Forget Hotels, Renting Whole Villages Is This Summer's Vacation Trend
Castelnau des Fieumarcons by isasouri
American travelers are fueling an unprecedented surge in demand for one of Europe's most exclusive vacation experiences: renting an entire village for a private getaway.
New data by group accommodation provider, GroupAccommodation.com, found that Americans now account for one-third of all visitors to its 'rent a village' pages.
Ed Maughan, the company's Managing Director, shares that U.S. interest in village rentals has increased by 20% year-on-year when comparing the last 12 months to the previous year - an even more telling statistic.
Maughan explains: 'We're seeing a profound shift in how Americans approach luxury rentals when traveling. It's not as simple as just finding opulent accommodation, there is an increasing desire to have a completely new experience they can't have at home, like renting an entire historic village.
'While it might seem like just a bit of a novelty, it also offers unparalleled exclusivity, which looks like it's proving too difficult to resist for some American travelers seeking one-of-a-kind travel experiences!'
This rising interest aligns with broader industry data, showcasing a significant shift towards travelers wanting truly unique experiences.
According to a 'Luxury Hospitality in 2025' report, 70% of Millennials and Gen Z travelers in the States are actively seeking experiences that their friends and family haven't had.
Not only this, but additional reports highlight that exclusivity and seclusion, like private villas, are now a top priority for luxury travelers.
Here are the exclusive village rentals in Europe that American travelers have taken a particular interest in, including an Italian medieval village with its own castle and Baroque theatre, and a French hamlet with an open-air church and a Michelin-starred chef.
Castelnau des Fieumarcon is a 12th-century stronghold hidden in the hilltops of Gascony in Southwestern France.
Guests are the only residents in these village walls, which host up to 84 people across 14 beautifully renovated rustic homes, decorated with antiques and original features.
The historic village has its very own open-air château church, which can comfortably host 120 guests, making Castelnau des Fieumarcon the perfect venue for idyllic weddings.
The historic village has its very own open-air château church
Views of the bucolic Gascon countryside are visible from the huge terrace beside the 17th-century stable block, offering the perfect place for groups of guests to gather and dine alfresco.
For any occasions hosted in the village, whether birthdays, anniversaries, or weddings, guests can hire a Michelin-starred chef as a caterer, serving up a gourmet menu of local produce.
Stays at Castelnau des Fieumarcon cost from $11,961 per night, with a minimum three-night stay required.
Petritoli is a small medieval commune in the blissfully under the radar region of Le Marche in the east of Central Italy. Located at the foothills of a mountain range in Tuscany, the local area is known for its white-capped mountains and rolling green hills.
Petritoli Village, Italy - Castle Pool
This rural Italian village can host between 50 to 200 guests. Many stay in the castle, Palazzo Mannocchi, which is positioned 300m above sea level with fantastic panoramic views of the Tuscany countryside. It has its own pool and gardens. Further accommodations are dotted throughout the village in self-catering apartments and boutique lodgings.
And for intimate gatherings, Petritoli has pretty squares and gardens, its own Baroque Iride theatre with red velvet interiors, and a Roman period cellar, with tapestries adorning its walls and vaulted ceilings.
Prices for stays in Petritoli are available upon request.
In the heart of the Etruscan historical centre of Volterra, groups of between 4 and 179 guests can stay in a Tuscany Monastery estate. Volterra has become famous as the suggestive set for several major films, including Twilight Saga: New Moon.
Tuscany, Volterra town skyline, church and trees on sunset. Maremma, Italy, Europe
Blending contemporary luxury with rustic Tuscan charm, the property features landscaped gardens, swimming pools with lazy river-flow current systems, tennis courts, and an on-site restaurant serving authentic Italian cuisine with fresh local ingredients.
The estate is only minutes from the centre of medieval Volterra, and is within easy reach of Siena, Pisa, and Florence for day-trips, too.
Stays at the Tuscan Monastery cost from €9,081 per day for exclusive use, or from $159 per person per night, including breakfast.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
How to Have a Perfect Greek Summer… In Just Three Days
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." We're entering the high season of Euro summer, what some people (myself included) would call the best time of the year. I was lucky enough to get an early taste when last month I spent a perfect long weekend in Greece. The second that I stepped onto my hotel balcony and saw the stunning view I had of the Acropolis, I knew I was in love with Athens. This city is home to incredible ancient history, and the juxtaposition of old and new is evident on every street corner. I only had a full three days in Greece, two days in Athens and one in Santorini, but my itinerary was packed, so I left feeling like I had experienced all that the country has to offer. Here, the itinerary: Some people opt for the ferry ride from Athens to Santorini, but it's much easier to hop on a quick 45 minute flight. Emirates and Aegean airlines have recently enhanced their partnership, so if you book your trip together you can enjoy seamless connectivity when flying home from Santorini to Athens to Newark. After an incredible 72 full hours in Greece, I was hardly ready to pack up and go home. Luckily, I was flying Emirates so I knew I would be more than comfortable for my 10 hour journey back to Newark. The most bittersweet way to end this trip? Watching Mamma Mia at 40,000 feet. You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Boeing trims projection for 20-year jet demand
By Dan Catchpole (Reuters) -Boeing expects global demand for air travel to increase by more than 40% by 2030, driving the need for thousands of new jetliners in the next few years, according to its 20-year demand forecast for commercial airliners released Sunday ahead of the Paris Airshow. The company expects demand for 43,600 new airliners through 2044. That is essentially the same as last year's edition, which projected demand for 43,975 new deliveries through 2043. European rival Airbus last week revised up its own 20-year commercial demand forecast by 2% to 43,420 jets, saying the air transport industry was expected to ride out current trade tensions. Boeing's delivery projection includes nearly 33,300 single-aisle airliners, just over 7,800 widebody jets, 955 factory-built freighters and 1,545 regional jets. Single-aisle jets include the 737 MAX and competitor Airbus's A320neo family and make up roughly four of every five deliveries now. While Boeing's deliveries projection is roughly the same, it pared down its 20-year forecast for passenger traffic growth from 4.7% in last year's outlook to 4.2% this year. Likewise, it lowered its global economic growth forecast from 2.6% to 2.3%, cargo traffic growth from 4.1% to 3.7% and fleet growth from 3.2% to 3.1%. Despite the lower projection for cargo traffic, Boeing Vice President of Commercial Marketing Darren Hulst told reporters in a briefing that trade volatility is not expected to significantly shift long-term demand. "I think we need to point back to the perspective that the last 20, 40, 60 years have given us in terms of the value of air cargo, and the fact that it's roughly a 4% growth market through all this time," he said. Since COVID-19, air travel demand has bounced back, but airplane production is only half or even less than what it was before the pandemic, resulting in a shortage of 1,500 to 2,000 airliners, he said. Both Airbus and Boeing have struggled to return aircraft production to pre-pandemic levels. Boeing has been dealing with production safety concerns following a 2024 mid-air blowout of a panel on a nearly new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX. As a result, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration capped 737 production at 38 airplanes a month. Boeing has significantly improved production quality in recent months, but the crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on Thursday put it back in crisis mode. CEO Kelly Ortberg cancelled his plans to attend the Paris Airshow in order to assist with the crash investigation. Global air travel is projected to increase by more than 40% by 2030, compared to the pre-pandemic high, according to the forecast. During the next 20 years, Boeing expects about 51% of demand for new aircraft to come from growth rather than replacing older airplanes. China and South/Southeast Asia, which includes India, are expected to account for half of that additional capacity, according to the outlook. North America and Eurasia account for more than half of projected deliveries for replacing older aircraft. China makes up an estimated 10% of Boeing's existing order backlog. The country paused taking delivery of new Boeing aircraft as China and the U.S. clashed over tariffs. However, deliveries are expected to resume this month, Ortberg said in May during an investors conference. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says his company is a 'convenient scapegoat' as European cities protest overtourism
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said his company isn't to blame for overtourism in certain European cities. Rather, Chesky said overtourism is due to poor policy and long-standing housing issues. Anti-overtourism activists plan to protest in cities like Barcelona and Venice on Sunday. Overtourism is rattling cities across Europe, where some activists blame short-term rental companies like Airbnb for swelling the cost of living and limiting housing options for locals. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky disagrees. Chesky addressed the criticisms during an interview with Dagmar Von Taube of WELT, a German newspaper that is part of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, saying, "I've heard the criticisms — and I have responses." The tech billionaire mentioned Barcelona, where activists protested overtourism in 2024 and are planning further protests on Sunday. "In Barcelona, housing prices rose 60% over the past decade, but Airbnb listings actually decreased. So we can't be the culprits. Sure, people see a lot of tourists, but many of them are cruise ship passengers or hotel guests — in Barcelona, that's around 70%," Chesky said. Airbnb has become a "convenient scapegoat for a failed policy and deep, long-standing housing issues," he said. "Cities haven't built enough new homes to match urban growth. That's the real crisis," Chesky said. "But we're committed to working with cities. We support modern, targeted regulations that protect housing without blocking hosts from occasionally sharing their homes." Chesky's remarks came after Airbnb blamed hotels for the problem this week. In a new report, Airbnb said hotels make up "almost 80% of guest nights in the EU." Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb's vice president for public policy, echoed Chesky's "scapegoat" remark in an interview with The Financial Times published this week. That garnered a response from Tui, Europe's biggest travel operator, which pushed back against Airbnb's suggestion that it's not getting a fair shake on Friday. "The reason protesters hit the streets is because of issues with the cost of living and especially housing. Both are driven by the secondary home market and short-term leases," Alexander Panczuk, group director of policy and reputation at Tui, told The Guardian. "All the destinations where we have seen the conflict of tourists and living spaces in the last few years are not where [operators like] Tui are active." Representatives for Airbnb did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Although tourism can boost economies, those grappling with overtourism say the influx of travelers in their cities has caused the cost of living to spike, contributed to housing crises, and encouraged overcrowding. Last July, protesters took to the streets of Barcelona holding signs that read "Barcelona is not for sale" and "Tourists go home." Some even sprayed people visiting popular tourist spots with water guns. That June, the city announced its intention to ban all short-term rentals. Activists have also staged demonstrations in Italy, Mallorca, and other popular destinations. Widespread protests are scheduled for Sunday in cities across Spain, Portugal, and Italy. "When they (officials) say that we have to specialise in tourism, they are basically telling us that you have to get poorer so that other people can get richer," Daniel Pardo Rivacoba, a spokesperson for Barcelona's Neighbourhoods Assembly for Tourism Degrowth, told Reuters. Read the original article on Business Insider
