Concierge and on-site support
Concierge service with every villa
Every villa booked through Doorways Villa Vacations comes with complimentary concierge service from the villa's local team, who arrange private chefs, transfers, rental cars, wine tastings, boat days, babysitting and tours. Each villa has a local contact on the ground, such as a house manager, an owner on site or a concierge partner, and each guest has one US-based Doorways travel advisor from the first inquiry to the trip home.
Who helps you, and when
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Before you book: one advisor who knows the villas
Why it mattersConcierge support starts with picking a villa whose local team suits your trip. A villa with a house manager on site works differently from one with an owner down the road.
What Doorways Villa Vacations doesYour Doorways Villa Vacations travel advisor is based in the US, on Eastern time, and stays with you from the first inquiry to the week you get home. We tell you before you book who your local contact will be and what they can arrange. Call +1 610 520 0806 or send us a note.
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About three months before arrival: your concierge introduction
Why it mattersChefs, boat captains and drivers book up in summer. An early introduction gives your group time to plan the week without a scramble.
What Doorways Villa Vacations doesAfter your final payment, usually about three months before your stay, we introduce you by email to the villa's concierge or manager and brief them on your group. From then on you can plan directly with them, and we stay copied in. See the travel planner for every step after booking.
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During your stay: a local contact at every villa
Why it mattersA broken pool pump or a missed transfer on a Saturday night needs someone nearby who answers the phone, speaks Italian and knows the owner.
What Doorways Villa Vacations doesEvery Doorways Villa Vacations villa has a local contact, such as a house manager, an owner who lives on site or a concierge partner. They are your first call for anything from a dinner reservation to a leaky faucet, and your Doorways advisor is on call too. A bride who married at Villa Laura wrote about "the amazing on-site care from Sophie the house manager throughout the entire week."
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If something goes wrong before you arrive
Why it mattersVillas get sold, flooded or cut off by roadworks. Good support means a comparable house, not just a refund months before the trip.
What Doorways Villa Vacations doesDoorways Villa Vacations finds you a comparable or better villa. When road construction made one of our Lake Como villas inaccessible for a client's September week, we found the family a villa with more amenities and held the original price.
What the concierge can arrange
These are the requests our villa concierges handle most often. Ask for anything else; if it can be done locally, they usually know who does it.
| At the villa | Out and about | On the water |
|---|---|---|
| Private chef for one dinner or every night | Airport and train transfers | Private boat days and captains |
| Grocery shopping before you arrive | Rental cars and drivers for the day | Sunset cruises on Lake Como |
| Cooking classes in the villa kitchen | Wine tastings and winery lunches | Lunch reservations by boat |
| Babysitting | Truffle hunts, olive oil tastings and farm visits | Beach club and restaurant tables |
| Yoga or fitness instructor | Guided day trips and walks |
For ideas, see experiences we arrange.
Lake Como or Tuscany: how support differs
The concierge is the same idea everywhere; what guests ask for changes with the landscape.
| Topic | Lake Como | Tuscany and Umbria |
|---|---|---|
| Who is on site | House managers and owners at the villas | House managers, resident owners and estate concierge teams |
| Most requested | Captained boats and water taxis, restaurant tables reached by boat, airport transfers | Private chefs, wine tastings, drivers for winery days, cooking classes |
| Getting around | No car needed at most villas: private transfers, ferries, water taxis and drivers | A car or a private driver, since the villas sit at the end of country lanes |
| Book early for | Boat tours in June, the busiest month | Chefs and drivers for large groups in summer |
Browse Lake Como villas, Tuscany villas or staffed villas.
Frequently asked questions
Does Doorways Villa Vacations offer concierge service?
Yes. Every villa booked through Doorways Villa Vacations comes with complimentary concierge service from the villa's local team, who arrange chefs, transfers, rental cars, wine tastings, boat days, babysitting and tours. Guests also have one US-based Doorways travel advisor from inquiry to departure.
Is the concierge service free?
The concierge service is complimentary with every Doorways booking. The services it arranges, such as a private chef, a driver, a boat or a tour, are paid for separately, usually directly to the provider in Italy.
When will I hear from my villa concierge?
Doorways introduces you to the villa's concierge or manager after your final payment, usually about three months before your stay. You can start planning chefs, transfers and day trips with them from then on.
Who do I call if something goes wrong during my stay?
Call the villa's local contact first: the house manager, the owner or the concierge, who is nearby and speaks Italian. Your Doorways Villa Vacations advisor is also on call by phone and email throughout your stay.
Can the concierge help a group of 10 or more?
Yes. Large groups are a Doorways Villa Vacations specialty. The concierge can arrange a chef for the whole group, transfers in several cars or a minibus, and group wine tastings or cooking classes. See the large group villas collection for villas that sleep 10 to 28.
Can you also book hotels before or after the villa week?
Yes. Doorways Villa Vacations is an IATA-accredited travel agency with preferred-partner relationships at Italian hotels, so guests often receive perks such as upgrades, breakfast and early check-in on a hotel night in Rome, Florence, Milan or Venice before or after their villa.
Travel advisor
Tell us what the week should feel like
Who is coming, what you are celebrating and what you would love to do. We will suggest villas whose local teams can make it happen.
Email a travel advisor