Barbados: Where to Stay: Villas to Rent: Wimco Villas

Wimco Villas

The esteemed villa rental company Wimco (in the U.S.: 866-850-6140; in the U.K.: 0870-850-1144; www.wimco.com) has a ton of properties on the west coast. If you want old-world Barbadian charm, Glenn Ormiston, the company’s Barbados expert, recommends Mango Bay, a seven-bedroom house in St. James once owned by Pamela Harriman and the six-bedroom Fusic House, where it is not uncommon to see monkeys cavorting about in the backyard. The company also represents all the houses available for rent on the Sandy Lane Estates. Ormiston’s favorites there include Point of View, Bluff House (“The butler is really amazing,” she says) and the more contemporary Bohemia. Every house Wimco rents comes well-staffed (the larger ones come with a house manager, butler, maids, gardeners and security guards). An employee will pick you up at the airport upon arrival, and should you wish to rent a car, the company will have one delivered.

From Melissa Biggs Bradley: “The villa rental company Wimco has some great properties. I rented one through Glenn Ormiston in their office, and she knew each house inside and out. She found us one on Sandy Lane Estates, so we had access to the resort facilities, including golf and spa, as well as a cabana at the property owner’s part of the beach. Our house came with a pool, tennis court and fantastic staff, and was only a few minutes from Holetown. I have since referred a number of friends to her, and for all of them she found fabulous houses that were just right for them.”

Also see: the Sandy Lane Villa.