Netflix’s Amazing Vacation Rentals
by azulomo | 3 min read
A Netflix Series That Speaks to Hosts
What Boutique Hosts Can Learn from the World’s Most Extraordinary Stays
There’s something strangely comforting about watching other people travel (well, maybe it’s just us — but nonetheless). Maybe it’s the way a stranger’s delight in a sun-drenched terrace mirrors your own longing for slower mornings. Or how a beautifully made bed in Bali can, for a split second, make your own home feel just a little bit more inspiring. That’s the magic of The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, a joyful Netflix series that quietly became essential viewing for anyone who dreams, hosts, or simply appreciates the emotional alchemy of a beautiful stay.
But beneath the wanderlust and wow-factor, the show offers something far more grounded: an unspoken manifesto for soulful hosting. One that aligns beautifully with the azulomo philosophy — hosting not just with style, but with story, feeling, and care.
It’s not just travel envy, it’s design observation, guest psychology, and hosting inspiration rolled into one. As each property unfolds, you begin to see patterns: the power of welcome rituals, the calm that comes from considered materials, the joy sparked by little unexpected touches. For boutique hosts, it’s like a masterclass in emotional detail, delivered in a swirl of drone shots and barefoot breakfasts.
Each stay reveals something deeper: that the real luxury in travel isn't always just marble or views, it’s how a place makes you feel. And for those of us crafting calm, intentional guest experiences? That’s a lesson worth pausing for.
More than just a travel show, it’s a love letter to the kind of stays that stay with you, where emotion, design, and story quietly collide.
In this 2021 Netflix series, three hosts — each with their own taste and travel lens — journey around the globe discovering extraordinary holiday rentals.
Luis D. Ortiz, the sharply dressed luxury real estate broker (whom many will recognise from Million Dollar Listing New York)
Jo Franco, the culture-loving storyteller who champions affordability and connection
Megan Batoon, the design-minded creator who spots soul in the details
Each episode focuses on a theme: Treehouses, Wellness, Gourmet Escapes, etc, and each host selects a standout stay in line with their preferred style: one budget, one luxury, one unique.
But while the format is structured, the stories that unfold within each property are anything but predictable. Because what sticks isn’t always the infinity pool or the stargazing deck, yes, you guessed right… it’s the feeling. The rituals. The rhythm of a space that seems to know exactly what you need before you do.
Emotional Design in Action: Lessons from the Road
In one episode, the trio lands in Bali, an island already synonymous with spiritual calm. What unfolds is a sensory journey through three very different spaces: an eco-friendly bird’s nest suspended above the jungle, a terraced rice field retreat that seems to hum with stillness, and a beachfront villa where the sea almost walks into the living room.
And while each is aesthetically stunning, what resonates is how each space feels alive. These aren’t just rentals, they're environments that hold you. Places that invite guests to slow down, notice the light, run their fingers along hand-carved wood, and listen to the distant rustle of palm leaves at night.
→ azulomo hosts, take note: Nature-led design and texture-rich materials don’t have to be complicated. Let light, scent, and local craft do the heavy lifting.
In another standout episode, Gourmet Stays, food becomes the ‘emotional anchor’. A stylish Japanese ski chalet becomes a quiet culinary sanctuary, where a private chef transforms local produce into memory-laden meals. Then there’s the culinary school hidden deep in the Mexican mountains, where guests not only eat, but participate. They touch, stir, laugh, learn.
And finally, a farm-to-table retreat in the Berkshires reminds us that simplicity, when done with care, feels utterly luxurious. A basket of warm bread. Tomatoes grown just outside your window. Breakfast shared with other guests in woollen socks.
→ azulomo hosts, take note: Don’t underestimate the emotional weight of your kitchen. Even a simple breakfast tray, a handwritten recipe, or a local wine suggestion can anchor a guest’s memory to your space.
The emotional landscape shifts again in On the Waterfront, an ode to the magnetic power of water. We follow the hosts from a crystal-clear Anguillan beachfront villa, where the indoors melt into the outdoors with nothing between you and the Caribbean but a breeze, to a charming riverside mill in Vermont, where the hush of water turns into a lullaby. Then, a surprising moment of peace arrives in a Washington alpine lake chalet, where the stillness of the lake reflects not just the sky, but a sense of calm that quietly resets the soul.
→ azulomo hosts, take note: Even if you’re not perched on a shoreline, you can borrow the language of water. Curate your home’s flow. Add stillness through symmetry. Let your bath, terrace, or lighting feel like a gentle pause.
And then there’s Destination Weddings, perhaps the most emotionally charged episode of all (we think). A Tuscan-style vineyard villa in California becomes a canvas for romance and slow ritual. A 200-year-old Mexican hacienda, with its faded plaster walls and candlelit courtyards, wraps guests in a kind of soul-deep warmth. And finally, a blush-toned beach cottage on the pink sands of the Bahamas reminds us that intimacy, not grandeur, creates magic. With ocean breezes, pastel light, and just enough space to dance barefoot after dinner, it becomes a place where love is felt, not staged.
→ azulomo hosts, take note: You don’t need a wedding to create romance. You need softness, light, scent, and detail. Let your home whisper: “You can create a memory here.”
Luis, known for his sharp suits and skyscraper listings, could easily have leaned into surface-level glamour. But surprisingly, his role in the series is one of emotional curiosity. He notices how a space feels at night. He listens to the host’s story. He sees the value in comfort, not just cost. Time and again, he reminds us that luxury isn’t about price tags (and he’s seen a few pricy NY properties!), it’s about presence.
→ For azulomo hosts, he’s a useful mirror. We don’t need to imitate opulence. We need to design with generosity, anchor with story, and style with soul.
So What Makes a Rental Truly “Amazing”?
The show’s greatest strength is that it leaves space for you to feel something. As a viewer. As a guest. As a host.
The rentals that stick aren’t always the sleekest. They’re the ones where you remember:
The swing chair facing the sunset
The herbal tea waiting in the kitchenette
The weathered bowl of apricots on the windowsill
These are the moments that feel like home. Not because they replicate your everyday life, but because they offer something familiar beneath the surface, safety, warmth, ease. And that’s the goal of soulful hosting. Not perfection. Not performance. But presence. The quiet kind that welcomes without words. That anticipates needs without fuss. That allows guests to settle, breathe, and feel like they belong, even if just for a few nights.
—
And Between Us… We Secretly Hope for Season 3…
Watching The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals reminds us that great design doesn’t shout. It whispers. As much as The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals offers practical insights and styling inspiration, it’s also just downright feel-good television. The chemistry between the hosts, the heart behind the homes, and the sheer diversity of global stays make it a series you can revisit on rainy days, planning days, or “should I restyle the guest bedroom again?” days.
And if we’re honest? We’re still quietly hoping that Luis, Jo, and Megan return for a Season 3.
There’s something beautifully grounding about watching three people discover extraordinary homes, not through the lens of ego or excess, but through curiosity, design, and emotional reaction. More than a travel show, it’s a celebration of what happens when place, people, and purpose meet in a single stay. That the best kind of luxury isn’t rare marble or rooftop pools, it’s emotional generosity, rooted design, and thoughtful hosting that turns a stay into a story.
So next time you find yourself watching, let it be more than a wishlist. Let it be a spark. A small, quiet question:
→ How could I create that feeling in my own way, right where I am?
That’s where beautiful hosting begins.
Not with more.
But with meaning.
PS: Netflix, if you’re reading this… we’re packed and ready (just saying!).
The azulomo Masterclass ~ Hosting With Soul
Our Azulomo Hosting Masterclass guides you through every layer of soulful hosting, from emotional design to quiet luxury, from guest psychology to micro-moment rituals.
→ Want to create that kind of guest experience, the kind that doesn’t just impress, but connects? We share exactly how inside the azulomo Hosting Masterclass.
“This isn’t just a series about beautiful places to stay. It’s a quiet masterclass in how thoughtful spaces create connection, comfort, and emotion. The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals blends storytelling, design, and hospitality in a way that inspires boutique hosts to think beyond amenities. It’s a reminder that the most memorable stays are not about more, but about meaning—how a place feels, what it invites, and the memories it gently helps shape.”
