Ask anyone who has stayed in a staffed villa what they remember, and it is rarely the marble. It is the food — breakfast appearing on the terrace while the children are still in the pool, a long lunch nobody had to shop for, dinner cooked from that morning’s market. A private chef is the single upgrade that changes a villa holiday most, and it is also the one most people misunderstand. This guide explains how it actually works, what it costs, where it is included, and how to get it right — booked direct, with no platform fees.
How a private chef actually works
There is no single model, and the differences matter.
Included in the villa. On some homes — particularly in Thailand and parts of the Caribbean — a chef is part of the standard staffing, along with a villa manager and housekeeping. You pay for the groceries, and the cooking is simply part of the house.
Available on request. The most common arrangement: the villa has a chef it works with, and you engage them for the days you want. Some groups take a chef every day; many take breakfast daily and dinner three or four nights, and go out for the rest.
Brought in by the concierge. Where a villa has no chef of its own, we arrange one — which also lets us match a chef to your group. A chef who is superb with a table of adults is not always the right choice for a villa with three children under six.
What it costs — honestly
This varies more by region than by anything else, and it is worth being direct about it.
Thailand is in a category of its own: a chef is very often included in the villa’s standard staffing at no additional charge beyond food. This is not a promotion — it is simply how the market works there, and it is the main reason Thai villas represent the best value in the world.
The Caribbean and Mexico typically price a chef as a daily rate plus groceries. For a group of eight, a chef-cooked dinner at the villa is very often cheaper than the same meal in a good restaurant — before you count the taxis, the babysitter, and the fact that nobody had to get anyone dressed.
The Alps usually bundle a chalet host and chef into a catered chalet package, with breakfast, afternoon tea, and dinner on most nights included in the price.
We give you the exact figure for each home before you book. No estimates, no surprises.
Where a chef is usually included
Thailand — the best value anywhere
At the upper end of the Thai market, a villa manager, daily housekeeping, and a private chef cooking both Thai and Western menus are standard rather than an extra. In Phuket and Koh Samui, that means a fully staffed beachfront estate with a chef costs a fraction of its Caribbean equivalent. If a chef is central to the trip you want, Thailand is where your budget goes furthest by a wide margin.
The Caribbean — chefs, and produce worth cooking
Housekeeping is standard on most homes, and chefs are widely available. It is also where the argument for a chef is strongest: in St Barts and Anguilla the best restaurants are booked weeks ahead in high season and cost accordingly, and the seafood is exceptional. St Martin — with Grand Case, the culinary capital of the Caribbean, on its doorstep — is the one place we would tell you to eat out more, not less.
Mexico — markets, and outstanding value
In Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Punta Mita, and Tulum, many villas include a cook as part of the standard staffing, and a full private chef is inexpensive by international standards. The markets are superb, and a chef who shops them will feed you better than almost any restaurant — this is one of the genuine pleasures of a Mexican villa.
Greece and the Alps
In Greece — Mykonos especially — chefs are available on most staffed villas, and worth taking in August, when the best tables vanish. In the Alps, a chalet host and chef are usually bundled into a catered package, which after a day on the mountain is exactly what you want.
Getting it right: what to tell us
The difference between a good chef experience and a great one is almost entirely in the briefing. Tell us:
Who is eating. Ages matter. A chef cooking for four adults plans a completely different week from one feeding two toddlers, a fussy nine-year-old, and six grown-ups.
Allergies and diets — in detail, and in advance. This is not a formality; it shapes the shopping.
How you actually want to eat. Some groups want three courses every night. Most want breakfast every day, a few big dinners, and the freedom to go out. Say so, and the chef will build around it.
Whether you want to be involved. Many chefs will take you to the market, run a cooking class, or teach the children to make something. On a rainy day, this is worth more than any excursion.
The case for it, in one line
On a villa holiday, the meals are where the days actually happen. A chef removes the shopping, the cooking, the washing up, and the nightly negotiation about where to eat with eight people and a toddler — and replaces them with the best food of the trip, eaten on your own terrace. For most groups, it is the best money spent on the entire holiday.
Book a villa with a chef — direct
Every villa is booked directly with us, with no platform fees. Tell us your dates, your group, and how you want to eat — and we will confirm exactly which homes include a chef, what the ones that do not would cost, and match you to a chef who suits your table. Start with Thailand for the best value, the Caribbean for the seafood, or ask us and we will tell you honestly where your budget goes furthest.
Frequently asked questions
Can you arrange a private chef for my villa?
Yes — on almost every home in our collection. On some, particularly in Thailand, a chef is already part of the standard staffing. On others we arrange one and match them to your group.
Is a private chef included in the villa price?
Sometimes. In Thailand it very often is. In the Caribbean and Mexico a chef is usually a daily rate plus groceries. In the Alps, a chef is typically bundled into a catered chalet package. We confirm the exact position for every villa before you book.
How much does a private chef cost?
It depends on the destination. Thailand is by far the best value — often included. Elsewhere, a chef-cooked dinner for a group of eight is frequently cheaper than the same meal in a good restaurant.
Do I have to use the chef every day?
No. Most groups take breakfast daily and dinner a few nights a week, and eat out the rest. You choose.
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