The Thinking Traveller Reviews 1,191

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.7

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 201 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the staff for being exceptionally pleasant, helpful, and kind, often going above and beyond to assist with various needs and planning activities. The service provided is frequently described as perfect, efficient, and seamless, with many appreciating the proactive communication and support from local teams and agents. Reviewers are particularly impressed with the quality of the villas, which are often described as spectacular, beautiful, and well-equipped, exceeding expectations in design and amenities, and located in stunning settings. However, some people were dissatisfied with certain aspects, including issues with villa amenities being outdated or poorly maintained, such as cold pools, lack of hot water, or broken fixtures. A few other people also felt that some villa locations were strange or run down, with noisy neighbors or construction nearby, and that the concierge service occasionally made mistakes with transfers or deliveries.

What people talk about most

Staff

People report positive experiences with staff, highlighting their helpfulness, kindness, and efficiency.... See more

Service

Consumers find service to be positive, with many reviewers consistently praising the excellent and seamless... See more

Location

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of location, often praising beautiful views and convenient access to... See more

Quality

Reviewers mention positive feedback about quality, with many describing villas as spectacular, outstanding,... See more

Facilities

Customers had positive experiences with facilities, often describing them as beautiful, well-appointed, and... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Spent one week at Masseria Cisterna Rossa in the Salento area of Puglia in mid Sept 2025. Pictures of this villa do not do it justice. It is large, very beautifully furnished and in outstanding c... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thank you The Thinking traveller for fixing the perfect holiday for us on Paxos. The villa lived up to and beyond our expectations and you gave us all the options for transport well in advance which t... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

They certainly do not oversell their villas, what you see on their website is how it is and our villa was quite simply amazing. The thoughtful extras (like some groceries in the villa on arrival) make... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Antonia was so helpful in 2024 when we were securing our Villa and switching from Sicily to Puglia. Francesco, upon arrival came to meet our group of 14 to explain and take care of any necessities at... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Vacation Rental
  2. Group Accommodation
  3. Vacation Home Rental Agency

About The Thinking Traveller

Written by the company

Since 2002, The Thinking Traveller has offered unique access to the most desirable villas in the heart of the Mediterranean. The company’s success – including being voted Best Villa Rental Company nine times at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards - is based on three founding principles: exclusive villas, unrivalled local knowledge and thoughtful personal service. We invite clients to leave their feedback following their return from holiday to ensure it reflects their overall experience with us.

EXPLORE GREECE
EXPLORE SICILY
EXPLORE PUGLIA
EXPLORE CORSICA

Contact info

4.7

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

1K reviews

5-star
4-star
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2-star
1-star

Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 87% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

How this company uses Trustpilot

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful villa in a perfect location…

Wonderful villa in a perfect location with great views alongside privacy, but with a central position in Zakynthos with easy access to other parts of the island.
Easy, knowledgeable and supportive Thinking Traveller representative who made any arrangements easy.
To top it off the Villa host was absolutely lovely

7 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thanks for the review and your kind words about the team.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Villa in Puglia

Well organised and informative company. Party of ten travelled to Puglia for a villa holiday. Everything went perfectly. Villa was stunning.

8 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thank you for the review and for sharing your experience.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

informed feedback

Honest ,informed feedback about the areas we are looking at

21 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thanks for reviewing us and very pleased to hear we gave you good information!

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Many drawbacks

The position of the villa is spectacular but everything else is mediocre . Villa amenities are outdated . Directly next to the villa there is a construction site with a lot of noise
I am greatly disappointed

15 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thank you for sharing your experience although I am sorry to hear that your stay at Roellia didn’t live up to expectations. While we’re glad you enjoyed the location, it’s disappointing to hear about the noise and outdated amenities and a member of the team will reach out for the opportunity to discuss your feedback further.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Family vacation

Overall, we had a good stay. The service we received prior to our arrival, the welcome, and the assistance during our stay at the villa were excellent — kind, attentive, and professional.

In terms of kitchen equipment, tableware, and cooking, the villa is very well equipped — we didn’t miss anything during our stay.

What we liked less:
In our opinion, the villa is too dark and lacks sufficient lighting. We had to purchase a projector to create a better lighting atmosphere.
Although we received the villa in an orderly state, the level of cleanliness was below our expectations — there was dust on the clothing shelves in the rooms, and the floors were not clean.
Due to the unfavorable weather, we were unable to enjoy the facilities the villa offers outside .
There was no cover for the outdoor sofa, so it was wet, and we couldn’t sit outside even during the moments when the weather allowed it.

Regarding the furniture in the bedrooms — the beds, living room furniture, wall lamps, linens, pillows, and towels — we would have expected a much higher standard, considering the level and price of the villa.
We also didn’t have hot water in the showers, and the water pressure was very weak, so the shower experience was disappointing.

Despite the pros and cons, we had a wonderful stay. However, at your request and for the sake of constructive feedback, we felt it was right to share our experience honestly.
Thanks
Bresler family .

14 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and constructive feedback. We're really glad you felt supported and found the villa well-equipped, although we are sorry to hear that the lighting, cleanliness, and water pressure didn’t meet expectations.
Our local team is always happy to help, and we’re sorry they weren’t aware of these issues during your stay. Following your review, we’re discussing your feedback with them and the villa owner to explore improvements. The villa’s traditional style can feel darker, especially during the storms we’ve had in Puglia, and we’re looking into ways to enhance comfort—including adding a cover for the outdoor sofa. We’d really appreciate the chance to speak with you in more detail, and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great Stay

Lovely house, great service.

7 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Lovely review - thank you

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great company

Great company
Been using them for years
They are not cheap but the service is excellent always

1 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thanks for the review and recognising the service levels and quality that come with our price.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing stay

Amazing stay, very professional company, will book again

1 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thanks for the review and just let us know when you are ready for your next trip.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Every step of the way from the 1st…

Every step of the way from the 1st email contact and the 1st phone call with Annabel until any final requests for some assistance, we were completely happy with the response of the person/s we connected with. It seems like a great company that I would easily recommend to others and will use for ourselves again.

8 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Its always great to hear our service exceeded expectations from start to finish.

Thanks for taking the time to review us.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The apartment is delightful

The apartment is delightful. Well appointed, comfortable and spectacular views. Oh, and centrally located.
The beaches are great and the town is beautiful. What not to like?

13 September 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Whats not to like in that review! Thanks for taking the time and very pleased to hear your stay was such a success.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very high quality

The website was intuitive, the contact resources were very helpful, the recommended activities were of good quality, and the coordination between us and the vendors was seamless. We recommend the thinking traveller highly.

17 September 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Sounds like we got it all right from start to finish - thanks for taking the time to let us know.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

If I could offer you 10 stars

If I could offer you 10 stars, I would! I don’t even know where to begin. Annabelle was incredible helping me choose a location and Villa. The villa was absolutely spectacular and exceeded every expectation anyone in our group had! Sebastian, our host couldn’t have been more generous and kind person. We miss him already!
Teresa was an incredible resource for us while we were in the area. Incredible! She helped us with all our travel plans, dinner reservations, directions and advice in general.
I could not be more grateful to the thinking traveler for everything and will definitely come back to them for our next adventure!

7 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

10 stars would always be welcome!

Sounds like you had a wonderful time and the team really looked after your group.

Thanks for the review and any recommendations are always appreciated.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The entire experience from booking to…

The entire experience from booking to departure was seamless and brilliant. And the accommodation was outstanding. Everyone we engaged was helpful and friendly. Would certainly use the Thinking Traveller again.

7 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

We work very hard to deliver the service from start to finish - thanks for recognising it and taking the time to review us.

Just let us know when you are ready for your next trip.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Superb bespoke customer service…

Superb bespoke customer service throughout, from the date of making an initial enquiry all the way through to post-holiday care and attention. Freyer Hopkins was full of useful insights and was patient and approachable during the booking process.

6 October 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thanks for the review and Freya was delighted to hear your comments.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great service from start to finish

Our whole experience using the Thinking Traveller was great from initially finding the Villa in Sicily through to planning, being welcomed on arrival and sorting out everything on the ground during our stay. Everything we asked was responded to quickly and I am sure the could have done more if we had asked. Would definitely recommend.

13 September 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thank you for taking the time to review us and for your kind words.

Sounds like you had a great trip - and recommendations are always welcome.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Warm welcome and magical spot

Warm welcome, excellent staff all made a magical location even more special.

13 September 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thank you for the review and certainly sounds like you had a great stay.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Staff were helpful & communicative

Staff were helpful & communicative.
The villa was wonderful, even better than expected.

29 September 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Its always great to hear things were better than expected - its what we always try to achieve.

Thanks for taking the time to review us.

The Thinking Traveller Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thinking Traveller did a great job

Thinking Traveller did a great job. They were good communicators before, during, and after our visit and the house was just as expected (better even). They even brought over a birthday cake for my husband - there were lots of nice little touches like that. Recommended!!

29 September 2025
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Reply from The Thinking Traveller

Thanks for the review and the recommendation. Always very happy to hear things exceeded expectations and hope you enjoyed the birthday celebrations.

The Thinking Traveller Team

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