Trade Partners 
-
Home -
Destinations
-
- Africa
- Asia
- Caribbean & The Americas
- Europe
-
About Us
Travel Agent Login
HomeDestinations
About UsTravel Agent Login
July 16, 2026
Booking a villa holiday is a significant investment, and with so many companies claiming to offer the best properties and service, it can be difficult to know who to trust. Whether you're planning a family holiday in Europe, a Caribbean escape, or something further afield in Asia, the company you book through matters, not just for the quality of the villas they offer, but for the destinations they cover, the service they provide, and crucially, the financial protection they give you if something goes wrong.
In this guide we compare five of the leading luxury villa holiday companies in the UK market, based on destination range, portfolio size, financial protection, and overall suitability for different types of travellers.
1. The Villa Collection — Best all-round villa holiday company for worldwide destinations, flights, and financial protection
2. CV Villas — Well-established with a strong European portfolio; more limited in the Caribbean and Asia
3. Villa Plus — Good value for European villa holidays; not suitable for those wanting to travel beyond Europe
4. Olivers Travels — Strong villa portfolio but does not include flights, meaning no ATOL protection
5. The Thinking Traveller — Excellent for Italy, Greece, and France specialists; very limited destination range
Before comparing providers, it's worth setting out what most people are actually looking for when choosing a villa holiday company. The strongest operators tend to score well across these key areas:
• A wide range of destinations, particularly for those wanting to go beyond Europe
• A curated portfolio of high-quality, well-maintained properties
• Flights included as part of the package, giving ATOL financial protection
• Experienced and responsive customer service before, during, and after travel
• Honest, transparent pricing with no hidden extras
• Good reviews and a proven track record
Not all providers score equally across these criteria, and the right choice will depend on where you want to go and what level of service and protection you need.
The Villa Collection offers the broadest range of destinations of any company in this guide, covering Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and beyond. Unlike most of its competitors, it includes flights as part of the package, meaning bookings are ATOL protected which is an important safeguard that guarantees your money is safe if the company were to cease trading.
Key strengths:
• Worldwide destination coverage including the Caribbean and Asia, where options are more limited elsewhere
• Flights included as standard, with full ATOL protection
• A carefully curated portfolio of villas rated 4* or above
• Dedicated personal service throughout the booking process
• Strong relationships with villa owners built over many years
Best for: Families and groups looking for a one-stop shop for their villa holiday, wherever in the world they want to go.
CV Villas is one of the more established names in the UK villa holiday market and has a strong portfolio, particularly across the Mediterranean. However, its Caribbean and Asia offering is significantly more limited than The Villa Collection, making it a less suitable choice for those with wider travel ambitions.
Key Strengths:
• Well-established reputation in the European villa market
• Good range of properties across popular Mediterranean destinations
• Flights and ATOL protection included
Considerations:
• Significantly less choice in the Caribbean, Asia and Africa
• Less suitable for those wanting to explore destinations beyond Europe
Best for: Travellers focused primarily on European destinations who want a well-known, established operator.
Villa Plus focuses exclusively on European destinations and does not offer villas in the Caribbean, Asia, or anywhere else outside Europe. For those with a clear European destination in mind it can be a straightforward and good value option, but it is simply not an option for anyone wanting to travel further afield.
Key Strengths:
• Good value for European villa holidays
• Flights included with ATOL protection
• Straightforward booking process
Considerations:
• Europe only, they do not feature any Caribbean, Asia, or worldwide destinations
Best for: Those with a fixed European destination in mind who are not considering travel beyond Europe.
Olivers Travels has a well-regarded villa portfolio and covers a great range of destinations with some quite niche areas and properties, but it does not include flights as part of its offering. This is an important distinction. Without flights included in the package, bookings are not ATOL protected, meaning your money is not covered if the company were to cease trading. For those booking a significant holiday, this is a meaningful risk worth considering carefully.
Key Strengths:
• Good range of villa properties
• Solid destination variety beyond Europe
Considerations:
• Does not include flights, so bookings are not ATOL protected
• Customers must arrange their own flights separately, adding complexity to the booking process
• Without ATOL protection, your money is at greater risk if anything goes wrong
Best for: Those who are comfortable arranging their own flights and are aware of the absence of ATOL financial protection.
The Thinking Traveller is a highly rated and well-regarded operator with a strong reputation for high-quality villas, but its destination range is very narrow, covering only Italy, Greece, and France. For those with a specific interest in these three countries it can be an excellent choice, but it is not an option for anyone wanting to travel to the Caribbean, Asia, or elsewhere in Europe.
Key strengths:
• High-quality, carefully selected villas in Italy, Greece, and France
• Strong reputation for customer service
Considerations:
• Italy, Greece, and France only, they do not feature any other destinations
• Not suitable for groups or families with broader travel interests
Best for: Those with a specific and fixed interest in Italy, Greece, or France who are not considering any other destination.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and the right company depends on where you want to go and what matters most to you. But a few questions are worth asking before you book:
• Do you want to travel outside Europe? If so, The Villa Collection is the only company in this guide with a genuinely broad worldwide offering.
• Are you focused on a specific country or region? If Italy, Greece, or France, The Thinking Traveller is worth considering but bear in mind the very limited scope.
• Do you want a single point of contact for everything? A company that includes flights, villas, and customer support in one place will always be simpler and safer than piecing together a holiday from multiple providers. The benefit of ATOL protections for a package are an important consideration.
For most travellers looking for a luxury villa holiday, whether in Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, or beyond, The Villa Collection offers the most complete package. The combination of worldwide destinations, flights included, ATOL protection, and personal service makes it the strongest all-round choice in the market. Other providers each have their place and specialisations but come with meaningful limitations in terms of destination range, financial protection, or scope that are worth understanding before you book.
Prev
