Mitch Willey gets around…the world. And that’s an especially good thing. As Curator-In-Residence at Time & Place Luxury Rental Homes, Willey scours the earth for exceptional properties that will make your ultra-luxury vacation experience unforgettable. We ran him down recently to ask: what criteria must a vacation home meet to make the grade as an ultra-luxury Time & Place property?

It’s the most important day of your life. You’re taking the ultimate proverbial plunge. You’re betrothing your life partner and committing to the happily ever after, after all. Plus, like a growing number of nuptial-minded twosomes, you’ve opted for a destination wedding. And not just any place, but a Best-in-Class destination to provide that personal signature on your sacred ceremony. Maybe you imagine yourselves near the snowy slopes of Vail or perhaps Maui’s sun-lapped shores? But once you’ve picked your preferred hitching haven far from home, the next thing you’ll need is a crash-pad. Preferably, an ultra-luxury one!

Life was tough for Queen Victoria. During her reign in the late 1800s, vacation was an ordeal. Just to enjoy a little royal R and R at her favorite hotel on the French Riviera, she’d have to tow along a staff of 60 to 100 of her peeps. They shipped in her own bed and her own food(!) Things have changed on the French Riviera. You don’t have to squeeze into a cramped, noisy hotel. You and your entourage can spread out in a world-class luxury villa where every bed is fabulous. Here’s how you’ll vacation BETTER than royalty in the exclusive, ultra-glam principalities that dot the Cote d’Azur:

Spring is that off-the-shoulder number by Olyana Sergeenko, red roses in rack and rows; it’s the snow-drop daisies of Chanel’s newest line. It’s like Marimekko after months of prison drabs. In the gardens of Versailles, it’s carpet of anemone tucked between newly greening-up boxwood; it’s the sun-warmed play of a thousand fountains in a hundred little bouquets lined with fresh clusters of violets.

We huddled with our far-flung personal Concierges and asked them to name a fabulous experience trending in their home city. In this inaugural installment of 5 FABULUXE FINDS, we give you an insider’s inside track on culture, cuisine and cocktail trends that are literally #happeningnow.