The celebrity holiday homes that you can stay in

Times

2 days ago

Who hasn't stayed in a holiday rental and sniffed around looking for clues about the owner? It's even more fun if you can critique the tastes of public figures by staying in their villas. It can pay off even if you aren't a fan. Fashion designers and film-makers — with practice in constructing elaborate fantasy worlds — can make bold, imaginative decisions when it comes to their own holiday homes. And often — thanks to hit albums or top-line billing in films — they don't have the cost considerations that the rest of us face. Or much in the way of self-doubt. Most of these properties are Big Vision stuff, with price tags to match. David Copperfield doesn't just own one private island in the Caribbean, he has an archipelago of 11 and his personality is writ large across them. Sting has 900 acres of prime Tuscan landscape to call his own. But celebrity holiday lets can also provide some surprises. These houses and villas, available to rent, anywhere from California to the English countryside, can also show a gentleness and an affinity with both nature and classic architecture.
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Best for Britpop fansPearl Lowe and her husband, Danny Goffey of Supergrass, turned a 19th-century gothic-inspired mansion into a boho-accented party pad after buying it in 2017. Now a fashion and textile designer, Lowe has adorned each of the nine bedrooms in her 1920s-inspired image, with brass bedsteads, velvet sofas and exuberant wallpaper mixed in with maximalist beading and tassels. You can walk to funky Frome from the end of the tree-lined drive but also ramble straight into impossibly lush Somerset countryside from a garden that has a hot tub and a gypsy caravan. With its mix of art galleries and very trendy restaurants, Bruton is a 20-minute drive away. This was the couple's family home when their children were growing up, but you may need to make a booking fast. Or think of it as a try before you buy — Pearl's Place is on the market for £3.5million.Details Seven nights' self-catering for 18 from £10,995 a week (uniquehomestays.com)
Best for modern-day MedicisSelf-sufficiency, celeb-style. The music legend Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, bought their estate in Tuscany in 1997. The family tend to take up residence there in the early part of the summer but it's available to mere mortals the rest of the time. There's also a large private swimming pool, tennis court and yoga pavilion amid acres of olive groves and serried rows of vines. Perched on a hilltop, Il Palagio is near the medieval town of Figline Valdarno and a 40-minute drive from Florence. The main house, which dates from the 16th century, has nine bedrooms with a further six bedrooms split between two cottages while cellars have been turned into dining rooms and a meditation room. With guitars and mandolins sprinkled around and its own recording studio, there are plenty of clues to the ownership (although to be fair, Il Palagio's website spells it out pretty clearly too). Details Seven nights' all-inclusive for 29 from £188,003 (akvillas.com). Fly to Florence/Pisa
Best for architecture loversThis sprawling compound gives guests the choice of two celebrity owners to boast about. Located in the very smart Old Las Palmas area of Palm Springs, 432 Hermosa was built in 1964 by the architect Donald Wexler for the singer Dinah Shore. In 2014 Leonardo DiCaprio snapped it up. While the actor is said to stay regularly, you won't find much trace of him — instead, this sprawling single-storey building majoring in glass and glamour has been sensitively updated to showcase its mid-century heritage, with carports a built-in bar and more than a sprinkling of shag-pile carpet. This means that all the 1960s Palm Springs essentials are here to get starry-eyed about, including six bedrooms, seven (and a half) bathrooms and a swimming pool with a guest cottage, and views onto the San Jacinto mountain range beyond. Details Two nights' self-catering for 16 from £5,568 (432hermosa.com). Fly to Palm Springs
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Best for party tricks Think that owning a private island is pretty aspirational? In 2006 the American illusionist David Copperfield bought a chain of 11 islands in the Exumas, a district of the Bahamas made up of more than 365 islands and cays. Today it's the most high-octane private property in the Caribbean, sleeping up to 24 guests across a main house and a series of smaller properties. The turquoise waters and creamy sand have been augmented with all the ultra-luxury aquatic toys you can want, including jet skis and water trampolines. Copperfield has also added plenty of trademark touches. There's a secret village, a full-scale cinema called Dave's Drive-In and sculptures on the ocean floor to bring a bit of extra fun to snorkelling. Meanwhile the 30 staff have the magical ability to appear with cocktails and gourmet meals at any one of its 40 beaches. Details Five nights' all-inclusive for 12 from £211,590 (mushacay.com). Fly to the Bahamas
Best for proper relaxationGentler than most celebrity holiday rentals, this three-bedroom villa is proof that the bad boy of rock has a very mellow side. Set on the beach (obviously), there's a touch of Balinese contemplation in the wooden decking and infinity-style swimming pool. Decorated in soothing creams and whites, the vibe is so serene, Richards has said that he'd like to see out his days here, but if the Rolling Stones tour again in 2026, there should be plenty of time to nip in. And you may get a starry neighbour thrown in. Just along the beach, Lucky House is owned by 1980s supermodel Christie Brinkley. Both villas have access to the hotel facilities of Parrot Cay, a short wander along the white sand beaches of this Caribbean island and come with butler service. Details Seven nights' B&B for six from £84,000, including flights, transfers and butler service (scottdunn.com)
Best for immersion in natureFrom the masks on the wall to the family photos and Illy espresso machine, this is the surprisingly low-key holiday hangout of one of the world's most famous film directors. Not content with winning five Oscars and starting a series of acclaimed vineyards, Coppola has also opened hotels in Italy, Guatemala and Argentina as well as Georgia, USA. But the director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now has a special affinity with Belize and recently made a collection of villas on the island available for exclusive hire. Blancaneaux Lodge, which he bought in 1980, was originally a family home, becoming a hotel in 1993. Deep in the rainforest, surrounded by ancient pines and palmetto trees, his own two-bedroom villa overlooks the Privassion River. Nature has primacy here; toucans drop in, a plunge pool and hammock beckons, and you can even rustle up a meal in the kitchenette, although a walkie-talkie means you're in constant touch with Blancaneaux's staff for meals and service. Details One night room-only for four from £817 (onefinestay.com). Fly to Belize