Some vacations call for a hotel or resort with all the bells and whistles, while others beckon for fantasy in the form of an entire home you can pretend is yours for a spell. Landing on the perfect vacation rental for your entourage and the unique experience you want to share can feel like a monumental task. It’s about striking the right balance between cozy spaces to relax and escape in, views that make you daydream and a location offering plenty to keep everyone entertained when they step out the door too. We’ve started the research for you by honing in on these four dream vacation rental homes.
The Caribbean Queen: Emara Estate Turks and Caicos
Once owned by the late musician Prince, Onefinestay’s Emara Estate in Turks and Caicos can host a crowd in supreme beachfront style with 17 bedrooms for up to 34 guests. Hugging a private peninsula, two distinct villas feature infinity pools terraced into the landscape that cascade toward a private white sand beach. Totally secluded, the home is tended to by a private butler, housekeeper and security guard, as well as a round-the-clock concierge who can arrange everything from a yacht charter to reach secret cays and horseback riding along the beach to flightseeing tours by helicopter.
The Florida Fantasy: Moku Longboat Key, Florida
A private island paradise awaits less than an hour’s drive from Tampa and a short boat ride off Longboat Key. Fronting a private beach on Jewfish Key, Moku feels like a piece of the South Pacific transplanted to Florida’s Gulf Coast and epitomizes graceful indoor/outdoor tropical living. With five bedrooms and five and a half baths, the home sleeps 15 people and comes with a pontoon rental so you can launch from your private dock to explore sandbars and mainland restaurants, just a short cruise away. Kayaks and paddleboards are at the ready and Polynesian-style boardwalks wind through the palms, connecting the home’s airy spaces and waterfront pool. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped barefoot into a scene straight from Robinson Crusoe—with every luxury comfort to welcome you.
The Low Country Obsession: Moreland Village Home 5546 Bluffton, South Carolina
With all the amenities of the Low Country’s legendary Montage Palmetto Bluff resort at your doorstep (think spa, pickleball, complimentary bikes, and more), enjoy this special coastal South Carolina rental with up to 10 of your closest family and friends under one roof. Cozy yet minimalist, the home has a sweeping porch overlooking the May River and sits within Moreland Village in the exclusive community of Palmetto Bluff. It has four bedrooms in the main house and a carriage suite with a king bedroom and ensuite. Amenities include a courtyard pool, firepit and a book nook with a retro record player.
The Mountain Stunner: Fox Rock at Breckenridge Breckenridge, Colorado
Cloaked with evergreens on five private acres and overlooking the slopes of Breckenridge Ski Resort, this five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath home from Summit Luxury Estates welcomes 14 guests for a mountain vacation par excellence. After a day of skiing, hiking or browsing the boutiques along Main Street, retreat to this 12,000-square-foot home with an indoor pool, theater, air hockey and arcade for the kids. The pièce de résistance is a sprawling snow-melt patio crowned with a hot tub boasting uninterrupted mountain and forest views.
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