Press Accolades | Think Sicily

What the press says about Think Sicily

What the press says about Sicily

Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Awards 2012


Think Sicily has once again been recognised as one of the top villa rental companies in the world at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards. This year we scored top marks for range of villas and were best for villa facilities.

September 2011/September 2012

The Magic of the Mediterranean


Don Arcangelo all'Olmo, Crossing the Rock, Palazzo Hedoné, Acquamarina, Profondo Blu and Villa Tasca all took a starring role in Departures' feature on the Mediterranean!

October 2012

Palermo revealed


A long avenue of palms leads to Villa Tasca, Palermo's largest and most private residence... Here one can now stay in 18th-century comfort as Wagner did... Comfort is key to life at Villa Tasca.

September 2012

How to Book a Villa


When Forbes put toghether their guide to renting a villa, who did they ask for specialist, insider advice? Huw and Rossella Beaugié, the founders of Think Sicily and Think Puglia, of course!

August 2012

Guide to renting a villa: La Favorita


"We got in touch with Think Sicily... all seven of us look back on it as one of our favorite trips ever... Would we have changed a thing? Honestly, no."

March 2012

The best private villa experts


Property gurus with impeccable taste will help you find the holiday hangout of your dreams... Great service and personal knowledge of the regions.

January 2012

Best in the World: Readers' Awards 2011


Best welcome: Think Sicily... We were greeted in the best way possible, with a bottle of prosecco, local red wine and a picnic of cold meats and olives.

January 2012

Best Villa Rental Agencies


"Think Sicily - Best for: exclusives, regional expertise... The group’s listings are pure fantasy, and Think Sicily’s strict standards ensure every villa is up to snuff... Standout: Don Arcangelo all’Olmo..."

April 2010

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For client reviews of Think Sicily and its services, click here!

 Awards


Condé Nast Readers’ Awards, Best Villa Company 2012 - Runner Up

Condé Nast Readers’ Awards, Best Villa Company 2011 - Winner

Sunday Times Travel Readers’ Awards - Top 3 + Best Welcome for a Villa Company 2011

Harper’s Bazaar Best Private Villa Experts 2011 - Top 10

TRAVEL + LEISURE Best Villa Rental Agencies, April 2010

View all our villas >>

  • 2013

    HOUSE AND GARDEN
    Culture for bambini (March)

  • TRAVEL + LEISURE
    40 All-Star Agencies (March)

  • LE FIGARO
    Coup de Coeur (15th March)

  • REISEN EXCLUSIV
    Auf Wagners Spuren in Palermo (15th March)

  • CONDE NAST TRAVELLER
    Villas 2013 - Crossing the Rock (March)

  • FOOD & TRAVEL
    World Party - Rocca delle Tre Contrade (March)

  • THE SUNDAY TIMES
    Etna ate my daughter - Pietra Nera (10th March)

  • THE WEEK
    Pasta and Palaces in Palermo (2nd March)

  • FINANCIAL TIMES
    A taste of Sicilian high society - Villa Tasca (February)

  • ELLE DECOR
    L'Eclisse (February)

  • STYLIST
    Holiday homes for foodies (January)

  • THE SUNDAY TIMES
    50 Sensational Villas - Acquamarina (January)

  • THE SUNDAY TIMES
    50 best villas in Europe - Zu Nillu (12th January)

  • 2012

    THE SUNDAY TIMES
    The Agents' Choice (December)

  • NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER
    Sicily discovered - Villa San Tommaso and Casa di Pietra (December)

  • FT - HOW TO SPENT IT
    The Aesthete (October)

  • DEPARTURES
    Four ways to do Sicily - 6 Think Sicily villas! (October)

  • CENTURION
    Palermo Revealed - Villa Tasca (September)

  • Forbes
    How to Book a Villa (August)

  • Waitrose Kitchen
    Just dive in - Corte del Sole (August)

  • The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
    Ask the locals - Huw and Rossella (April)

  • AD Germany
    Aus Tuffstein Gehauen - Zu Nillu (March)

  • EASY LIVING
    Party pad in Sicily - Don Arcangelo all'Olmo (March)

  • TRAVEL+LEISURE
    Guide to renting a villa in Sicily - La Favorita (March)

  • The Guardian
    Zu Nillu - Set in Stone (4 February)

  • 2011

    Harper's Bazaar
    The best private villa experts (Jan 2012)

  • The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
    Readers' Awards 2011, Best welcome: Think Sicily (Jan 2012)

  • FT How to Spend It
    The smooth guide: Syracuse, featuring Archimede (October)

  • Harper's Bazaar
    The perfect weekend: Palazzo Hedoné (October)

  • The Daily Telegraph
    Ask the expert (9 Oct.)

  • Condé Nast Traveller
    Readers' Awards 2011: Think Sicily Best Villa Company (September)

  • The Sunday Times
    Travel Planner 2011-2012, featuring Casa di Pietra (25 September)

  • Condé Nast Traveller
    The Aeolian Islands feat. Belquis House (August)

  • The Financial Times
    Secret Islands: Favignana, feat. Zu Nillu (31 Jul.)

  • BA High Life
    The 25 best island holidays in the Med, feat. Casa delle Sirene (July)

  • The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
    La Casa Nostra: the pick of villas in Italy, feat. Crossing the Rock (May)

  • The Daily Telegraph
    An expert's view of Sicily (7 May)

  • The Sunday Times
    Nope, still noone here, feat. I Lentischi (17 April)

  • The Times
    There's more to these villas than great pool, feat. Palazzo Hedoné (2 April)

  • The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
    The great European villa hunt, feat. Le Corti di Cannamara  (11 March)

  • The Daily Telegraph
    Sicily: a new dawn (8 Jan.)

  • 2010

    BA High Life
    The best places to rent, featuring L'Olivastro (Dec.)

  • The Times
    Last-minute sun for half-term, featuring our villas in Cefalú (25 Sept.)

  • Marie Clare
    Balade Baroque à la pointe de l'ile (September)

  • The Times
    Superstar appeal of Sicily's Pantelleria Island, featuring Dammuso Roccavento (21 August)

  • The Sunday Times
    September sun, the perfect month for the Med, feat. Al Jafar (8 Aug)

  • The Independent
    School holiday special, feat. Il Gabbiano (25 July)

  • Daily Mail Online
    Finding a feast in Sicily, feat. Principato (22 July)

  • The Guardian
    Winning the green vote on Filicudi, feat. Belquis House (25 June)

  • The Times
    The 20 best villas by the sea, feat. Il Gabbiano (12 June)

  • Gioia
    The top villa rentals in Italy, feat. Casa delle Sirene (14 May)

  • Travel + Leisure
    17 All-Star Villa Agencies, feat. Think Sicily (April)

  • Daily Mail Online
    15 fabulous family holidays: best beach house, feat. Villa Principe di Lumia (20 March)

  • The Times
    Top 50 child-free holidays, feat. Poggio Pigio (6 March)

  • Condé Nast Traveller
    Best beach villas in the world, feat. Al Plemmirio (February)

  • The Times
    The best out-of-season European breaks, feat. La Corte (31 January)

  • The Daily Telegraph
    Beach holidays, an insider's guide to Italy, feat. Baia de Turchi et al (25 January)

  • 2009

    Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Awards, Sicily voted best destination, Think Sicily in Top 10 (September)

  • The Daily Telegraph
    Mount Etna, where to watch the fireworks, feat. Don Arcangelo all'Olmo, Il Palmento dei Castagni and Badia (5 September)

  • The Guardian
    Autumn in the Med, feat. La Mora (23 August)

  • The Independent
    Travel Challenge, feat. La Riva (23 July)

  • Food and Travel
    Gourmet Traveller's Guide to Palermo arranged by  Think Sicily (June)

  • SAS in-flight magazine
    Feat. Baia dei Turchi (May)

  • FOCUS
    Think Sicily: Specialistes des vacances de reve en Sicilie (May-June)

  • Le Figaro
    Val di Noto: Petite fugue en Baroque majeur, feat. Archimede (April)

  • Dove
    11 Think Sicily properties featured in Italy's premiere travel magazine (March)

  • The Daily Telegraph
    Salina: the great Slow Food caper, feat. Think Sicily (9 March)

  • The Daily Telegraph
    Italy: an insider's guide, feat. Think Sicily (22 Feb.)

  • The Guardian
    Mum, can we move here? feat. La Mora (21 Feb.)

  • 2008

    Daily Mail Online
    In a precious setting, feat. Villa Principe di Lumia (19 November)

  • Condé Nast Traveller
    The Best of Sicily, feat. Think Sicily and Don Arcangelo all'Olmo as "the best villa" (August)

  • Time Out
    City confidential: Catania, feat. Il Palmento dei Castagni (31 July)

  • Atmospheres
    Dejeuner en un jardin sicilien, feat. Don Arcangelo all'Olmo (July-August)

  • The Guardian
    Shine on, feat. Orata (9 August)

  • Interni
    Flavours of Sicily, feat. I Lentischi (May)

  • The Guardian
    Glamorous romantic getaways, feat. Think Sicily (19 January)

  • 2007

    Condé Nast Traveller
    Readers' Awards 2007: Think Sicily has best on-the-ground support of any villa company(Sept.)

  • The Observer
    Letter of the week, feat. Think Sicily (September)

  • The Guardian
    Best for families, feat. Think Sicily (28 April)

  • The Guardian
    Flying visit to Sicily, feat. Think Sicily (24 March)

  • 2006

    Condé Nast Traveller
    The 30 Best Mediterranean Villas, feat. 6 Think Sicily properties, including Don Arcangelo all'Olmo (April)

  • Grazia
    Palermo, feat. Think Sicily (3 April)

  • Psychologies
    Holiday advice letter, recommending Villa Saracena (March)

  • The Sunday Times
    Keep it simple, feat. Aphrodite (22 January)

  • 2005

    Wedding Now
    The Aeolian Islands, feat. Think Sicily (Oct.-Nov.)

  • You and Your Wedding
    Sicily, feat. Think Sicily (Oct.-Nov.)

  • BBC's Olive Magazine
    Food scene, Palermo, feat. Think Sciily (October)

  • The Daily Telegraph
    Last-minute getaways, feat. Al Castello di Carini (23 September)

  • The Observer
    Fast track to the slow life, feat. Villa San Tommaso (11 September)

  • Le Figaro
    Chambres avec vue, feat. Don Arcangelo all'Olmo (3 September)

  • Tatler
    Know your way around the Aeolian Islands, feat. Think Sicily (September)

  • The SundayTelegraph
    N.B. New Boutique, feat. Think Sicily (Summer)

  • The Guardian
    The other side of paradise, feat. Think Sicily (23 July)

  • BBC Good Food
    Wineries and farm stays, feat. Think Sicily (July)

  • Marie Claire
    Book now, feat. Villa Armerina (May)

  • The Observer
    Cinema Paradiso, starring Think Sicily (24 April)

  • The Week
    A villa with a view, feat. Don Arcangelo all'Olmo (26 March)

  • The Sunday Times
    The fashionable people, feat. Think Sicily (9 Jan.)

  • The Independent
    The 5 best luxury hideaways, feat. Think Sicily (8 January)


Culture for Bambini

"Thoughtful villa-holiday specialist Think Sicily offers a roster of creative workshops hosted by experts for young guests... a half-day spent discovering the playful stuccos on Palermo's churches..."

Read More

April 2013

Think Experiences

40 All-Star Agencies

"Think Sicily: the London-based company's entire porfolio of more than 120 properties in Sicily and Puglia - set along the sea, in the countryside, and in town - is privately contracted."

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March 2013

Villas in Sicily

Coup de coeur

"De la villa épurée au palais,luxueux, Think Sicily propose à la location un grand choix d'adresses haut de gamme, remarquables par leur situation et les services offerts. A louer en couple ou en tribu."

Read More

15th March 2013

Think Sicily villas

Auf Wagners Spuren in Palermo

"Abseits des Trubels und dennoch unweit der Altstadt von Palermo, heißt Villa Tasca Gäste willkommen, die gleichermaßen Inspiration und Schönheit..."

Read More

March 2013

Villa Tasca

Villas 2013

"Right on the seafront, Crossing the Rock exudes old-fashioned glamour, from the elegant salons with crisp white drapes, to the understated bedrooms, luxuriously cool in shades of sand and coffee."

Read More

March 2013

Crossing the Rock
Rocca delle Tre Contrade in Food and Travel, March 2013

World Party

"Light rooms mix terraces and balconies with sumptuous bathrooms of local marble and lava stone... surpassed only by the L-shaped infinity pool... perhaps the most spectacular in Sicily."

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February-March 2013

Rocca delle Tre Contrade

Pasta and Palaces...

"Two noble Sicilian families are offering visitors a taste of the high life in Palermo...Think Sicily offers a week at Villa Tasca sleeping up to eight and a full-day cooking course with the Duchess of Palma."

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March 2013

Villa Tasca

Etna Ate My Daughter

... Well not quite! Find out all about John-Paul Flintoff's experiences on mighty Mount Etna, while staying at our panoramic villa Pietra Nera, complete with pool and Jacuzzi.

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10th March 2013

Pietra Nera

L'Eclisse in Elle Decor

A ten-page spread on our villa L'Eclisse and how the owners decided to leave their lives behind, build a superb villa and set up home near Noto.

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February 2013

L'Eclisse

A taste of Sicilian high society

"We were staying in Villa Tasca, an imposing mansion on the outskirts of Palermo... We could not have had a better base than Villa Tasca with its extensive, exotic gardens."

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16th February 2013

Villa Tasca

50 Sensational Villas

"Europe's finest properties: dreaming of a barefoot summer? Acquamarina is the place for it, set above a beach on 37 acres of private nature reserve. Well-furnished, shaded terraces abound."

Read More

27th January 2013

Acquamarina
Casa di Pietra in Stylist Magazine, January 2013

Holiday homes for foodies

"With its outdoor kitchen and dining area, at Casa di Pietra the chef needn't miss a second of those long al fresco lunches..."

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23rd January 2013

Casa di Pietra

50 best villas in Europe

The Times' round-up of the 50 best beach villas in Europe included our very own Zu Nillu, the only house above Favignana's dreamy Cala Rossa.

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February 2013

Zu Nillu

Europe's Finest Villas

The agents' choice: Huw and Rossella, founders of The Thinking Traveller, are asked about their choice of villa for a relaxing holiday away from it all.

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December 2012

Acquamarina

The Aesthete

Angelika Taschen, doyenne of international publishing is asked about her favourite things, including websites... one of which is ThinkSicily.com!

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December 2012

ThinkSicily.com

Four ways to do Sicily

Don Arcangelo all'Olmo, Crossing the Rock, Palazzo Hedoné, Acquamarina, Profondo Blu and Villa Tasca all took a starring role in Departures' feature on the Mediterranean!

Read More

October 2012

Villas in Sicily

Sicily discovered

In its 5-page spread on Sicily in October 2012, National Geographic Traveller recommended two of Think Sicily's villas: Villa San Tommaso and Casa di Pietra!

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October 2012

Villa San Tommaso
Villa Tasca in Centurion Magazine, September 2012

Palermo Revealed

"A long avenue of palms leads to Villa Tasca, Palermo's largest and most private residence, within a four-hectare garden. Comfort is key to life at Villa Tasca."

Read More

September 2012

Villa Tasca

How to Book a Villa

Who did Forbes contact for information for their 'How to Book a Villa' Guide? Huw and Rossella Beaugié, founders of Think Sicily and Think Puglia, of course!

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August 2012

Villas in Sicily

Just dive in!

Waitrose Kitchen's guide to what to eat and where to stay in Sicily featured some great food, some of our favourite restaurants and a super villa: our very own Corte del Sole"

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August 2012

Corte del Sole

Ask the locals! Huw and Rossella on Sicily

"Sicily has hundreds of towns, archaeological sites and beaches... if you fancy a light lunch, Sicilian-style, try a brioche con gelato - ice-cream in a bun."

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April 2012

Villas in Sicily

Sicily: the best places to stay

Casa di Pietra... Casa alla Sirene... Don Arcangelo all'Olmo... La Pergola... Brezza di Mare...
5 Think Sicily villas featured!

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31 March 2012

Villas in Sicily

Aus Tuffstein Gehauen... Zu Nillu!

"Manche Resorts versuchen mit Theatralik herauszustechen. Die Villa Zu Nillu auf der Ägadischen Insel Favignana hat solche Überinszenierung..."

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March 2012

Zu Nillu

Party Pad in Sicily!


"Heated outdoor pool... Gardens bloom with bougainvillea and fragrant wisteria... views of the sea, Mount Etna, the gardens and lemon groves."

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March 2012

Don Arcagnelo all'Olmo

Guide to renting a villa in Sicily - La Favorita

"We got in touch with Think Sicily... all seven of us look back on it as one of our favorite trips ever... Would we have changed a thing? Honestly, no."

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March 2012

La Favorita

The Guardian: Set in Stone - Zu Nillu

"Now a gorgeous rambling seaside villa, Zu Nillu, built into a disused Roman tufa quarry that has been turned into a spectacular garden... (with a) fabulous pool..."

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4th February 2012

Zu Nillu

40 Coolest villas in the Med

"This spacious hunting lodge... retains plenty of aristocratic flourishes, from the grand cypress-flanked driveway to the family coat of arms on the facade."

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4th February 2012

Villa Armerina

The best private villa experts

"Property gurus with impeccable taste will help you find the holiday hangout of your dreams... Great service and personal knowledge of the regions..."

Read More

January 2012

Villas in Sicily

Readers' Awards 2011: Best in the World

"Best welcome: Think Sicily... We were greeted in the best way possible, with a bottle of prosecco, local red wine and a picnic of cold meats and olives."

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January 2012

Villas in Sicily

The smooth guide: Syracuse

"A good long-stay apartment in Ortigia is Archimede, a sea-front property with panoramic terrace, rented out by Sicily specialist Think Sicily."

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5 November 2011

Villas near Syracuse

Bazaar's perfect weekend

"Late-summer sun... Palazzo Hedoné is a characterful stone mansion with a quirky collection of garden terraces zigzagging up the rock face..."

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October 2011

Palazzo Hedoné

Ask the expert


"Think Sicily offers more than 90 exclusively handled properties around the island, including some large properties in the north-west of the island."

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9th October 2011

Villas in Sicily

Think Sicily Wins Readers' Award

"After years of ranking in the Top 10, in 2011, readers of Condé Nast Traveller voted Think Sicily their Favourite Villa Rental Company in the world."

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Seprember 2011

Villas in Sicily

The Aeolian Islands and Belquis House

"A lacy white hammock swaying gently between wooden posts, thick woven-grass mattresses laid out on a raised terrace, and an air of serenity..."

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August 2011

Aeolian Island villas

The 25 best island holidays in the Med

"Sicily is home to long stretches of white-sand beaches... Where to stay: Casa delle Sirene, a villa right on the beach sleeping four through Think Sicily."

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July 2011

Casa delle Sirene

Secret Islands: Zu Nillu on Favignana

"Stay for a week at Zu Nillu, a villa that sits alone on the rocks above Cala Rossa... One of the most unusual villas anywhere in the Med."

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31st August 2011

Zu Nillu