If you're already a fan of villa vacationing for its flexibility, privacy, value, and room to spread out and really settle in, we applaud your travel savvy. If you haven't yet tried this popular way of living like a local, we encourage you to give it a go, and here are a few reasons why.

Ambiance : Many hotel rooms are cookie-cutter boring. Most villas, however, reflect the warmth and personality of their owners, are filled with local artwork, and are located in areas where locals live, shop, dine out, and generally enjoy everyday life. Villas also tend to be stocked with handy extras like books, CDs and DVDs (and the means to play them), board games, and kids' lawn and pool toys.

Comfort: Villas offer most all the comforts of home, plus the privacy to enjoy them. And you can spread out since there's plenty of room. If you want some separation from the kids, choose a home with the master bedroom on one end and the children's bedrooms at the other. Some villas will even include baby monitors.

Independence: Eat when you want. Swim when you want. Enjoy cocktails on the terrace when you want. Best yet, enjoy the freedom to get up and exercise first thing in the morning without having to put makeup on (we hear that from members all the time!). You determine your schedule, just as you would at home.

Live Like a Native: You'll rub elbows with the locals, so you can get their take on the best beaches, the most authentic restaurants, and the freshest market ingredients to cook up in your own kitchen. You may even strike up a conversation with your neighbor who's out walking his dog or the woman who's weeding her garden.

Economy: You can enjoy all the comforts and conveniences of villa vacationing for about what you'd spend for a luxury hotel--and often for less. This makes villa vacationing an especially economical way to travel with other couples or a large extended family.

Through Hideaways, you have the option of renting directly from the homeowner or tapping into the expertise of Hideaways Travel Services to book your vacation villa. We work with a number of the most reputable property management companies around the world--meaning someone will be "on the ground" locally should something go awry, so you'll have a seamless villa experience.

Trust your Hideaways Travel Specialist to take care of all your travel details, including flights, transfers, and pre- and post-villa hotel stays, so you can see even more of your chosen destination. To start planning, contact Hideaways Travel Services at 800-843-4433, or email ts@hideaways.com.

We love hearing from you when you've returned from enjoying a great villa vacation--so keep sending us those comments! In the meantime, here's a success story from one member who recently took a family trip to Europe and is now a firm believer in the joys of villa vacationing.

The Swartz Family Vacation Trust

By Hideaways member Don Swartz, Moses Lake, WA

Imagine 14 people representing three generations of family members, ages 2 to 68, traveling from various parts of the western U.S. to Italy for a family vacation. That was the scenario for our latest family get-together, and it could not have turned out better!

Many years ago, my wife, Carolann, and I decided that the best gifts we could give our children and grandchildren were memories and times together--and that idea grew into the establishment of what we call the Swartz Family Vacation Trust. It's a gift that cannot be lost, taken away, or worn out. The result, with a growing number of participants over the years, has been trips to Maui, Monterrey, Kiawah Island, Sun River in Oregon, and rafting the Colorado River in Utah. Our Italy trip, however, was an all-time favorite, and centered around a glorious week at a spectacularly appropriate villa, Villa le Favole, booked through Hideaways and located below the Tuscan walled city of Montepulciano.

The entire family convened at O'Hare, traveling from Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Washington, and flew together to Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome. As always, Darcy from Hideaways was a key part of our team, and had arranged for a two-night stay for us at the Hotel Albergo Cesari--a real find. After two days exploring the city, the 14 of us left Rome for Villa le Favole, driving four GPS-assisted rental cars. I can tell you that as a "mature" gentleman, I prefer never to drive in Rome again. That said, we had a pleasant drive (after Grandpa let others take the lead) to Montepulciano, cruising up a nice highway to our destination.

We arrived at the north entrance to the walled city and ventured into that enclave for a little preview. The four rental vehicles then maneuvered down the hill and found their way to our villa. Wow!! There is no better way to describe the collective reaction of our group as we approached Villa le Favole.

What a perfect place to spend time in Tuscany, especially with a large family. The property consists of two ancient, well-appointed stone houses, each self-contained. Carolann and I and all but the youngest grandchild stayed in one house, and in the other were three of the second-generation parents and the "baby." That home had the main dining room and kitchen, and also was where the proprietress lived. The building had been remodeled recently, and the accommodations were very comfortable.

We especially appreciated the many patios, dining areas, and individual rooms that could be used for mini get-togethers--very important for a group of 14. And the bathroom facilities in both homes were quite adequate--also important! In Grandma and Grandpa's "suite," the bathroom had a wonderful tub with jets and a window that gave us a nice view of the grounds.

The extensive property was especially well suited to a family with young children. In fact, after several days at the villa, having ventured into Montepulciano and other surrounding towns, our grandchildren told us they preferred being at the villa. Who could blame them? They had plenty of room to roam, and hanging out with the many animals--ducks, turtles, sheep, chickens, a rooster, and goats--was a daily activity. The rooster crowed every morning, sometimes a little too early for those who like to sleep in. The villa's beautiful swimming pool was a major attraction, and as usual, Grandpa went swimming with the grandkids while the parents stayed dry.

Not only did we love Villa le Favole's amenities, we also loved its location, sitting in a beautiful valley with close proximity to Montepulciano. Tucked into the surrounding countryside were an olive grove, a vineyard, and wheat fields, all actively farmed. Workers arrived daily to labor in those areas, and that made our villa experience even richer.

A really fun time was had by all the day a chef arrived to present a cooking class for our family, which was followed by a delicious meal. Chef Romeo--whose contact info I got from a friend who had taken a class with him--arrived from the Maremma region of coastal Tuscany, along with his lovely wife, Frederica. What a find! Romeo brought some amazing fresh seafood with him, and the evening was quite special, with the family gathered in the kitchen, learning to prepare fresh calamari, bruschetta, and risotto al mare. We finished the meal with a wonderful dessert of tiramisu.

Though our villa stay was bookended by other travels in Italy, it remains the family highlight of our trip. My summary impression of Villa le Favole: "Un posto magnifico!" Loosely translated, "A magnificent place!"

Don has much more insight to share, including some memory-making Tuscan restaurants, at http://www.Hideaways.com/traveltotuscany.

September/October 2014