Cape Town Based Holiday Rental Company Gets International Endorsement

Condé Nast Traveler USA gives Icon Villas the thumbs up and paves the way for increased American business in Cape Town

Cape Town based Icon Villas received a significant international accolade with its selection as the first Villa Rental Specialist in Southern Africa to be endorsed by Condé Nast Traveler USA.

Announced in the June issue of the magazine, Icon Villas was voted one of only 49 Villa Rental Specialists across the world, and only the second in Africa (the other is in Morocco), to be appointed as a Condé Nast Traveler Villa Rental Specialist for 2009.

Therese Botha - owner of Icon Villas - says that despite the depressed world economy, business has been picking up from the US market.

‘Whilst bookings from Europe are slower this year, we’re definitely seeing increasing numbers of enquiries from North America, and in line with the current global trend, many of those are in fact last minute bookings.’

Botha says that worldwide, Villa Rental Specialists agree that year-on-year, there is an ever-increasing interest in villa stays as an exclusive alternative to standard hotel accommodation.

‘We are thrilled with this prestigious honour from Condé Nast Traveler that recognizes not only our service and expertise, but also the high standard of properties we represent,” said Botha

‘Americans are known to use Condé Nast Traveler listings and awards extensively as a guide when planning their travels, and we therefore look forward to growing our American market even further’, she concluded.

Within Icon Villas and its specialist Allure Collection, Botha’s collection includes 120 privately owned ‘handpicked and gorgeous villas’, as well as 100 other upmarket properties, penthouses and apartments.

These were all selected to exceed the expectations of discerning guests who demand luxury, privacy and seclusion, and ‘exclusive-use’ of a beautifully designed and equipped special home - in a prime location.

First established in 1997, Icon Villas recently entered a new era when it started working closely with some of the world’s top tour operators.

These include Kuoni Travel, one of the UK and Europe's leading luxury travel specialists and multiple award winners as Best Tour Operator, with whom it will be releasing a joint brochure towards the end of the year.

Find out more about a wide range of places to stay in Cape Town in our Cape Town accommodation section .

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