The luxury and price of a villa can beat that of the best hotel

At St. John and other Caribbean hot spots, a week's stay at a villa can be cheaper and more luxurious than even the best hotel room

The benefits to renting a villa begin at the airport. There you will sit in the departure area and survey your fellow passengers, inevitably a kind of Peterson’s Field Guide to Caribbean flotsam and jetsam: the knots of senior citizens on their way to meet cruise ships; the frat boys in Señor Frog T-shirts; the would-be Jimmy Buffetts with leathery faces and thinning ponytails; the moms already applying sunscreen to their screaming kids and the dads already plotting their escape to a fishing boat or golf cart. You will look around at them and whisper to yourself, “After this flight is over, I will never see any of you people ever again. Not at the pool. Not at the reception desk. Not at breakfast. Never.”

While your cabinmates are checking in at the local upscale resort, you’ll be wandering through room after impeccably decorated room of your villa trying to figure out which one has the best view of the ocean from its private balcony. And if you’ve played your cards right, you and your handpicked companions may have paid less for your accommodations than the resort crowd did. With four bedrooms, St. John’s Hakuna Matata averages out to just $370 per night per couple—in the high season. Compare that to the nearby Westin St. John Resort, where the rack rate can be as much as $700 per night.

But beyond cost (and even beyond the undeniable tingle that saying the words “my villa” provokes), there’s a vast aesthetic difference.

A villa is somehow of a place—integrally part of the landscape—an authentic alternative to the McLuxury served up by even a well-meaning hotel chain. To stay in a private residence puts you in a community, not only of your neighbors and the locals you’ll meet at the market, but of a sort of “villa-ocracy” whose members have known how to travel right through the ages: from Italian counts relaxing in the hills of Tuscany to David Letterman taking a break on St. Bart’s.

As you may have imagined, the inaugural, stock-up trip to the liquor store is one of the great rituals of villa life. So are a host of other, usually boring, domestic chores. Like ending an evening of picking out constellations in the hot tub by throwing your bathing suit in the dryer, so it will be ready for the beach in the morning. Or telling the cook the snacks you had in mind for tomorrow’s poolside backgammon tournament.

Eventually, of course, you will deign to come down off the mountain and spend a few hours snorkeling across impossibly blue water or riding a horse over wild green hills or just lolling in the sand. And then, pleasantly sunburned and weary, you will return to your villa—up the dirt road and past the gate and up the long driveway—and, inevitably, someone will sigh happily and say, “Ah, home.”

And, for a week at least, they’ll be right.

Purchasing A Luxury Watch

As consumers, we are highly receptive to the word luxury; luxury cars, luxury boats, luxury vacations, luxury homes - all come attached to visions of high-end quality and instant status recognition. Included in these sought after luxury items is the luxury watch; part timepiece, part style accessory.
Since the inception of the wristwatch owners have found new and better ways to showcase its beauty - encasing it in diamonds, adorning it with gems, and wrapping it in silver and gold of every variety. The luxury watch is held in just as much esteem today, its purchase considered an investment - much as a ring or other precious jewelry.
For many, the luxury watch is simply about style. While less expensive watches are swapped to match different outfits, a luxury watch is classic as an accessory - it goes with anything and everything. Further, in many cases the luxury watch - such as a designer watch - is considered something of a status symbol, much like a high-end vehicle. It tells of the owner's success and ability to treat themselves to the finer things.
For others, the luxury watch is an investment in the future; an heirloom that can be handed down from generation to generation. Perhaps the owner received their own luxury watch through the passing down from a family member. In this case, the watch is esteemed for sentimental - as well as monetary - value.
While a luxury watch can be expensive, it is wise to remember that you are purchasing more than just a watch. You are purchasing a commitment from the manufacturers to uphold their standards by maintaining the high quality operation of your watch. Should you have repair needs in the future you can return to the manufacturer or authorized dealer and be assured that your watch will be treated with the same care with which it was made.
A luxury watch is more than just an ordinary wristwatch; it is a piece of jewelry that reflects your personality and personal style - and can be enjoyed for a lifetime.