10 of the coolest party villas

The pad: Sleeps 10 in five bedrooms.

The location: Joá, Rio’s smartest suburb, home to Joatinga, the city’s most exclusive beach.

The party hotspots: The Baretto-Londra Bar at the Fasano hotel for pre-nightclub cocktails on Ipanema. Follow up with dancing at VIP dance club Miroir for an international line-up and top Brazilian DJs.

The wow factor: You’re in a five-storey, glass-walled villa with eye-popping views of the deep blue South Atlantic.

The lowdown: Poised on the edge of a mountain, with a winding stone path and living wall of tropical plants, this place feels like a jungle paradise. There’s a secluded spa pool the size of a swimming pool, a waterfall and an expansive terrace. Inside there are soaring wooden ceilings, designer lighting, polished concrete floors and décor in a palette of muted silver and browns. Restored by a Canadian fashion designer, this place is achingly cool but still homely, furnished with the kind of detailing often missing from rental villas. Relax in the giant modern Chesterfield in front of a log-stacked, riveted steel fireplace. Or fire up the barbecue and open the bar. Your guests won’t want to leave any time soon.

How to visit: Combine a stay with seven days discovering Brazil on a superyacht.

From $5,000 per day

The pad: Sleeps 10 in five bedrooms.

The location: A private island off Ibiza’s northeast coast.

The party hotspots: This island is the party.

The wow factor: A private party playground all to yourself, plus access to a helicopter and yacht.

The lowdown: This lavish pad on a rocky outcrop costs $700 an hour in high season, but for that you get 98 acres surrounded by sparkling waters, just five minutes by boat or helicopter from the coast of Ibiza. It’s the ideal crash pad for privacy-focused business types and A-list celebs, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Ronnie Wood. Sporty guests can explore the diving – you might spot barracudas or sharks. Sybarites will soak away the night’s excesses in the outdoor whirlpool.

How to visit: Why not step on shore for a couple of days while exploring the Balearics by superyacht?

From $160,000 per week

The pad: Sleeps 10 in five bedrooms.

The location: Overlooking the bay at Agios Lazaros, close to Psarou beach — one of the best beaches in the Mediterranean.

The party hotspots: Dance lovers should head to the gorgeous out-of-town Paradise Club for a line-up of blue-chip DJs, from David Guetta to Roger Sanchez. Try Buddha Bar Beach for a late dinner with a DJ backbeat, or the sunset parties at Scorpios.

The wow factor: With plenty of lounge spaces, this is great for entertaining.

The lowdown: Sprawl on the terrace for panoramic views, then dive into the large pergola-covered dining area for a barbecue backed by the sound system. There’s a shaded bar for cocktails. Inside, hit the ping-pong table or fitness room. If you have to go out, there are 10 beaches within a short drive – and you’re only three miles from the heart of town.

$2,476 to $5,777 per night

The pad: Sleeps 38 in 11 apartments.

The location: Giudecca, an island in the Venetian lagoon, opposite St Mark’s Square.

The party hotspots: Head to the tiny dance floor at Piccolo Mondo, Venice’s oldest, most famous club, where Peggy Guggenheim and her cohort of famous artists came to party. For a younger, euphoric energy try the Lido’s Aurora Beach Club or, for a more traditional vibe, the Venice Jazz Club serves up covers of legends such as Duke Ellington and Miles Davis by local musicians.

The wow factor: This 16th century villa has uninterrupted views of St Mark’s Square.

The lowdown: Sometimes referred to as the Soho of Venice, Giudecca is known for attracting artists, writers and intellectuals, who flocked to this residence in its former incarnation as Casa Frollo. Now fully restored to its former glory by Francesca Bortolotto Possati, owner of the Bauer Palladio Hotel & Spa, you can rent the whole villa, or just one of the loft-like apartments, where you’ll be surrounded by antiques, lavish Venetian fabrics and a three-acre garden. And if you feel like throwing a lunch or cocktail party, the villa is fully serviced by staff from the Bauer Hotel.

$63,600 a night for the entire villa, or $1,388 to $9,023 per night for each apartment

The pad: Sleeps 84, in 42 bedrooms and suites.

The location: A four-hectare landscaped estate in the bay of St Tropez.

The party hotspots: As one of the best party destinations in the Mediterranean there is no shortage of options in St Tropez. Groove with the A-list at Les Caves du Roy or, for unbridled decadence, head to Papagayo, which has St Tropez’s loveliest terrace, or Karl Lagerfeld’s favourite, the sophisticated restaurant-meets-nightclub VIP Room.

The wow factor: A sweeping ballroom just made for glittering events.

The lowdown: In its heyday, a favourite hotel of Colette and F Scott Fitzgerald; now, the largest private villa rental on the Riviera. Your guests will want for nothing. There’s even a sexy new private beach club using Toyo Ito’s magical 2002 Summer Pavilion from London’s Serpentine Gallery. Club 55 may well have met its match.

From $79,000 per day

The pad: Sleeps 10 in five bedrooms.

The location: It’s set in the north of the island, close to Marigot, a tranquil nature reserve ideal for snorkelling.

The party hotspots: La Guérite, which opened last December, is the happening spot – the volume goes up after dinner and it parties till 4am. Le Ti now stays open until 6am on weekends and Gustavia harbour hosts the best New Year’s Eve parties.

The wow factor: A magical contemporary design using natural, earthy materials.

The lowdown: A great villa for entertaining, with large open living and dining areas bringing you up close to nature, but with plenty of five-star services, including a 21 metre infinity pool, a daily housekeeper and concierge service to organise your nights out.

From $12,400 a night

The pad: Sleeps 10 in five bedrooms.

The location: Seminyak Beach.

The party hotspots: The villa is just a few minutes’ walk from Bali’s long-standing favourite, Ku De Ta. Other local hotspots include the WooBar at the W hotel and, for late-night cocktails, try Potato Head Beach Club, Hu’u Bar or the Mint Club.

The wow factor: This is Seminyak’s only beachfront villa, and you can watch the famous sunsets as Marilyn Monroe flirts with you from the 20 metre pool, where her image is recreated in a Bisazza tile mosaic.

The lowdown: The retro styling from Melanie Hall, the interior designer owner who has worked with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, is quite a departure from the typical Balinese look. It just screams party. And guests can enjoy round-the-clock service from the villa’s 20 staff, including spa therapists, a chauffeur and chef.

$2,500 a night

The pad: Sleeps 12 in five bedrooms.

The location: A commanding cliff-top overlooking the Adriatic, facing Dubrovnik’s famous fortress walls.

The party hotspots: Dubrovnik’s Restaurant 360° is 200 metres away and near by are two of Croatia’s most popular nightclubs: Revelin and Banje Beach. The wow factor: Three art-filled floors spread over 4,200 square metres, soaring ceilings and acres of terraces with cinematic views.

The lowdown: The villa was built in the 1920s by a Lithuanian entrepreneur fleeing Russia’s October Revolution, for his mistress, whom he nicknamed Sheherezade. This white-stone seafront palace is where Liz Taylor and Richard Burton stayed while shooting a movie in Dubrovnik. If you too are looking for a private escape, this villa is a good bet. A full staff keeps the cocktails flowing and superyachts can anchor in front of the villa, where guests can tender in. And for overspill guests there’s the equally lavish Villa Bellavista 200 metres away as both properties form part of the five-star hotel complex Hotel Alhambra & Villa Augusta.

How to visit: Bookend your luxury yacht charter in Croatia with a couple of nights at this incredible party hotspot.

From $8,170 a night

The pad: Sleeps 12 in six bedrooms.

The location: Miami Beach.

The party hotspots: For an epic party try Story, a house music palace with top DJ talent, or sister club Liv in the legendary Fontainebleau. For a more intimate night, Wall Lounge at W South Beach is a sultry party venue with plenty of VIP tables.

The wow factor: It’s sleek and chic and you’re right on the waterfront.

The lowdown: Offering a contemporary spin on Miami’s art deco aesthetic, this is a sprawling living space with multiple terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows that maximise the waterfront location. Think a Hockney pool painting with the infinity pool melting into the bay horizon. The interiors are eye-catching too, being full of one-of-a kind designer pieces and an impressive collection of art.

$3,800 to $13,100 per night

The pad: Sleeps 12 in six bedrooms.

The location: Monte Carlo, on the same promontory as the Monte-Carlo Beach hotel and surrounded by its own park.

The party hotspots: Boogie at Jimmy’z, play blackjack at the Café de Paris and wind up in your own spa pool overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean.

The wow factor: The views from this Côte d’Azur villa are out of this world.

The lowdown: Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld lived here for a decade and you can follow suit – at least for a week, or even a month. The look is Riviera fantasy with acres of terraces, a monumental entrance hall and Scarlett O’ Hara staircase. Guests can retire to the library or billiard room for après dinner relaxation, or drink in the views on the vast terraces. The villa’s private road and on-site security guard ensure absolute privacy.

From $53,000 per week