There’s an old saying – one that I firmly believe – that the kitchen is the heart of any home. Nothing brings friends and family together like a great meal, hand prepared and full of the smells and tastes that we’ve grown up with. These times spent eating together as a family can usher back loved memories and help to create new ones.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays; you name it and I can guarantee that a good chunk of the memories involved will have to do with large family gatherings, food and – if you’re anything like me – getting beaten with a wooden spoon for stealing food out of the kitchen when nobody’s watching!

The same principle, the importance of food, is an integral part of any luxury private villa vacation.

One of the biggest reasons that a luxury private villa is superior to the all-inclusive resort or the hotel experience is that it allows for a beautiful getaway to an exotic destination, all while maintaining the focus on the family and spending time together in a secure and private location.

This experience, too, is about making memories and I can assure you that one memory you most certainly DON’T want to make is that of fighting over where to go eat immediately upon arrival.

Nobody makes sound decisions when they’re "hangry,” folks, that’s just a tried and true fact!

In order to ensure that these altercations don’t happen, Private Villa Rentals’ offers and, in fact, encourages guests to take advantage of our top-of-the-line Villa Provisioning services. In our experience, the ability to simply arrive, unpack and unwind with any and every item your party could want at hand and readily available is one of the greatest luxuries of all in a travel experience full of one-of-a-kind luxuries.

For example, some villa properties will come with a very opulent and inviting welcome basket for their guests upon arrival, stocked with charcuterie – meats, cheeses, wine, etc. – and little delectable pleasantries to nibble on while you unwind. However, nothing is worse than having JUST enough to eat to send your appetite into overdrive but not enough to sate the miserable thing!

On my most recent tour through St. Barts and St. Martin, I stayed in three different villa properties over the course of my time there, really only relying on them as a home base to work in the evenings and sleep.

However, I always ensured that each villa was provisioned prior to my arrival in order to make sure I never found myself wanting for something to eat. The whirlwind of touring the island and eating and drinking in the most illustrious restaurants in the Caribbean is wonderful, but I longed for a quiet meal by myself every now and then and wanted to make sure that I could have that whenever I wanted!

No matter how perfect the villa or how beautiful the view, no place can truly feel like home completely devoid of food and beverage. Stocking these things after arrival can be tedious and time consuming, and as such Private Villa Rentals offers to stock your private villa with provisions, food and refreshments prior to your arrival, ensuring maximum time for guests to get settled. Whatever you want, we'll get it!

Three square meals on hand and ready to go for Private Villa Vacation Day 1? Check!

Beverages, snacks and all the necessities for a beautiful beach picnic trip? We’ve got you covered!

Champagne? Already on ice, my friend!

That being said, to ignore the overwhelmingly sumptuous and delectable 5-star restaurants and well-kept local culinary secrets would be an absolute shame, one that would detract from the overall experience of your luxury private villa destination.

However, the ability to simply relax, unwind and recharge on that pivotal first day is enormous in how the rest of the trip will go, and being able to do so without having to worry about who, what, where, why and how you and your guests will deal with dinner is a true blessing, believe me!

A private villa vacation is all about one thing: you! You and your ability to do anything and everything you want with your time away without having to adhere to anyone else’s schedule or itinerary.

Private Villa Rentals’ villa provisioning is another way to ensure that the only thing that drives you and your guests to do anything is your own decision to do so!