The best villa company for your holiday: how to book with confidence and full financial protection

Following recent events in the Middle East, some travellers may be wondering about their summer plans. Though none of our destinations are near the affected areas, headlines can feel closer to home so it's helpful to understand how a responsible, bonded tour operator like Simpson Travel can protect your holiday.

Unlike some of our competitors, all Simpson Travel holidays are fully financially protected. As members of ABTA, we promise a full refund should FCDO advice ever restrict travel to a destination when clients are due to depart, and our ATOL protection ensures your flights and package holiday are secure, giving you complete peace of mind when booking. While ‘the best’ company will depend on your specific party and wishes, here are some key questions you'll want to consider when thinking about booking your holiday.

1. Package vs. Independent Booking

 1. Package vs. Independent Booking: protect your holiday!

Holidays are one of the biggest purchases of the year for many people, so you need to feel that your money is safe, and booking with a reputable tour operator gives you this peace of mind. Booking with Simpson Travel means you're covered by our ATOL licence, ABTA membership and ABTOT bond, offering full financial protection for your holiday. Additionally, in January 2025 we become the first villa operator to sign the Safer Tourism Foundation pledge, which sets high standards for traveller risk management, health and safety. Booking independently means you may have no financial recourse if your holiday is cancelled, or worse still, you arrive to find the villa doesn’t even exist!

“The villas are always in great locations and very high standard, but the big difference is the personal service from the local representatives. It’s like having your own PA to book and organise restaurants, boat trips, tours etc.” Mr Benjamin Mann, Kalkan

2. Selection vs Volume

2. Selection vs. Volume: not lots of, just the best of

What’s the difference between a specialist tour operator like Simpson Travel and a booking platform or mass market company? Put simply, a tour operator puts the whole holiday package together, manages the logistics and sells directly to their customers. Crucially, the customer benefits from specialist knowledge, on the ground support and direct contact with the company, a bit like buying wine from a vineyard or bread from a bakery rather than your nearest supermarket. Tour operators also tend to engage more with their destinations, building long-term relationships that are good for travellers and good for local communities.

By contrast, booking platforms are like holiday hypermarkets: they fill their online ‘shelves’ with holidays from tour operators, so you do get an almost overwhelming level of choice and apparent price discounts (though be careful to check you're getting a like-for-like deal!), but nothing in the way of personal service. It can also be very hard to speak to someone if something goes wrong — who wants an endless chatbot loop when it’s 30 degrees and the air-con has broken down?!

“Had a very stress-free travel experience - fabulous customer service from Sarah from start to finish, she was available for any queries and made sure we had all the information we needed well ahead of time. In this age of online scams, it was so reassuring to deal with a very reliable and trusted company. Would highly recommend.” Ms Madison Butterfield, France

3. Independent Ratings

3. Independent Ratings: the views that really count

How can you find out who really is the best villa company? The rise of online reviews lets travellers share their true experiences, and organisations like Trustpilot go to great lengths to ensure their reviews are authentic. We’re proud to be one of the top rated villa companies, with a clutch of travel industry awards and a consistent near-perfect score on Trustpilot. You can read customer reviews on each of our individual properties, or see a selection here.

“Another fabulous week at the White Orchid hotel in Sivota. Dietke and her team were wonderful, ensuring every little detail was attended to from our tasty breakfasts to arranging boat trips, booking restaurants and even making suggestions for the best honey and olive oil to bring home - outstanding.” Mr Ian Ramsbottom, Sivota

4. Bespoke Arrangements

4. Bespoke Arrangements: your holiday, your way

Would you like to have access to childcare while on holiday? A few nights in a hotel to add on to your villa stay? Maybe you’d like help booking local restaurants, boat hire or even a private chef to cook for you. These services and many more come as standard with a specialist luxury villa company like Simpson Travel. Our sales teams have visited our accommodation personally so they can give you first-hand advice, and our local teams are there to help you with all the little extras that take a trip from good to truly great.

“Excellently organised as always. Lovely villa with great hosts and Tina the rep was fab, great to meet Karen and the Simpson crew on their Island tour too, that intimate knowledge Simpson people have when one is booking is golden!” Mrs Marion Brand, Kefalonia

 

CONCLUSION

The definition of ‘best’ ultimately comes down to what type of holiday you enjoy, your preferred destination, your budget and how important service is to you, but if you want to feel financially protected, well informed and well looked after, a top-rated tour operator like Simpson Travel should be your go-to.