When to book accommodation: a calendar for private stays
Starting early is not about rushing a decision. It gives time to compare properties properly, ask the right questions about the accommodation and the team, and secure the right stay before someone else does.
Most requests for a private stay arrive with dates already in mind. A family wants Christmas on a yacht somewhere warm. A couple wants a luxury villa near Monaco for the Grand Prix. A multi-generational family wants a private island next summer. When the dates are fixed, the sooner the search begins, the more options there will be.
The best private properties are limited in number, and many are booked by the same families year after year. A ten-bedroom estate with a full team can only host one group at a time, so the weeks everyone wants are often taken long before most people start looking.
Christmas and New Year
Book up to 12 months ahead.
The festive weeks are the most requested of the year. The strongest properties are often reserved a year in advance, and some families confirm the following Christmas before they leave.
Many villas and chalets also ask for a minimum stay of ten to fourteen nights over the holidays, with fixed arrival days and a higher festive rate. Knowing this early avoids surprises later.
If you are still looking for this Christmas, it is not too late. The search simply becomes about what is still available rather than what would be ideal. We have secured large, fully staffed villas in sought-after destinations months before Christmas, on budgets that would have been tight at any time of year, let alone Christmas. Anything is possible.
Summer in Europe
Book 6 to 9 months ahead, ideally between October and January.
July and August in Europe are booked earlier every year, from Mallorca and Ibiza to Saint-Tropez, the Amalfi Coast and Mykonos. Families planning summer stays usually begin in the autumn and winter before, and by spring the choice of larger villas has narrowed considerably.
Ski season
Book 6 to 9 months ahead for Christmas, New Year and February.
In the Alps and the Rockies, the busiest weeks are Christmas, New Year and the school holidays in February. The best chalets for those weeks are usually booked in the spring and summer before the season.
January and March are quieter, with more choice and often better rates.
Spring break and Easter
Book 4 to 6 months ahead.
Spring travel to the Caribbean, Mexico and the Bahamas follows school calendars, which differ from country to country. Families who know their dates by autumn have the widest choice. By January, the larger family villas for the most popular weeks are often taken.
Event weeks
Book as soon as attendance is confirmed.
Some dates fill a city or a coastline within days of being announced. The Monaco and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Cannes Film Festival, Art Basel and the major tennis and golf tournaments all follow the same pattern. The best properties nearby are taken early, and rates rise as the date approaches.
You can still get lucky. As the crowds start rolling in, an owner decides to skip town to get away from the busy city, and their home suddenly becomes available. But luck is not something to rely on.
Booking at short notice
Possible within weeks.
Short notice does not always mean poor choice. Plans change and an excellent property becomes available. What matters is moving quickly. A complete brief from the start helps: dates, number of guests and bedrooms, children's ages, budget, staffing and any must-haves. With that in hand, we can present options that are genuinely available.
A simple guide
- Christmas and New Year: up to 12 months ahead
- Summer in Europe: 6 to 9 months ahead
- Ski season peak weeks: 6 to 9 months ahead
- Spring break and Easter: 4 to 6 months ahead
- Event weeks: as soon as attendance is confirmed
- Quieter seasons: often possible within weeks
If you are planning a stay for the months ahead, enquire and we will present a selection of properties for your dates.
Back to the Journal