Private villas, safari houses and estates that are only ever let to one party, with their own team.
Some places are built for one party at a time. The house, the chef, the guide and the vehicle are yours for the stay, and nobody else is checking in. These are the ones we know.
Port d'Andratx, Mallorca, Spain
Six bedrooms · up to 12 guests
A six-bedroom villa built in 2014 on a south-west-facing hillside above Port d'Andratx, with sea views and sunsets over the water all year. A heated 15-metre pool, a spa with sauna and gym, and a wine cellar sit a few minutes from the beach and town.
Mykonos, Greece
Seven bedrooms · up to 14 guests
Villa Dolmen on Mykonos has seven bedrooms, sea views and a 26-metre infinity pool that can be heated. Two master suites have their own lounges, and two separate guest apartments each have a small infinity pool of their own.
Olhos de Água, Algarve, Portugal
Five bedrooms · up to 10 guests
A five-suite house on the edge of Olhos de Água, designed by the architect João Coutinho, with a path down to the beach. A chef, housekeeper and concierge are part of the stay, with a gym, sauna, steam room and wine cellar on the lower floor.
Sabi Sand, South Africa
Four bedrooms · up to eight guests · 640 sq m (Karula Villa)
Cheetah Plains has three private villas in the Sabi Sand, each taken on its own with four suites for up to eight guests. Every villa has its own pool deck, chef's kitchen, guide, tracker and silent electric game vehicle.
Sabi Sand, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Three bedrooms · up to six guests
Londolozi's Private Granite Suites are three suites on the Sand River, each with an outdoor bath and its own heated pool. They can be taken as a private camp for six guests, and children under 16 are not accommodated.
Eastern Serengeti, Tanzania
Two bedrooms · up to four guests
The Retreats at Namiri Plains are two houses on the Ngare Nanyuki River in the eastern Serengeti, each with two bedrooms. They share a pool kept for Retreat guests, and each comes with a private chef, guide and vehicle.
Northern Serengeti, Tanzania
Two bedrooms
Close to the Mara River in the northern Serengeti, the Retreats at Sayari Camp are two private houses, each with two en-suite bedrooms. Each comes with a host, chef, guide and safari vehicle, and the two share a pool.
Kinigi, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, Rwanda
Four bedrooms · up to eight guests
A four-bedroom house beside the lodge, taken by one party at a time.
Borana Conservancy, Laikipia, Kenya, Kenya
Up to 16 guests in eight bedrooms
Laragai House is a family home on the 32,000-acre Borana Conservancy in Laikipia, taken by one group at a time and run by a long-serving resident team. It sleeps 16 in eight en suite bedrooms, four double and four twin, and the shared rooms run from a drawing room, bar and dining room to a pool house, TV room and games room with table tennis, darts and croquet.
Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, Waterberg, Limpopo, South Africa, South Africa
Up to 12 guests in the main house, or 16 with the adjoining cottage
Melote House is the private house of Lepogo Lodges in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, a stretch of the Waterberg reclaimed from farmland and rewilded. It is let to one party and is fully staffed.
La Punta Estates, Punta Mita, Mexico
Eight bedrooms · up to 16 guests
In La Punta Estates at Punta Mita, this eight-bedroom house looks across the Bay of Banderas towards Puerto Vallarta. It has an infinity pool, a hot tub and a firepit, and a rocky beach is a short walk away.
Napili, Maui, Hawaii, United States
Three bedrooms · up to six guests
Turtle Cove stands on the shore at Napili on Maui, a three-bedroom house looking out to Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. Each bedroom has a king bed and its own bathroom, and from December to May humpback whales can be seen from the house.
Fairfield, Suisun Valley, California, United States
Five bedrooms · up to 10 guests · 25 acres
A Tuscan-style house on a 25-acre private vineyard estate overlooking Suisun Valley, about 15 miles east of Napa. Five en-suite bedrooms sit above a pool and hot tub, and the grounds take in an olive grove, a fishing pond and a tower room with all-round views.
Río San Juan, north coast, Dominican Republic
The whole resort, one group, 12 to 28 guests, all-inclusive
ÀNI Dominican Republic stands on its own peninsula on the north coast, an all-inclusive resort let to one group of 12 to 28 guests. Suites sit in two villas, Larimar and Amber, with views of the Atlantic on three sides and a team of more than 30.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
Seven bedrooms · up to 16 guests
A newly built seven-bedroom house on the south coast of Providenciales, reached by a single road. Every bedroom looks over the water, and floor-to-ceiling windows run through the interiors, with a concierge for arrivals and celebrations.
Gustavia, St Barthélemy, St Barthélemy
Six bedrooms · up to 12 guests
Set in two buildings on the hillside at Gustavia, Roxane has six bedrooms and views over the ocean and nearby islets. A heated infinity pool sits below the main terraces, and five of the bedrooms are set apart in the rear building.
The house, and whatever comes with it, is let to your party alone for the stay. Nobody else checks in. What staff and services are included differs from house to house, and each listing says what that house has.
As soon as the dates are settled. Each house takes one party at a time, so once a week is taken it is gone.
Your booking is made with Colletts Travel Limited, the licence holder. A deposit is taken when you book, normally 10 per cent unless the house asks for more, and the balance is due 56 days before arrival unless your confirmation says otherwise. If a house asks for a security deposit, the amount and how it is returned are in your proposal before you confirm.
The person who books agrees the terms on behalf of everyone named on the booking, and the party is responsible for any damage caused during the stay. The house's own team looks after it day to day, and you have my number throughout.
Ask, and I find out what the house allows. Some changes are simple and some are not possible, and any cost a change carries is set out before you agree to it.
The house's own cancellation terms apply, and they are set out in your proposal before you confirm. There is no cooling-off period for travel bookings, so travel insurance with cancellation cover should be in place from the day the deposit is paid.
Also in Stays
Availability, seasons and minimum stays vary by property and by date. Write to Jess and she will check them for your dates.
