Primer On Villas Terminology
What is a villa? Well, many times you will find that it it is a small community of several residential units, perhaps for retired folks or for travelers to enjoy.
But more frequentlky these days, the word means a detached home that a person can rent (a vacation rental) when on holidays.
Is there a difference between a villa, a vacation rental, a holiday rental, a gite, a chalet, a cottage, a holiday cottage, a self-catering home, a vacation home and a holiday home?
For practical purposes, no, the words mean almost the same thing. To be sure, a cottage or chalet definitely implies a rustic lodging way out in the country, and maybe even in the hills, but very few people would call a cottage something on a suburban street.
“Holiday” is how British folks refer to what American travellers refer to as “vacation”. A holiday home is really a vacation home with a cup of tea. And “self-catering” is how the British and Australians (g’day) refer to any rental unit where you have to arrange your own nourishment, so that is pretty much universal across villas, cottages, etc.
And if you go to France, you can call all of them “gites” - although more properly, a gite is supposed to mean a rural cottage or maybe a barn conversion, and the word is occasionally used to refer to youth hostels - just to confuse the pot and the kettle.
A villa, in current vacation rental terminology, is typically a somewhat upscale suburban house. For example, a villa in Costa Brava might be a nicely groomed house in Girona or Figueres, and it might feature a pool or even a Jacuzzi.
A Costa Blanca villa might be a recently build brick bungalow, also equipped with a pool of course, in a newer neighborhood of Alicante.
Of course, the word “villa” may refer to any detached vacation rental home, so read the description carefully and review photos to make sure you know what you are getting.
Although most villas come with a full kitchen, be alert for the term “kitchenette”. Yes, it is the “ette” that might catch your attention, and it most likely means a counter with a full or half-sized stove - perhaps just a microwave, not even a stove - for heating dinner and an undersized fridge (maybe even a bar-sized fridge). Don’t expect a full dining room if you see “kitchenette” in the description.
What does it mean when they say “sleeps nine”? Well, we own a five-person tent. One person fits in easily. Two people fit in comfortably. A third person can squeeze in. Persons four and five can lie across the first three people (watch to make sure not to get kicked in the face at night).
Same goes for villas. Find out how many bedrooms, how many actual beds and what else they mean by a sleeping place (Two people on a sofa bed? Two single-person folding cots?)
Often you may have read “just steps from the beach”. Some of those properties will be 22 steps from the beach. Other villas will be 2020 steps from the beach. Find out which one you are looking at, before you opt to rent it.
What is the difference between “private pool” and “pool access”. Sorry, but if you can’t figure out the difference for yourself, then you probably deserve to get stuck with “pool access”. Consider it a learning experience.
There are lots of other definitions related to villa rentals, but these will get you started and avoid the most common confusions that people often have.



