The Oliver's Way

What it takes to make the cut

Hand-Picking Our Villa Collection

Here’s how we select the top 2% of holiday homes:

Years & years of experience
Our team of Destination Experts have been in the villa business for an average of 15 years each. They have all spent time living in the destination they represent and continue to visit on a regular basis. They’re always the first in the know, and have the ultimate insider secrets.
The ‘Seal of Approval’
All of our holiday homes must meet our 10-point checklist. From top-notch locations, unique characteristics and family-friendly features – we’ve got it covered. If a villa meets our criteria, then it is stamped with our ‘Seal of Approval’ and added to our collection. See below for more on our 10 points.

What’s hot and what’s not
We never stop exploring the trendiest destinations and make sure we always have the best holiday homes in next season’s hottest regions. And by regularly visiting the locations we can make sure we have the best family-friendly villas in each destination, so you’ll never come across anything short of extraordinary.
We only keep the good ones
Can’t see any bad reviews on the website? Well, there’s a reason for that! We strive to deliver a portfolio that’s received no genuine* complaints. If we do receive a negative review, we deal with it immediately and make sure the issue is rectified as soon as possible. If we can’t correct the issue, and it could have a major impact on your trip, we’ll remove the property from our collection.

*NB, moans about the early morning birdsong or how hot it is outside, do not constitute as genuine complaints!

Setting and maintaining the standard
When we first accept a holiday home, the villa is thoroughly checked ready for it’s first visitors – from the interior, to the general cleaning and maintenance, everything must be perfect. Then, every year our collection is reviewed to ensure the standard is maintained.
Scoping them out
Besides extensive research, our Destination Experts travel to their respective regions frequently, visiting properties in our existing portfolio, as well as scoping out exciting new additions. We’ll send our in-house photographers to check the villas out too, to ensure our adverts are honest depictions of your chosen holiday home. Finally, we have trusted partners and affiliates on the ground too, who help us to make sure that every Oliver’s Travels advert is true to reality.

Pricing analysis
With each new villa we add to our portfolio, we’ll compare the rates to similar holiday homes (taking into account variables like location, style, capacity, facilities) to make sure we are offering you the best value for money.
The final say
Once our Destination Experts are satisfied they’ve found a perfect addition to the Oliver’s Travels portfolio, the villa will be presented to the rest of the team for a collective vote.

The Seal of Approval

The 10 things every holiday home must have:

1. Location is (still) everything

We recognise the hotspots in each of our holiday destinations and make sure you’re never too far away from them. Family approved, we’ve strategically selected villas with the most desirable locations that will ensure your group holiday goes down a treat. Rest assured, there will always be plenty to see and do for all ages.

2. Unique character

We focus on the quirky and characterful, so you can be sure to find the most original properties in your chosen destination. Our properties are as individual as their owners, so you’ll find lots of personal touches and unique traits that make your holiday home one of a kind.

3. Beautiful properties

We’ve tried and tested thousands of holiday homes so that we can be sure we’re offering only the cream of the crop. From charming farmhouses to impressive French chateaux with elegant interior design, with Oliver’s Travels you can strike the perfect balance between traditional comforts and those extra holiday luxuries.

4. At least 5 fun features!

We know what’s important to you, which is why we can assure you that you’ll never get bored in our villas, with each property having at least five cool features or things to do.

Whether it’s a pool, hot tub, outdoor games or bikes, all the way to on-site ponds, treehouses and farms, we promise there’s something for everyone.

5. Ideal for families

We understand holidays are for both parents and kids, so we make sure the kids can have endless hours of fun in our villas, so you can relax as well! Thankfully, 100% of our properties are child-friendly, and if there’s anything that we feel won’t benefit kids of a certain age group, we’ll let you know on the advert. Furthermore, we classify our properties as Ideal for Babies and Toddlers, Kids and Teens depending on the features, amenities and activities nearby.

6. Price in line with quality

We won’t add a villa unless we know you’re getting the best deal for your money. Otherwise, we notify the owner and request that they adjust their prices.

We have an incredible relationship with our owners, and together we make sure everything is in tip-top condition and priced accordingly – which is why we’re comfortable offering a price match guarantee for all our properties.

7. WiFi

In this day and age, we know that WiFi is a must. So, yes, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to Facebook and FaceTime from the comfort of your chosen property.

On the off chance that your chosen property has any WiFi restrictions, we’ll be the first to let you know.

8. Well maintained

Comfort and holidays go hand in hand, so we pay special attention to our properties, making sure they’re continually kept up to date, but without losing their charm.

9. Service available

All of our villas are booked for exclusive use, and on a self-catering basis. But, we recognise that sometimes you might fancy a day away from the stove, or an evening out without the kids. So across the vast majority of our portfolio you’ll be able to arrange services like cleaning, fridge-stocking, catering and baby-sitting. We also love to look out for properties that can offer you that something special, whether it’s spa treatments, wine tasting, activities or wellness workshops.

10. The Wow Factor

Last but not least, every property on our website has something that gives it the Wow Factor. It could be anything, from the spectacular view, to the quirky sculpture, or the larger-than-most array of toys to distract your little ones, we’ll make sure every customer benefits from a Wow moment.

Kept in mind: Weddings & parties

Whether it’s a birthday bash, the wedding of your dreams or that long-awaited family reunion, we’ve got a lovely collection of properties that are brilliantly positioned to host large events and parties.

Kept in mind: Pets

We have a good chunk of properties fit for Fido! Pets are welcome in at least 1 in 5 properties in destinations we know our customers love to travel with their pets. After all, it’s not a family holiday without your furry friend.