Reveiws - 2002

Villas of the World
www.villasoftheworld.com
Villa aficionados won't want to miss this site. It offers some 2,000 properties, mainly in Europe and the Caribbean, which are rated and inspected. Search by country or geographic region, sampling properties ranging from a 15,000 square foot villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to a private island in the South Pacific. Nice features include a pop-up screen calendar indicating rental availability and a smattering of rental options of entire Caribbean islands. Interesting special categories with skiing villas, beach villas and celebrity villas (including properties owned by Mick Jagger and Merv Griffin).

BEST: With a villa magazine (subscription required), a villa finder, and upscale listings, this is clearly a site for the serious villa enthusiast.

WORST: Even searching requires (free) registration.

Reviews - 2001
Villas of the World
www.villasoftheworld.com Price: Free
This busy-looking site offers 1,500 properties, mainly in Europe and the Carribbean. Search by country or geographic region, sampling properties ranging from a Parisian apartment with views of the Eiffel Tower to a luxury Jamaican villa. Nice features include a pop-up screen calendar indicating rental availabilities and a smattering of rental options of entire Carribbean islands. However, we felt stiffed by a section called Celebrity Properties: it yielded a meager collection of three rentals—one was a villa in Mustique with “Japanese-inspired” interiors that was owned by Mick Jagger; the other two celebrity property owners remained anonymous.

BEST: Geographic range of properties.

WORST: Busy, cluttered screen.