July 22nd, 2009 | 
Author: I’ve noticed that a lot of people use different terms when thinking about holiday/vacation homes. I grew up in Texas – and so for me, I say “vacation home”.. so am way off with most people around here (grin).
Here’s the various terms and their typical meaning:
Gîte. According to Wikipedia, This is a French holiday home that is available for rent; usually fully-furnished and equipped for self-catering.
It goes on to say that “Technically speaking to be called a gîte the owner must live close by in order to provide help, assistance and a warm welcome to guests. Gîtes are generally old farmworkers’ cottages or converted outbuildings and barns within the proximity of the owners’ principal residence. This type of holiday accommodation is sometimes regarded as ‘basic’ in terms of facilities, however most gîtes are generally very well kept“.
Although this technical definition was true ten years ago, I would say that this is such a common term now that it has been broadened to include any type of holiday rental/accommodation.
Villa. Wiktionary defines a Villa as “A house, often larger and more expensive than average, in the countryside or on the coast, often used as a retreat.” Which I suppose was the original idea behind the term – but it is also now a common word used to describe holiday rental properties.
In fact wikipedia appends its more Romano definition with “Today many vacation rental properties are referred to as villas. This is especially true in France and Italy, and in the French influenced islands of the Caribbean“
I think that most people have certain expectations when thinking about the term villa – it is near the sea or has a pool, it is more modern than a cottage or a gite, and limited to warmer climates such as France or Spain (you rarely get villas in Wales).
Cottage. If a Villa is near the Sea, then a Cottage must be in the country.
Wikipedia: “In modern usage, a cottage is a dwelling, typically in a rural, or semi-rural location (although there are cottage-style dwellings in cities).“
Holiday cottages are smaller vacation homes that are more rural and more suitable to a small family or at most two couples.
So – different definitions which describe different types of vacation properties available. Our holiday home fits all three – Villa (pool, France, more modern), Cottage (rural, smaller) and Gîte (France, Self-catering, etc). So we’re happy with whichever you feel more comfortable with.
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