Savvy celebrities don’t just rent a villa when they go abroad, they rent a lifestyle – of private beaches, butlers, housekeepers and chefs
If you want to follow the trend for a stunning home-from-home, here’s a selection…
Les Jolies Eaux, Mustique
Lord Glenconner gave the land for Les Jolies Eaux to the late Princess Margaret as a wedding present in 1960. Oliver Messel designed the villa and the Princess fell in love with the island– it is said that she felt more at home here than at any royal palace. The villa has been renovated by its new American owner, James Murray. He has kept the quaint gingerbread lattice-work and the Great Room, the centrepiece of the villa, but added a poolside master bedroom suite set separately from the main house. Les Jolies Eaux is now available for rent to holidaymakers who can enjoy the stunning views of both the Atlantic and the Caribbean and make use of a royally trained staff of five to pander to their every whim. A new swimming pool looks across to the island of Canouan and the further Grenadines, with a gazebo for alfresco dining. The villa is ideal for friends or family who don’t always want too much togetherness. Each of the three bedrooms in the main house has its own veranda and there’s an additional one-bedroom cottage in the grounds.
Landfall, Barbados
It’s the pied-à-terre of David Lloyd, health club owner and brother of tennis player John, and it’s one of the most enchanting villas on the most exclusive patch of sand on Barbados – Sandy Lane beach. Built of white coral-stone and hidden behind blazing hibiscus, the house has a courtyard fountain and a gallery cascading with flowers. Percival, the butler, will mix you a serious rum punch while the cook prepares a candlelit dinner. On the bleached-wood terrace, open to the trade winds, are white linen loungers to chill out on and a pool to cool off in – or there’s the Caribbean just 20 metres away. Landfall is relaxing and private, but close to the action. Pavarotti checks in at the villa next door, Robert Sangster parties in his posh pad, Jane’s Harbour, nearby while Michael Winner and celebs by the score are habitués of the SandyLane hotel along the beach.
