14 | How to Sell Villas Villas sell togetherness, instead of a jumble of hotel rooms hopefully near each other with common areas like the pool and lobby shared with other guests The price of a villa includes not just the individual bedrooms and amenities, but also the ability to create private, shared memories Unfortunately, sometimes that doesn’t translate perfectly to a budget Luckily, even just using the base cost of the necessary number of bedrooms, villas often out-price similar resorts once the total per person per night is calculated. But the villa carries the added value of the common spaces, and more savings in other areas, including food and beverages, and the powerful and pricey commodity of time. When designing the ideal vacation for a client, the bespoke nature of villas adds complexity to the price equation. While the cost of a suite at an all-inclusive resort or a hotel room tends to be simple – the client sees one price for a room – the larger group nature and near-infinite customizability of villas mean that the price tag can seem confusing and expensive. The value of the travel advisor is being able to take the guesswork out of pricing. The nickel-and-diming of the hotel industry has expanded and skyrocketed in recent years, but there are no $40 breakfasts just to eat a hot meal without arranging transportation at a villa. Pricing of Explaining Villa Pricing the accommodations and excursions are pre-planned and established, avoiding the variability of dining, activities, and amenities at a comparable hotel. More savings come from amenities such as on-site laundry – especially helpful with small children who can mud-cake an infinite number of outfits in a day. KEY TERMS: • Value • Private • Custom • Ease • Convenience • Home-away-from-home The pricing concerns about a villa melt away when some of the other amenities are factored in. With a villa, clients pay only for what they will use. Guests can bring in their own food and wine (or use the villa-supplied stocking services and staff, such as a private chef), which saves money compared to having to eat every meal out and pay bar prices for alcohol. But because it is priced based on the

How to Sell Villas | 15 cost of items and amount consumed, it is not as easy to sum up as the culinary services at an all-inclusive resort. On the other hand, a villa vacation can be tailored to the exact budget a client has in mind, and the added value comes from needing to pay for only what they actually need, want, and will use. Once broken down into per room, per night costs, with the included amenities designed and tailored just for them, the client can easily see how much their vacation will cost – and the value of both their villa rental and travel advisor. Most importantly, villas offer the additional security of a private space, whether for meals or lounging by the pool. Noble House’s series of airy pavilions on the beach flow from indoors to out with mahogany French doors that open to private porches. A great room with glass doors and white Jamaican marble, media room, and full bar make up the main pavilion, while the sprawling grounds are like both a park and a playing field. The gardens include a wild orchid tree, two mango trees, one lime tree, and a beautiful breadfruit tree. For $130 per person per night of savings compared to the nearby luxury all-inclusive resort, the group gets a private pool, private staff of nine including a chef and laundress, plus ten times the private indoor space. SAMPLE COMPARISON: VILLA VS. ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT One of the best parts of booking a villa is the ease and selection of custom experiences. • Half-day of fly-fishing for 8 Big Sky, Montana: $2,000 • Private tour of the lavender fields for 18 Provence: $4,800 • Three-hour cooking class for 8 Tuscany: $6,000 • In-villa Swedish massage for 8 Jamaica: $1,332 • Sleigh ride for 12 Vail: $1,200 SAMPLE PRICES OF ADD-ON EXPERIENCES: “You’re paying similar or less than you would for a luxury resort, but not only are you getting the bedroom and the bathroom, you’re getting the living room, the dining room, the full-service kitchen, the media room, the swimming pool.” – Steve Lassman, Vice President of Villas of Distinction Nights People Total Cost Cost Per Night Per Person With Food & Beverage Private Indoor Space Private Staff Private Pool Kitchen Noble House on the Beach Riu All-Inclusive MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA 5 8 $6,290 $157.25 $237.25 10,000 square feet Fully Equipped & Staffed Mini-Bar 5 8 $7,328 N/A $183.2 1,248 square feet 9 1 0 0