| It used to be that when celebrities went on vacation, | | | | to set the trends and set themselves apart from the |
| they'd check into the biggest, fanciest hotel in town. | | | | crowd? So instead of following the masses to |
| But these days, the rich and famous are skipping the | | | | whatever resort is popular each season, the stars |
| big, public hotels in favor of a more exclusive, more | | | | prefer to create a vacation that is uniquely, |
| private vacation option. From Brad and Angelina, to | | | | exclusively theirs by escaping to a luxury vacation |
| Madonna, President Barack Obama, movie, music and | | | | home. After all, what could be more exclusive than |
| TV stars are spending their vacation time away from | | | | your own, private paradise, reserved only for you |
| the crowds and the cameras, and hiding away in | | | | and the people you want around you? |
| luxurious, private vacation homes. Read on for the | | | | 5. Peace and Quiet |
| top 7 reasons why! | | | | Let's face it - people are noisy. And people who have |
| 1. Privacy | | | | a lot of money to spend on fancy hotel rooms are |
| A vacation isn't much of a vacation when you're | | | | no exception. Their kids fight and splash in the pool. |
| surrounded by adoring fans screaming for your | | | | They have parties at all hours of the night. They |
| autograph, or ducking paparazzi around every corner. | | | | argue, they laugh, they basically live their lives. Which |
| Which is why you don't see major movie and TV | | | | is fine for them. But if you're on vacation trying to |
| stars spending their vacation time at hotels. Instead, | | | | get away from it all, it's not necessarily fine for you. |
| famous faces know that in order to really get away | | | | No wonder so many celebrities are skipping noisy |
| from it all, the key is to check in to a private | | | | hotels altogether and opting to stay in peaceful, |
| vacation home. Unlike hotels that cater to the public, | | | | private vacation homes. That way, if a wild party |
| a vacation home offers guests a real escape from | | | | keeps them up all night, at least it will be their wild |
| the outside world, with a level of total privacy a hotel | | | | party! |
| just can't match. So they can bare all by the pool | | | | 6. Freedom |
| without worrying about winding up on the cover of a | | | | A vacation is the time to do what you want to do |
| tabloid next week. | | | | when you want to do it - and no one knows that |
| 2. Space for their stuff | | | | better than celebrities, who are used to getting their |
| The rich and famous don't typically travel light. They | | | | own way. But even the most luxurious hotel has |
| may be heading out of town to get away from it all, | | | | limits. Hankering for a late-night swim after the pool |
| but at the same time, they need to make sure | | | | has closed? No can do. Feel like spending the day in |
| they're ready for anything - from lunch with the | | | | your bathrobe without getting dressed? You'll not |
| big-name director who happens to be in town to a | | | | want to leave the privacy of your room if you stay |
| formal dinner party on a yacht. That's why the stars | | | | in a hotel but a vacation home gives you the |
| tend to bring MORE than what they need, just in | | | | freedom to spend your vacation the way you like. |
| case. Which is why they're bypassing the big hotels | | | | And if that means eating a grilled cheese sandwich in |
| and settling in to roomy vacation homes - where | | | | the pool at 2:30am, go for it! |
| they have plenty of space for the tuxedo, the ball | | | | 7. Luxury |
| gown AND the scuba gear. | | | | In travel, as in their day-to-day lives, celebrities |
| 3. Room for an Entourage | | | | demand the best. And they're finding the best in |
| Just as they don't travel light, celebs also don't travel | | | | luxurious, comfortable vacation homes. Dining rooms |
| alone. There's the personal assistant, the personal | | | | where they can entertain friends. Spacious living |
| trainer, the hair and makeup guy (or gal), plus family, | | | | rooms where they can spread out and enjoy all the |
| friends, acquaintances and hangers on...in other words, | | | | comforts of home. Their own, private swimming |
| more people than you can possibly fit in even the | | | | pools and Jacuzzis. With so many options, there's no |
| largest hotel suite. And that's why the stars are | | | | longer any reason to settle for less than the best. |
| bringing the whole entourage to roomy vacation | | | | Which probably explains why, when it comes to |
| homes - where everyone can spread out and enjoy | | | | travel, vacation homes are topping the list of |
| their time together. | | | | celebrity trends. |
| 4. Exclusivity | | | | So now you see why the rich and famous are |
| Celebrities like to stay on the cutting edge of trends | | | | making vacation home rentals such a fast-growing |
| - they don't follow the herd and do what everybody | | | | travel trend. And the best part is, these advantages |
| else is doing. Why should they, when they can afford | | | | aren't just for celebrities. |