Luxury Retreats Sets New Industry Standard for Vacation Rentals With the Launch of Its Quality Inspection (QI) Program

MONTREAL, March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury Retreats, the world's leading luxury villa rental company providing personalized villa vacations, today announced the launch of its Quality Inspection (QI) Program, a rigorous vetting program which all villas must undergo to qualify as a "Luxury Retreats Standard" in order to be listed for rent. The QI Program is the first of its kind in the vacation rental industry, ensuring a standard of excellence for all of the company's 2,000 villas, located in more than 50 destinations worldwide.

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Unlike hotels which are qualified by industry standards such as Forbes Five-Stars or AAA's Five-Diamonds, the villa rental industry is not standardized, and vacationers have no assurance that what they see is what they'll get when renting a never-before-seen home. Luxury Retreats' Quality Inspection Program safeguards against the misrepresentation of homes and assures consumers that only the very best of villas are offered for rent. The QI Program includes the following:

• The 100 Point Check List: This proprietary survey, developed by Luxury Retreats, includes inside and out, A-Z details about a villa. It is comprised of 6 categories: Destination, Exteriors, Bed & Baths, Common Areas, Additional Areas, and General Info.

• Video of the properties: Video is taken of each villa, capturing footage of all facets of the property, including all interiors, exteriors, and the surrounding area of the property. This additional measure ensures the quality of the villas – and that its aesthetics meet a standard of excellence.

• Quality Inspectors: Luxury Retreats employs over 40 Quality Inspectors (QIs) worldwide, who personally inspect each villa, applying the QI Program. The QIs leave no stone, or mattress, left unturned when evaluating a property. Each Quality Inspector undergoes extensive training sessions, learning all details of the QI Program and how to apply the 100 Point Checklist to each unique villa and destination.

"Our team of experts applies the Quality Inspection Program to each and every villa, and only those villas which meet a luxury standard based on the results will be listed for rent," said Joe Poulin, Founder and CEO of Luxury Retreats. "The QI Program also safeguards against misrepresentation of homes. In fact, 90% of villas inspected are rejected."   

In addition to the QI Program, Luxury Retreats has launched its Family Program, a curated collection of villas which are specifically family-friendly and provide common needs such as high-chairs, cribs, child-proofed pools, enclosed porches for safe play, and master suites with adjoining rooms that are great for parents with newborns. Luxury Retreats' Villa Specialists are also available to advise travelers on villas best suited for families.

Luxury Retreats, which offers guests complimentary concierge services and villa specialists to organize all vacation needs, is growing rapidly, expanding to 50 new destinations within the year. Recently launched destinations include Morocco, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, and Portugal. The company will next launch in Bonaire, Caribbean; Puglia, Italy; and Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean.

About Luxury Retreats
Founded in 1999, Luxury Retreats creates personalized villa vacations, offering more than 2,000 villas in over 50 destinations. Its global team of 150+ passionate travel enthusiasts & partners hand pick and personally inspect each luxury villa ensuring that its guests are offered the very best.

As a full service villa rental company, Luxury Retreats offers guests complimentary concierge services, worldwide guest support, as well as villa specialists who help travelers find their perfect villa - all without charging any membership fees. For more information, visit luxuryretreats.com.

SOURCE Luxury Retreats