort of Trancoso. Overlooking the Rio Trancoso and the immense turquoise waters of the Atlantic and facing the colourful and historical houses of Trancoso’s famous square called Quadrado, the Casa do Jeff is immersed in the natural splendor of the Bahian coastline with views to the nearby ocean.

View to the Ocean from the dining terrace

During both sunny daytime and breezy nights a peaceful feeling of privacy pervades this small abode. The one or two couples who choose to spend a holiday here live contained by the tropical jungle but are only a 5 minutes’ drive from the Quadrado, its restaurants, shops and pousadas, and a 5 minutes’ walk down to the white sandy beach.

The house offers two large bedrooms with views over treetops and palms leading down to the candid beaches, each with its own bathroom. There is a dining table and sofa area on the interior which open onto a wooden deck equipped with hammocks in the shade, a further dining area, and a freshwater swimming pool. Casa do Jeff comes with a full staff including a housemaid, a gardener and the lovely Fernando, an English speaking “butler” who can answer almost any question about the house, the best beaches, the coolest bars and the most exciting New Year’s party in Trancoso this year!!!

The Bahian culture is colourful and African-influenced

High Season Rates – December through February

Daily rate is BR$ 700 per day (min 3 days)
New Year’s package 10 days : 21,000 BR$
February Carnival package 7 days : 9,500 BR$

That time of year is quickly approaching and in mid-October it is already getting difficult to find availability at our favourite villas and properties across the African continent. This year’s Number 1 Cool Cat New Year’s destination has got to be the island of Lamu off the coast of Kenya. All the Shela Village houses were filled up by the end of the summer and now everything at Kizingoni Beach is also full… Up for grabs are a couple of smaller villas on Manda Island and Diani Beach.

For those who want to see & be seen: Lamu during the last days of 2009 will have it all!

The rest of us will have to start looking elsewhere if we haven’t done so already. From anywhere in Europe and the UK travelling south to Africa for the Christmas holidays just makes so much sense. The jet lag is minimal, the sun is hot and the beaches offer uncrowded sands and crystal waters. Although Kenya is closest, it’s not much much further down to Mozambique or South Africa, two great countries with more beaches and hot spots that anyone could count!

Our best new find of 2008 had to be Benguerra Island in southern Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago. We have a special new deal on for this season with the two new villas that have been built adjacent to the formidable Benguerra Lodge for private use. They face the bay and are set directly on the beach, with acess to the Lodge’s facilities such as private butlers, delicious meals, the dhow bar & real dhow sunset sails, horseback riding all around the island, deep sea fishing on the speed boats which can also be used for exploratory tours of the different islands dotting the archipelago… A totally exclusive and brand new option for the clients of Ariella’s Villas who will book their December trip now!

Gigantic South Africa has an endless amount of options for the end of the year. From a beach holiday at Plettenberg Bay to a sojourn in the fascinating city of Cape Town, whether renting a home near the Residence or out by Camp’s Bay, and all the way to the Karoo or the Limpopo Valley. There are homes and villas of all sizes and prices some of which are still available at affordable rates. Last minute deals are not a tradition in this part of the world.

We have added more and more to our books and can only provide a sample of the multiple options online, so please enquire with us for all queries regarding the upcoming Christmas Season under the sun of Africa.