Villa and apartment specialist Villas to Go aims to become the industry portal for self catering accommodation throughout Europe, America & Asia and recently partnered with Travel Counsellors to provide accommodation to their 850 homeworking agents in 2009.

Villas to Go, now in its 5th year has over 900 properties available online through their advanced, technology led website  www.villastogo.com

CEO, Mark Wilsher said:

‘We are delighted to be working with highly motivated agents who are interested in developing their businesses which is why Travel Counsellors are a perfect partner.’

He added:

‘With an average accommodation booking worth £1400, agents can earn good commission & our growth plan includes both summer and winter product, including some exciting long haul destinations & new product categories.  Our aim is to become the one stop shop for all things self catering.’

Wilsher also added:

‘Another benefit to partners is our online and fully automated availability and booking process.  This reduces booking time down to just a few minutes, compared with the usual 30 minutes spent making a traditional villa booking.’
Villas to Go is the online market leader in self catering villa, apartment and cottage accommodation with over 1000 properties in Europe and Florida ranging from luxury villas to beachside apartments.

VTG now includes Supplier Failure Cover with every accommodation booking.  This is designed to protect all clients and address any concerns they may have about their choice of travel supplier, whether it be airline, accommodation supplier or car hire provider.

Mark Wilsher, CEO says:

‘We want to ensure that our clients have complete peace of mind and financial protection when booking their holiday.  All travel elements whether booked directly through us or independently are protected by our Supplier Failure Cover which is an insurance protecting our clients if the supplier or any component of their travel itinerary cancels, delays their trip or goes into liquidation.  This means that every part of their holiday will be covered when they book accommodation with us, however they choose to pay or travel.’

Backed by Europ Assistance, this comprehensive insurance provides a greater level of cover to that offered under ATOL, with refunds of up to £5000 per person being payable in the event of a trip being cancelled or delayed due to the failure of one or more of the suppliers.  Should clients find themselves unable to return home due to their airline going out of business, the policy will enable them to purchase replacement flight tickets.

A key benefit of Supply Failure Cover is that accommodation, flights, transfers, and car hire are all included under one policy, with a 24 hour helpline to help customers resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

What do you find most frustrating when booking your holiday?  Kathleen O’Brien, Overseas Director at Villas to Go says:

‘For me, it’s being restricted to certain arrival and departure dates - basically your tour operator is telling you when you can travel which might suit them but often not you!’ She adds ‘I want to be able to choose when I travel and for how long.  A seven night stay never seems long enough but a fortnight can be too much. Why not ten nights?’

Villas to Go is the first holiday provider to come up with a solution to this perennial problem.  Clients can now choose their dates and be given online availability and pricing plus the flight options for their preferred date of travel.

‘Within seconds they’ll have the full picture and will even be offered alternative 3, 7 and 14 night dates to consider for a better deal.  At a time when everyone needs to make savings where they can, clients will find that with a little flexibility they may be able to save themselves hundreds of pounds on accommodation and flights simply by avoiding travel at peak times.’

This flexible approach is already meeting with approval from Villas to Go customers.  Christine Austin who spent eight nights in Mallorca in September commented:

‘Being able to travel on a Sunday fitted in perfectly with work commitments and my girls going back to uni.  The Monday return flight was much cheaper too.’

Villas to Go is the online market leader in self catering villa, apartment and cottage accommodation with over 900 properties in Europe and Florida ranging from luxury villas to beachside apartments.