Oliver's Travels
Villa holidays with a twist!
You’re not ordinary, so why should your holiday be? Private villa holidays with Oliver’s Travels are all about the extraordinary, especially when it comes to their collection of villas and chateaux. Quirky, stylish and full of character, their properties are handpicked by their knowledgeable destination experts who are the best in the business. From medieval castles to private islands, list your luxury or characterful holiday home with them.
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Why list with Oliver's Travels?
1.
Increase exposure
They send 100,000 travellers a year to their dream holiday property
2.
Industry expertise with a personal touch
They've been in the industry for 18 years and they know a thing or 2 about maximising rental returns
3.
3D visual tours
Photos and quirky add-ons to market your property
Service Features
- No fee for adding your property
- Industry expertise and a personal touch
- Their sales team are experienced travel specialists
- Photos, 3D visual tours, quality descriptive text and quirky add-ons
Key Info
| Category | Vacation rental site |
| Service Release Date | 2013 |
| Headquarter Location | London, UK |
| Website | Visit now |
| Pricing model | Commission based |
| Commission | 15% |
| Minimum requirements | 1 property |
| Onboarding Time | 7 to 14 days |
How to advertise on Oliver's travels
- Upload your properties to Rentals United.
- Go to Services and add Oliver's Travels
- Follow the checklist with detailed instructions on how to sync properties
- Once synced, your rates, calendars, bookings and cancellations will update automatically
- Start receiving bookings!
Oliver’s Travels: Embracing the Extraordinary in Luxury Villa Rentals
Oliver Bell and Ravi Sabharwal founded Oliver’s Travels, one of the biggest British villa rental companies, in 2004. What started as Simply Chateau, focused solely on renting chateaux in France, has grown into a leading provider of luxury villas and vacation rentals across Europe and the Mediterranean.
The company’s name and “Why Do Ordinary” tagline pays homage to Oliver, a unique chimpanzee who rose to fame in the 1970s as a purported “missing link” between apes and humans.
The Keys to Rapid Growth
Oliver Bell cites three pivotal decisions that fueled the company’s 40% year-over-year growth:
- The 2013 Rebrand to a Single Unified Business
Oliver’s Travels put all of the destinations under one roof and rebranded. Since then, the company has grown at least 40% yearly, culminating in Oliver’s Travels’ entry to the Sunday Times Fast Track in 2019.
- Prioritizing the Complete Customer Experience
Oliver’s Travels mapped out and optimized over 50 customer touchpoints, dramatically improving the company’s repeat booking rate.
- Securing Exclusive Property Contracts and Regional Acquisitions
Oliver’s Travels focused on exclusive contracts with owners and acquiring regional property managers, ensuring a consistent stream of unique, high-quality listings.
More Than Just Luxurious Accommodations
The company’s handpicked properties range from 300-year-old trulli in Puglia and medieval French chateaux to converted Spanish fincas and Croatian lighthouses. Each one promises an extraordinary backdrop for guests’ precious vacation days.
To guarantee consistent quality, Oliver’s Travels contracts directly with owners and property managers, conducting regular site inspections and gathering guest feedback. Owners receive checklists and guidance to meet the company’s exacting standards.
Prioritizing Sustainability and Climate Action
Oliver’s Travels partners with sustainability consultancy ecollective to measure and reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Through a detailed audit process, ecollective calculates estimated emissions for each property based on factors, like air conditioning, electricity usage, pool heating, and more.
Oliver’s Travels’ Sustainable Villa Collection promotes properties meeting strict criteria around emissions and sustainable practices The company aims to reduce the CO2 output per villa and across the whole business by 10% year-over-year through education, recommendations, and affiliate partnerships with companies such as renewable energy providers.
At the same time, Oliver’s Travels has joined the Tourism Declares climate emergency initiative, and aims to become a zero carbon-producing business by combining reduction efforts and offsetting initiatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Oliver’s Travels’ properties “extraordinary”?
Oliver’s Travels specializes in unique, historic, and unconventional properties like centuries-old trulli homes, chateaux, lighthouses, and renovated fincas.
How does Oliver’s Travels ensure consistent quality across its portfolio?
The company deals directly with owners and property managers, conducts regular site inspections, and gathers guest feedback to ensure homes meet its standards. Owners receive guidance to maintain high-quality experiences.
How is Oliver’s Travels addressing sustainability in travel?
Partnerships with ecollective and Tourism Declares allow Oliver’s Travels to accurately measure emissions, promote sustainable properties, advocate for industry change, and offset remaining carbon output to become zero carbon-producing.