For those who live in the spotlight, finding peace and quiet when travelling can be difficult. Sometimes, even the seclusion of the world’s most coveted hotels doesn’t quite cut it – a space that is entirely yours is a new luxury altogether.
Some, therefore, opt for renting a villa or country house for that extra level of privacy and flexibility. Many of the luxury holiday homes and rental providers featured in the Spear’s Index offer the finest homes available across the globe, from the shores of Sicily to Los Angeles and the Cotswolds.
These are the companies trusted by royalty, celebrities and global elites – and their properties are destinations in themselves.
Explore the 2026 Spear’s Travel Indices:
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While some companies – such as The Thinking Traveller, a new addition to this year’s index – offer properties for their exclusive use, others may be one of only a select few companies trusted by the property’s owners to look after it.
At the rarefied end of the spectrum, the Mustique Company – the company operating the notoriously chic private island in the Caribbean – controls each and every aspect of life on the island, down to who rents and buys its villas.
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Prices for properties can fetch up to £100,000 per week, and the sky is the limit for requests at a property. Guests can opt to bring their own domestic staff or be greeted by the property’s own entourage. Some properties’ resident private chefs cook their own traditional family recipes for guests using the finest local ingredients. For some clients, the connections they make while on holiday remain long after their departure, with lifelong friendships developed.
From the expertly staffed villas of Abercrombie & Kent or the ultra-bespoke offerings of Icon Private Collection, to the heritage-rich estates offered by Luxury Cotswold Rentals or the architectural marvels presented by Living Architecture, each provider represents the pinnacle of luxury escape.
Click the links below to jump to a section of this article:
- Methodology
- Holiday home and villa rentals: the names to know
- Best holiday home and villa rentals: the complete list
- Contact us
Methodology
Each year, the Spear’s Research Unit reassesses and refreshes its rankings of the leading providers in each sector by gathering data from and about the advisers and firms themselves, assessing submission forms, collating nominations, carrying out peer reviews, reviewing data from third-party sources, gathering references and recommendations, canvassing experts and conducting hundreds of interviews.
Advisers are evaluated using a proprietary scoring system that assigns different weightings to certain attributes. These scores feed directly into each new set of rankings in the Spear’s Indices. Each of these indices are published first online (according to the research calendar) and then in print. Print publication takes the form of the annual Spear’s 500 directory, which includes the top advisers in every index.
[See also: A guide to The Spear’s 500: Everything you need to know]
Each featured adviser is profiled on spears500.com. The site allows users to search the Spear’s database of more than 4,000 entities to find one (or more) to meet their specific requirements by filtering for specific attributes such as an adviser’s location, their specialist expertise and information about their client base.
The best holiday home & villa rentals: some names to know
Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes
- Focus: International luxury villas
- Ranking: Top Recommended
Launched in early 2022, Mandarin Oriental’s portfolio of top-tier homes, mansions and villas are located in the most sought-after locations around the world. From Santorini and Ibiza to Thailand and Los Angeles, the properties in the Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes collection have been handpicked by the iconic, award-winning hotel group.
They offer the amenities and opulent touches one would come to expect from the luxury hotelier, including a dedicated personal concierge service; private, on-demand culinary experiences; special activities designed for families; and Mandarin Oriental-trained housekeeping staff.
Vetted for quality and safety, these homes provide an opportunity for discerning travellers to explore desirable destinations in new ways.
Read Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes’ full profile at Spears500.com
Icon Private Collection
- Focus: Villas, chalets and hotel residences
- Ranking: Top Recommended
Luke McCormick founded Icon Private Collection in 2019 to act as ‘a tastemaker’ at the ‘pinnacle of travel’.
Icon’s portfolio comprises villas and chalets that are the ‘cream of the crop’, located in the world’s most sought-after destinations, including Sri Lanka, the French Riviera and Saint Barthélemy. Alongside privately owned properties and residences from leading hotel brands such as Aman and the Four Seasons, Icon’s offering includes a dedicated concierge service and superyacht charters.
The firm’s villa-finding service helps UHNWs match with the right properties – including exclusive off-market opportunities. Detailed calls with advisers before the trip also help guests tailor the experience to their needs. ‘We have a real focus on the clients and making sure they are happy,’ McCormick tells Spear’s.
Read Icon Private Collection’s full profile at Spears500.com
Abercrombie & Kent Villas
- Focus: Meticulously hand-picked villas
- Ranking: Top Recommended
Abercrombie & Kent Villas, an arm of the luxury travel provider, entered the villa and holiday home market in 2002.
The company’s elegant hideaways are located in desirable destinations in Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Portugal – including the Côte d’Azur, Mallorca and Lake Como. Abercrombie & Kent Villas also offers a concierge service, which can arrange ‘tailor-made’ experiences, including cooking classes, wine tastings and spa treatments.
HNW travellers are increasingly turning to luxury holiday providers who can provide them with bespoke itineraries and five-star service. In line with this, Abercrombie & Kent Villas offers 24/7 emergency support, with teams on the ground near each rental.
Read Abercrombie & Kent Villas’ full profile at Spears500.com
Ultima Collection
- Focus: Private holiday residences across Europe
- Ranking: Top Recommended
Ultima Collection offers clients ultra-luxury private residences across Europe. From ski chalets to beachside villas, its hospitality offerings are designed to make jet-setting guests feel comfortable and pampered. A spokesperson for the firm tells Spear’s that across their properties, guests stay for an average of 33 days. Their aim is therefore ‘to make guests feel at home’.
Since the launch of its first property in Gstaad in 2016, Ultima Collection has built a portfolio of properties across Geneva, Corfu, Courchevel and a host of other cities. This is only set to continue. The firm says that it is ‘on a mission to continuously elevate the traditional hospitality sector and set the trends in tailored, luxury living’.
Read Ultima Collection’s full profile at Spears500.com
Best holiday home rental providers: the complete list
Click on the individual names to be directed to more detailed profiles on Spears500.com. The table is ordered by ranking and then alphabetically.
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- To apply for inclusion in The Spear’s 500, complete our submission form.
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With additional reporting from Alice Coleman.
