Aussie start-up Villalet.com responds to rising demand for luxury rentals

Growing demand for luxury villas in some of southeast Asia’s holiday hotpots has prompted former Stayz.com employee David Anderson to set up his own business.

Growing demand for luxury villas in some of southeast Asia’s holiday hotpots has prompted former Stayz.com employee David Anderson to set up his own business.

Australia-based Villalet.com has launched offering 800 properties in destinations such as Bali, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Fiji.

The site claims it is offering travellers the opportunity to search, view and securely and simply book the villas for the first time.

The villas featured on the site are fully-serviced properties offering a range of options such as in-house cooks and butler services.

Anderson said: “There are sites out there with one or two villas on them, but there is definitely a need for a single website with a large range of high-end villas to search and safely book, all on the same platform.”

Villalet.com is aiming to instil a greater degree of customer security in a sector that can leave bookers turning up only to find their property has been let to someone else or doesn’t exist.

The site verifies all villas to ensure the properties are adequate and suitably located.

Anderson said Villalet will seek to get the message out that a villa is a cost-effective option for a luxurious getaway.

“Many of our villas have all the services you would typically find in a deluxe hotel, but provide the atmosphere and privacy of your own luxury escape,” he said.

“When you add up all the extras and divide it by the number of people who can stay, our guests often comment on how affordable a week or two of luxury in a villa actually turns out to be.”