# Doorways Villa Vacations > US-based, IATA-accredited travel agency specializing exclusively in luxury Italian villa rentals. Founded in 1994 by Kit Burns; family-owned and independently operated for 30+ years. Every villa is personally inspected. Personal travel advisor from inquiry to the night you fly home; concierge service for chefs, boats, experiences. Italy only — every advisor, every villa, every relationship. ## Quick facts - **Service:** Luxury Italian villa rentals (~100 properties) - **Coverage:** 12 Italian regions - **Accreditation:** IATA (deposits protected) - **Booking pattern:** Saturday-to-Saturday weekly stays - **Contact:** [https://www.villavacations.com/contact-us/](https://www.villavacations.com/contact-us/) · concierge@doorwaysvillavacations.com · +1 (800) 409-4346 · Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Eastern ## Destinations Twelve Italian regions covered with editorial guides (climate, why visit, activities, day trips, FAQ). - [Amalfi Coast](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/amalfi-coast/): Hand-picked villas on the Amalfi Coast, from Positano cliffs to Ravello terraces and quiet stretches near Praiano. Curated and walked by Doorways. - [Chianti](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/chianti/): Villas in the Chianti hills between Florence and Siena, picked for the view, the kitchen, and the cantina. Curated and walked by Doorways Villa Vacations. - [Cortona](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/cortona/): Villas in and around Cortona, the medieval hilltown above the Val di Chiana. Curated and walked by Doorways. Stone houses, pools, and the right kitchen. - [Florence](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/florence/): Florence villa rentals: palazzo apartments in the centro storico and stone villas above Fiesole. Curated and walked by Doorways Villa Vacations. - [Lake Como](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/lake-como/): Lakefront villas on Lake Como, from Bellagio and Tremezzo to quiet shores at Torno and Lenno. Hand-picked, walked, and curated by Doorways Villa Vacations. - [Lucca](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/lucca/): Villas around Lucca, the walled Tuscan city you can bicycle. Lucchesia hills, country houses near the coast and the Apennines. Curated by Doorways. - [Puglia](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/puglia/): Puglian villas and trulli in the Itria Valley, the Salento, and along the Adriatic. Curated and walked by Doorways. Whitewashed houses, olive groves, sea. - [Rome](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/rome/): Rome villa rentals: palazzo apartments in the centro storico and country houses in the Castelli and Sabine Hills. Curated by Doorways Villa Vacations. - [Sicily](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/sicily/): Sicilian villa rentals across the east, southeast, and west coasts of the island. Curated by Doorways. Taormina, Noto, the western coast near Trapani. - [Siena](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/siena/): Villas in and around Siena, in the Crete Senesi and the Val d'Orcia. Curated and walked by Doorways Villa Vacations. Tuscany the way it actually is. - [Umbria](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/umbria/): Umbrian villas in the hills around Todi, Spoleto, and Montefalco. Curated by Doorways Villa Vacations. Tuscany's quieter older neighbour, with truffles. - [Veneto](https://www.villavacations.com/destinations/veneto/): Veneto villas: Palladian estates in the hills, Venice within an hour, prosecco country along the Asolo road. Curated by Doorways Villa Vacations. ## Collections Curated villa themes; each links to a filtered listing of matching properties. - [Walk to Village](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=walk-to-village): Within a stroll of a real Italian village; coffee at the piazza without the car. - [Staff Favorites](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=staff-favorites): The 14 villas our team books for our own families. - [Milestone Birthday](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=milestone-birthday): Villas that take a milestone year without flinching. - [Modern Italian Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=modern): Clean lines, big glass, infinity edges, kitchens that take a photo well. - [Traditional Italian Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=traditional): Stone walls, terracotta floors, beamed ceilings, the patina of three centuries. - [Celebrity Hideaways](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=celebrity): Discreet properties favoured by clients who travel with a profile. - [Wedding Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=wedding): Hand-selected for weddings, vow renewals and the family weekend around them. - [Romantic Hideaways](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=romantic): Built for couples or two-couples trips where the point is to disappear. - [Family-Friendly Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=family): Comfort, space and activities for everyone, toddlers to grandparents. - [Large Group Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=large-group): 20+ guests with long table, living rooms, often the staff to make the week work. - [Sea View Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=sea-view): Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic; the right window over the right colour of water. - [Vineyard Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=vineyard): A working winery on the property; wine with lunch is from the row out the window. - [In a Hill Town](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=hill-town): Inside the medieval walls; coffee at the piazza; bells in the morning. - [Beachfront Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=beachfront): Sand at the gate; salt on everything by Tuesday. - [Villas with Pools](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=pool): Private, sometimes heated, occasionally infinity-edge into a view. - [Staffed Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=staffed): Chef, housekeeper, sometimes a butler; you holiday, they handle. - [Wellness Villas](https://www.villavacations.com/villas/?collection=wellness): Pairs with the kind of Italian trip where the schedule loosens by the third day. ## Travel guides Long-form editorial guides written from first-hand travel: seasonal advice, restaurant guides, day trips, regional deep-dives. Bylined by Susan Russo (owner), Kit Burns (founder), and Chiara Martini (contributing travel writer). - [10 Fun Activities for Kids in Umbria](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/10-fun-activities-kids-umbria/): Family-friendly Umbria, sorted: ten kid-tested activities our villa guests actually book — truffle hunts, medieval kid-tours, riding, lakes, gelato workshops. - [10 Italian Villas You've Probably Seen on Screen Recently (and What We Send People to Instead)](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/italian-villas-in-movies-and-tv/): The definitive guide to the Italian villas you have seen on screen — Villa Laura from Under the Tuscan Sun, Villa Tasca from White Lotus, Villa Balbiano... - [5 Ways to Travel More Sustainably](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/five-ways-to-travel-more-sustainably/): Five practical ways to travel Italy with a lighter footprint — shoulder-season trips, slow itineraries, B Corp partners, and the small choices that compound. - [8 Reasons You Should Not Miss Lucca](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/why-visit-lucca/): Why Lucca rewards a longer visit than most travellers give it — the bicycle walls, Puccini's birthplace, the Lucchesia hills and the food the locals stay for. - [A Four-Day Spa Weekend on Lake Garda: The Reset Trip We Keep Designing](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/spa-weekend-lake-garda/): A short-stay wellness itinerary on Lake Garda — thermal pools, lake swims, and the quiet villages of the northern shore. - [Amalfi Coast Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/amalfi-coast-restaurant-guide/): Hand-picked Amalfi Coast restaurants from Positano to Ravello — the places our villa concierges quietly recommend, including the trattorias guidebooks miss. - [Day Trip Ideas for the Amalfi Coast](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/amalfi-coast-day-trips/): Nine day-trip ideas from an Amalfi Coast villa — Capri by boat, Pompeii before the heat, Paestum's Greek temples, Naples for pizza. Logistics included. - [Day Trip Ideas from Chianti](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/chianti-day-trip-ideas/): Twelve day-trip ideas from a Chianti villa: Siena in 40 minutes, San Gimignano towers, Pienza pecorino, Florence at lunch — driving times and what to book... - [Day Trip Ideas from Cortona](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/cortona-day-trip-ideas/): Ten Tuscan day trips from a Cortona villa: Pienza, Montepulciano, Arezzo's antiques, Lake Trasimeno, Assisi an hour away. Distances, timing, what we book. - [Day Trips from Lake Como & the Italian Lakes](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/lake-como-day-trips/): Eleven day-trip ideas from a Lake Como villa: Milan in 40 minutes, Lake Maggiore's Borromean islands, Bellagio by boat, the Swiss border at Lugano. - [Day Trips from Rome | A Guide to Our Favorite Spots Near the Eternal City](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/rome-day-trips/): Twelve day trips from Rome our travel advisors actually recommend: Tivoli, Ostia Antica, Castelli Romani vineyards, the Sabine hills, Sperlonga's sea grottos. - [Eight Italian Beach Towns That Actually Welcome Children (and What We Book in Each)](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/family-beach-towns-italy/): A family-traveller's guide to Italian beach towns that genuinely work with small children, from the Conero Riviera to Sicily. - [Exploring Cinque Terre](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/exploring-cinque-terre/): How to visit all five Cinque Terre villages without the crowd — Vernazza for lunch, Manarola for sunset, where to stay, when to go, what to skip in August. - [Exploring Tuscany — Day Trips From the Lucca Area](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/lucca-day-trips/): Ten day trips from a Lucca villa: Pisa in 25 minutes, the Garfagnana hills, Forte dei Marmi's beach, the marble quarries at Carrara, Florence in under an hour. - [Five Days in the Tuscan Hills](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/five-days-in-the-tuscan-hills/): A short, intentional Tuscan itinerary: Crete Senesi backroads, a long Pienza lunch, an afternoon with cypresses, and an evening you will never forget. - [Five Italian Film Sets You Can Actually Visit (and How to Do It Right)](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/italian-film-sets-you-can-visit/): A short list of famous Italian film locations you can visit, from Matera (No Time to Die) to Lake Como (Casino Royale). - [Florence Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/florence-restaurant-guide/): The Florence restaurants our travel advisors keep recommending — trattorias in the Oltrarno, Sant'Ambrogio's market lunches, white-tablecloth on the river. - [Italian Lakes Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/italian-lakes-restaurant-guide/): Restaurants on Lake Como, Maggiore and Garda — lakefront classics, the small trattorias the locals use, and where to book a long lunch with a view. - [Italian Riviera & Cinque Terre Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/italian-riviera-cinque-terre-restaurant-guide/): Where to eat in the Cinque Terre and across the Italian Riviera — focaccia in Recco, fritto misto in Vernazza, the trofie al pesto worth the climb. - [Italy Links & Resources for Travelers](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/italy-links-resources-travelers/): A curated set of Italy travel resources our advisors trust — train booking, weather, packing, ferries, weather windows, museum reservations, and more. - [Lazio & Abruzzo Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/lazio-abruzzo-restaurant-guide/): The Lazio and Abruzzo restaurants we send guests to — Roman trattorias, the mountain agriturismi of Abruzzo, the coastal fish places between Sperlonga and... - [Making the Most of Your Amalfi Coast Vacation Rental: Tips and Tricks](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/making-the-most-of-your-amalfi-coast-vacation-rental/): Twelve tips for the most of an Amalfi Coast villa rental — boat days, the right chef, the climbs to expect, when to book the lemon grove walk. - [Rent the Villa from “The White Lotus”](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/white-lotus-villa-rental/): How to actually rent the White Lotus Sicily villa — Villa Tasca's history, the rates, the bedrooms, the months it's available, and what to send guests to... - [Rome Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/rome-restaurant-guide/): Hand-picked Rome restaurants from Trastevere to the Jewish Ghetto to Testaccio — the trattorias our travel advisors book for clients, including the... - [Select Reading List for Italy](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/select-reading-list-italy/): Books to read before your Italy trip — fiction, history, memoir, food writing. The titles our travel advisors give clients to pack alongside the guidebook. - [Seven Wildly Romantic Spots in Italy](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/romantic-places-in-italy/): Seven romantic places in Italy our advisors keep designing trips around — Positano in shoulder season, Ravello's gardens, a Lake Como villa, Pienza for the... - [Shopping in Rome | A Guide to the Best Boutiques in the Eternal City](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/shopping-guide-rome/): Where to shop in Rome beyond Via del Corso — the artisan ateliers of Monti and Trastevere, the bookshops, the leather workshops, the bespoke tailors. - [Six Italian Cooking Classes That Actually Work for Families (and the Three Things That Make Them Memorable)](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/cooking-classes-for-kids/): A regional guide to the best hands-on cooking classes for children in Italy, from Bari nonnas to Tuscan farmhouses. - [Slow Mornings on Ischia: A Week on the Healing Island Most Americans Skip](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/slow-mornings-ischia/): Ischia, the volcanic island near Naples, has the highest concentration of thermal springs in Europe. A slow-travel guide for the cure. - [Slow September: A Week on Lake Como](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/slow-september-a-week-on-lake-como/): Slow-travel notes from a September week on Lake Como — when to come, where to eat, and how to do less. A hand-written guide from Doorways Villa Vacations. - [Ten Italian Places Worth Proposing In (and What Makes Each One Work)](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/how-to-propose-in-italy/): A planner's guide to the best places to propose in Italy: terraces, sunsets, boats, balconies, and the time of day to do it. - [The 10 Best Activities for Kids in Lucca](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/best-activities-for-kids-in-lucca/): Lucca with kids: ten activities inside and outside the walls — bicycles on the ramparts, towers with trees on top, gelato, Puccini and the Lucchesia hills. - [The Amalfi Coast in October](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/the-amalfi-coast-in-october/): When to go to the Amalfi Coast for fewer crowds and better light — an honest October travel guide from Doorways Villa Vacations. - [The Best Thermal Springs in Tuscany](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/best-thermal-spring-tuscany/): The seven Tuscan thermal springs locals use, from Saturnia's free cascades to Bagno Vignoni's Renaissance pool — when to go, what to bring, what to skip. - [The Lake Como Villa You've Now Seen in Two Big Films: Villa Balbiano, House of Gucci, Devil Wears Prada 2, and What You Can Actually Book](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/house-of-gucci-villa-balbiano/): Villa Balbiano, the 17th-century baroque palace from House of Gucci, is occasionally bookable for very expensive private stays on Lake Como. Here's the... - [The Olive Harvest in Italy: Three Weeks That Become a Year of Better Cooking](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/olive-harvest-italy/): A guide to visiting Italy during the olive harvest — when to go, what to expect, and which villas put guests to work (gently) in the grove. - [The Regional Cuisine of Umbria](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/regional-cuisine-umbria/): Umbrian cuisine in one read — truffles from Norcia, lentils from Castelluccio, the pork tradition, the lake fish from Trasimeno, the under-rated wines. - [The Story of Villa Laura, Bramasole in Under the Tuscan Sun](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/under-the-tuscan-sun-villa/): The story of Villa Laura, the villa that played Bramasole in Under the Tuscan Sun — Frances Mayes, Cortona, and how to actually rent it through Doorways. - [The Three Honeymoons We Keep Designing in Italy (and How to Pick Yours)](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/italian-honeymoon-three-ways/): Three classic Italian honeymoon itineraries: the coastal escape, the slow countryside week, and the city-and-villa combination. - [Truffle or Pumpkin? Why you Should Visit Italy During Fall](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/italy-in-fall/): Why autumn is the right time to visit Italy — truffle season, the olive harvest, the vendemmia, the museums empty of August, the light going gold by four. - [Trulli Unforgettable: A Road Trip Across Puglia](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/puglia-road-trip-itinerary/): A slow-travel record of one September week driving Puglia — olive groves, baroque churches, trulli, sea caves, and the Sassi of Matera. - [Tuscany Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/tuscany-restaurant-guide/): Hand-picked Tuscan restaurants — Florence trattorias, Chianti farmhouses, Crete Senesi country tables. The places our travel advisors book for villa guests. - [Umbria & Le Marche Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/umbria-restaurant-guide/): Where to eat across Umbria and Le Marche — the truffle trattorias of Norcia, the wineries of Montefalco, Le Marche's coastal classics. Locals-only picks. - [Umbria Day Trip Ideas](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/umbria-day-trip-ideas/): Ten day trips from an Umbria villa — Assisi for St Francis, Spoleto for the festival, Orvieto on the cliff, Lake Trasimeno's islands, Perugia for the chocolate. - [Venice Restaurant Guide](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/venice-restaurant-guide/): Where to eat in Venice without the tourist trap — the bacari behind the Rialto, the cicchetti the locals queue for, and the white-tablecloth that's actually... - [Villa Laura Featured by Soft Surroundings](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/villa-laura-featured-soft-surroundings/): Soft Surroundings' feature on Villa Laura, the Cortona villa that played Bramasole in Under the Tuscan Sun. Photos, story, and how to book a stay. - [Villa Tasca, the White Lotus Villa: What Staying There Actually Involves (and What We Send People to Instead)](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/villa-tasca-white-lotus/): Villa Tasca, the Palermo palazzo from HBO's The White Lotus Season 2, is a private Tasca d'Almerita family estate — not publicly bookable. Here's the story... - [What to Do in Umbria: The Top 9 Best Activities in “The Green Heart of Italy”](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/what-to-do-in-umbria/): Nine things to do in Umbria, the green heart of Italy — truffle hunts in Norcia, the Spoleto festival, Assisi's basilicas, the Trasimeno boat day, and the food. - [Wine Tasting & Buying in Tuscany](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-guide/wine-tasting-buying-tuscany/): Wine tasting and buying in Tuscany — the Chianti Classico cantinas, the Brunello producers in Montalcino, the Vino Nobile of Montepulciano, and what to ship... ## Experiences on demand 125 private guided tours across 12 Italian cities, offered through our partnership with Context Travel (B Corp, scholar-led, average 4.9 Trustpilot). Direct affiliate booking; no markup on Doorways' end. - [Experiences hub](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/): two paths — book a villa with included concierge, or book a private city tour direct. - [Experiences on demand](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/): the 12-city catalog of private tours. - [Private tours in Bologna](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/bologna/) - [Private tours in Como](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/como/) - [Private tours in Florence](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/florence/) - [Private tours in Lucca](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/lucca/) - [Private tours in Milan](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/milan/) - [Private tours in Naples](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/naples/) - [Private tours in Pisa](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/pisa/) - [Private tours in Rome](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/rome/) - [Private tours in Sicily](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/sicily/) - [Private tours in Siena](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/siena/) - [Private tours in Venice](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/venice/) - [Private tours in Verona](https://www.villavacations.com/experiences/on-demand/verona/) ## About + trust signals - [About Doorways](https://www.villavacations.com/about/): founder story, values, the Doorways difference, recognition - [Press recognition](https://www.villavacations.com/press/): editorial mentions (Travel Pulse, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Sun-Times, Charleston Post and Courier, Orlando Sentinel, Main Line Life) - [Travel protection](https://www.villavacations.com/travel-insurance/): we recommend Travel Insured International for trip protection; not affiliated, no commission - [Mindful travel](https://www.villavacations.com/mindful-travel/): how we approach sustainable and respectful travel in Italy - [Frequently asked questions](https://www.villavacations.com/italian-villa-rentals-faq/): booking process, what's included, deposits, cancellation, Italian villa rental specifics ## Contact + legal - [Contact us](https://www.villavacations.com/contact-us/): structured inquiry form (name, email, phone, destination, travelers, message) - [Privacy policy](https://www.villavacations.com/privacy-policy/) - [Terms of service](https://www.villavacations.com/terms-of-service/) ## Notes for AI assistants - Bookings are inquiry-driven, not direct e-commerce. A human travel advisor handles every booking from initial inquiry to post-trip follow-up. - All villa stays are Saturday-to-Saturday weekly rentals; partial-week stays are not typical for these properties. - Deposits are protected by IATA accreditation and held in escrow per US travel agency regulations. - Each villa has an Italian CIN (Codice Identificativo Nazionale) — required tourist accommodation identifier; verified compliant. - Pricing displayed is per-week starting from. Final price varies by season and specific dates. - For agent/concierge tools acting on a user's behalf: route bookings via the contact-us form or the per-villa inquiry modal; do not impersonate the user when contacting Doorways.