Your villa rental includes
A pre-inspected property
The villa with its included services
A personal welcome and show-around on arrival
Our award-winning Essenza Travel App, with essential villa and destination information
A Travel Planner to organize in-villa chef services
Upgrade to Travel Planning & Concierge Service
A dedicated Travel Planner who designs a stay around your group, day by day
Hand-picked suppliers, known for service excellence and tested by us over the years
Access to the best of Italy: the tables, guides and experiences worth knowing
A Concierge team on hand every day, 8am to 8pm Italian time
The full Essenza Travel App, with your itinerary and live messaging
Add an Essenza Host
A dedicated Essenza Host who knows the region intimately and responds within minutes
On-site, with your group every day of your stay
Chefs, villa staff, housekeeping, drivers and guides, all coordinated for you
Extra services and restaurant bookings handled, with skip-the-line access where possible
Wine, drinks, snacks and other provisions arranged whenever you need them
Local experts
Your Travel Planner lives in Italy and knows your destination intimately.
Tried-and-tested suppliers
Every chef, guide, driver and skipper has worked with us over the years.
A stay designed around you
Your itinerary follows your group’s tastes, pace and budget.
One trusted point of contact
From the first call to your departure, you always know who to ask.
A safety net on the ground
If the weather turns or plans change, our team sorts it out straight away.
Everything in one app
Itinerary, bookings, tips, maps and live messaging with our team.
Fluent English speakers
Every Travel Planner speaks fluent English, so nothing gets lost in translation.
Award-winning service
Best Villa Rental and Accommodation Service in Italy, Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2026.
These are just a taste. Tell your Travel Planner what you dream of, and they will make it happen: private transfers & drivers, Michelin-starred tables, private boat tours, expert private guides, skip-the-line tickets, pre-arrival grocery shopping, meet & greet and fast-track, intimate celebrations and more,
Before you travel – with your Travel Planner
1. Meet your Travel Planner
Your Planner introduces themselves and sends a short planning form, then briefs the villa team on your group’s needs.
2. A dedicated Zoom call
We get to know your whole group: who is traveling, your pace and budget, what you would love to do and what you would rather skip.
3. Your personalized itinerary
A day-by-day plan with a fully costed proposal, refined together until it is exactly right. You keep the final say.
4. We book, pay and confirm
Every service is booked with our trusted suppliers and paid on your behalf. Pay us in euros or US dollars, settle everything ahead in one payment, and receive clear reminders of anything due on site.
5. Your Essenza Travel App
Your itinerary, bookings, maps and tips go live in the app before you travel, for everyone in your group.
During your stay – with your Concierge
6. Every booking reconfirmed
Your Concierge coordinates drivers, guides, restaurants and activities behind the scenes, so everything runs exactly as planned.
7. On hand every day, 8am to 8pm
Message your Concierge in the app for changes, last-minute requests or anything unexpected, while your Travel Planner continues to oversee your stay.
- Your day-by-day itinerary, updated as soon as anything changes
- Key contacts and tips on transport, healthcare and tipping
- Destination guides with our restaurant picks
- Booking details, vouchers and villa information, available offline
- An interactive map with directions in Google Maps
- Live messaging with real people, not AI replies
The app shows only the services booked through Essenza. Experiences or reservations you book directly cannot be added to your itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
No. The rental rate includes a pre-inspected property, the villa with its included services, a welcome and show-around on arrival, the Essenza Travel App with essential information, and a Travel Planner to organize in-villa chef services. Travel Planning & Concierge is an upgrade you can add to your booking.
It is a personal planning service for your stay in Italy. A local Travel Planner designs and books your itinerary, and our Concierge team looks after you during your stay.
The fee covers the time and expertise of the professionals who look after your stay: your Travel Planner and our Concierge team. The experiences themselves, such as dinners, excursions and transfers, are quoted separately, so you only pay for what you choose to book. We also advise you on gratuities, so you always know what is customary in Italy.
You can, but we can only look after services booked through us. If something arranged independently goes wrong, such as a last-minute change or a supplier issue, we are not able to step in. Booking with us gives you a safety net and one trusted point of contact.
No. Chef services and all in-villa dining are always arranged through us, whether or not you choose Travel Planning.
Ideally six to eight months before your arrival. Most suppliers do not accept bookings earlier than that. For a private chef, we recommend booking three to five months in advance.
No. Many guests book two or three highlights and leave the rest free. Your Travel Planner will suggest the right balance for your group.
Yes. Message your Concierge through the Essenza Travel App. New services depend on availability, and our team always does everything possible to make them happen, even at the last minute.
With the Travel Planning & Concierge Service, your Concierge, every day from 8am to 8pm Italian time, through the Essenza Travel App. For anything concerning the house itself, the villa manager is on hand.
Explore Our Collections of Villas in Italy
Get the latest on our luxury villas, experience inspiration and local secrets delivered every month. Be first to discover special offers and travel stories that spark your next great escape.
