Guest FAQ
Questions, answered
The service
Using the service
What exactly do you do?
I arrange every service a villa holiday can need: private chefs, fridge stocking before you land, airport transfers, boat trips, tours, babysitting equipment, extra housekeeping, celebration set-ups, and the requests that do not fit any category. You tell me what you are trying to make happen, and I come back with a plan and a price.
Do I have to be staying at a particular villa?
No. I work with guests at any villa in the western Algarve. Partner villas get priority in the busiest weeks, but if you are staying anywhere between Lagos and Sagres, just ask.
Is it really just one person?
Yes. You deal with me, Mark, from first message to final arrangement. Behind me sits a network of local suppliers I have met, vetted and use for my own villa's guests. That is the whole point of the service: one person to ask, and one person accountable when it matters.
Can I message you at any time?
Send a WhatsApp whenever it suits you, day or night. I reply personally, usually within a couple of hours between 8am and 8pm UK time, and anything urgent from guests already on holiday goes to the front of the queue. If you message overnight, you will hear from me first thing.
What areas do you cover?
Praia da Luz and Lagos are home turf. Beyond that I cover the western Algarve from Alvor out to Sagres, and inland when the right request calls for it.
The honest bit
Money
What does it cost me?
Asking costs nothing and quotes are free, with no obligation. Most requests carry no fee from me at all. Where a request needs real coordination time, a coordination fee applies, and it is always shown in the quote before you commit to anything.
So how do you make money?
Two ways, both in the open. Suppliers pay me a commission on the bookings I bring them, which is a normal trade arrangement and does not change the price you pay. And where a coordination fee applies to a complex request, it is stated plainly in your quote. What I never do is hide a markup inside a price and present it as the supplier's.
Do I pay you or the supplier?
Usually the supplier, directly. Your quote always says exactly who to pay, how much, and when, so there are no surprises on the day.
Is it cheaper to book direct?
Usually it is the same price. What I add is fit and accountability: I know which skipper is right for a boat full of kids, which chef genuinely enjoys cooking for twenty, and which transfer firm turns up at five in the morning. And if something is not right, you have me to fix it, not a stranger's voicemail.
Planning
Booking and timings
How far ahead should I ask?
For chefs and boats in July and August, as early as you can, ideally when you book the villa. Most other things need days rather than weeks. And nothing is too last-minute to ask: if it can be done, I will tell you quickly, and if it cannot, I will tell you that quickly too.
What if I don't know what I want?
That is half the job. Tell me who is coming, the ages, and the mood you are after, and I will suggest a plan. "Fourteen of us, three generations, one rainy Tuesday" is all I need to get started.
Can you handle a big group?
Large groups are my home ground. I co-own and run the guest services at one of the largest villas in Praia da Luz, so twenty to thirty people eating, travelling and celebrating together is a normal week for me, not a special request.
The safety net
When things go wrong
What if a supplier lets us down?
Then it is my problem before it is yours. I find the replacement, manage the changeover and take it up with the supplier afterwards. That is what one person accountable means: you will not be left ringing around the Algarve in the middle of your holiday.
Are your suppliers vetted?
Yes. I meet every supplier before they join my network, and for anything involving safety, especially boats, drivers and childcare, I check licences and insurance. One written standard applies to everyone I use.
Still wondering something?
Ask me directly
No question is too small and asking costs nothing. Message me on WhatsApp or send an email, and I will come back to you personally.