Villa Experience editors · Published March 2026 · Updated October 2026
Travel Magazine · Plan your stay
Protecting your villa booking, explained.
What trip protection costs, what it pays back, and the one deadline that matters: 14 days from your first payment. Plans from our partner Rental Guardian.
The short answer.
For U.S. residents
| Standard plan | 7% of your trip costPays back 100% of insured, prepaid trip costs if you cancel for one of more than 30 listed reasons, such as illness, injury, weather or a death in the family. |
|---|---|
| With Cancel For Any Reason | 10.8% of your trip costEverything in the standard plan, plus 60% back if you cancel for a reason that isn't on the list. |
| The deadline | 14 days from your first paymentTo add Cancel For Any Reason and to get the pre-existing condition waiver. Cancel For Any Reason isn't sold for trips that start within 30 days. |
| To claim Cancel For Any Reason | Cancel 48+ hours before you leaveThen file the claim with Rental Guardian. |
| Trip cost covered | Up to $100,000Trips of up to 90 days. |
From Rental Guardian's published plan terms, checked 11 October 2026. Canada and other countries have different plans, see below. The policy itself decides; read the sample certificate before you buy.
Your deadline
Can I still get Cancel For Any Reason?
Enter the date of your first payment and the day your trip starts. You'll see the last day to buy each plan and what it would cost.
The two plans
Side by side, for U.S. residents.
Standard
| Trip cancellation, for listed reasons | 100%, up to $100,000 |
| Trip interruption | 100%, up to $100,000 |
| Trip delay (6 hours or more) | $600 |
| Baggage and personal effects | $1,000 |
| Baggage delay, outward journey (12 hours or more) | $1,000 |
| Emergency medical expenses | $25,000 |
| Medical evacuation and repatriation | $250,000 |
| Accidental death and dismemberment | $25,000 |
| Pre-existing condition waiver | If bought within 14 days |
Play Travel Protection Plan, underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company. Plan details and sample certificate
With Cancel For Any Reason
| Cancel for any other reason | 60% back |
| Trip cancellation, for listed reasons | 100%, up to $100,000 |
| Trip interruption | 100%, up to $100,000 |
| Delay, baggage, medical, evacuation | Same as standard |
| Pre-existing condition waiver | If bought within 14 days |
| Must be bought | Within 14 days of first payment |
| Must cancel | 48+ hours before departure |
| Not available to | New York residents |
Play Travel Protection with CFAR, underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company. 60% of the non-refundable insured trip cost. Sample certificate
Compare before you buy
Two ways to protect your trip.
Buy our villa plan in a few minutes, or compare plans from many insurers side by side. Prices and cover vary by age, home state and trip, so it is worth a look at both.
Our villa plan
Rental Guardian
- One plan, quoted in minutes
- 7% of trip cost, or 10.8% with Cancel For Any Reason (60% back)
- Buy within 14 days of your first payment for Cancel For Any Reason
Compare insurers
Squaremouth
- Plans from many travel insurers, side by side
- Filter for Cancel For Any Reason and the cover you need
- Check each plan's own deadlines and terms before you buy
How it works
With your villa booking.
- Confirm your villa and make the first payment.That date starts the 14-day clock. Your villa's own deposit and cancellation terms are in your written quote.
- Get a quote and buy within 14 days.On our Rental Guardian page. Include every prepaid, non-refundable cost you want covered, such as the villa, flights and tours.
- If your plans change, tell us.For a Cancel For Any Reason claim, cancel at least 48 hours before your trip starts.
- Claim with Rental Guardian.Travel insurance pays you back once the claim is approved. Keep your booking confirmation, receipts and cancellation notice.
Where you live decides the plan
Who can buy what.
United States
Standard or with Cancel For Any Reason
- 7% or 10.8% of trip cost
- Trip cost up to $100,000
- Cancel For Any Reason is not available to New York residents. Rental Guardian's FAQ also lists Washington; your quote shows which applies.
Canada
CanAm plans
- Underwritten by Northbridge Insurance
- One version includes Cancel For Any Reason at 60%
- Trip cost up to $100,000
- The standard plan is not available to Quebec residents
Everywhere else
Travel Guardian Global
- By UnitedHealthcare Global
- 100% for listed reasons, including hurricane and weather, and a cancel-for-work-reasons benefit
- No Cancel For Any Reason
- Trip cost up to $50,000
Planning the stay itself
Staffed villas, one written quote.
Our team agrees the villa, the staff and the services with you in one written quote, with the deposit and cancellation terms spelled out before you pay.
Stay here
Fully staffed villas in Mexico
Fully staffed villas across Punta Mita, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and the Riviera Maya, with a private chef included at many of them.
More from the magazine
Keep reading

Tulum · Before you fly
Tulum International Airport: How It’s Transforming Tourism
Explore the transformative impact of the upcoming Tulum International Airport on Mexico's tourism landscape. Learn about this marvel of modern engineering that aims to redefine connectivity, stimulate economic growth, and uphold environmental sustainability.
February 2026

Puerto Vallarta · Before you fly
Puerto Vallarta Airport Expansion 2026: What’s New & What It Means
With the new expansion of Puerto Vallarta’s Gustavo Diaz International Airport, it will become one of the leading transportation hubs on the west coast.
February 2026

Puerto Vallarta · Before you fly
How to Get Around Puerto Vallarta: Taxis, Uber, Buses & More
With a fantastic walkable boardwalk and downtown areas, convenient taxi-hailing service, and a functional bus system, getting around Puerto Vallarta has never been easier. No matter where you want to travel, you can easily find a boat, a bus, or a taxi to zip you across the Bay of Banderas.
February 2026
Questions
Trip protection, answered.
When should I buy trip protection for a villa?
Right after your first payment. Buying within 14 days of it keeps Cancel For Any Reason and the pre-existing condition waiver available.
How much does it cost?
For U.S. residents, 7% of the trip cost you insure for the standard plan, or 10.8% with Cancel For Any Reason. On a $25,000 villa stay that is $1,750 or $2,700.
What does Cancel For Any Reason pay back?
60% of the non-refundable trip cost you insured, when you cancel for a reason the standard plan doesn't list, at least 48 hours before departure.
Can I buy it after the 14 days?
The standard plan, yes, up to 30 days before your trip starts. Cancel For Any Reason and the pre-existing condition waiver, no. You can't buy any plan once the trip has started.
Can I insure my flights too?
Yes. Include every prepaid, non-refundable cost you want covered, such as the villa, flights and tours, in the trip cost on your quote.
I don't live in the U.S. Can I buy it?
Canadian residents can buy CanAm plans, one of which includes Cancel For Any Reason. Residents of other countries can buy Travel Guardian Global, which has no Cancel For Any Reason. Your quote shows the plans open to you.
How do claims work?
Through Rental Guardian, under Manage Coverage on our insurance page. Travel insurance pays you back after the claim is approved, so keep your booking confirmation, receipts and cancellation notice.
Is my villa's cancellation policy the same thing?
No. Your villa's deposit and cancellation terms are in your written quote from us. Insurance is a separate policy between you and the insurer.
Do I have to buy insurance to book a villa?
No. It is optional.
Important
Buying travel insurance is optional and not required to book with Villa Experience.
Villa Experience is an authorized travel retailer and referral provider of Sandhills Insurance Group LLC, dba InsureStays, a licensed insurance producer (NPN 16269113). Plans are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company (U.S.), Northbridge Insurance (Canada) and H&W Indemnity SPC with UnitedHealthcare Global (other countries).
We can give general information about these plans, such as what they cover and what they cost, but we are not qualified or authorized to answer technical questions about their terms and conditions or to evaluate your existing insurance. For coverage questions, contact InsureStays at (843) 286-5144.
Villa Experience may receive compensation when you buy a plan through our Rental Guardian page or through Squaremouth, at no extra cost to you. Squaremouth is an independent comparison site; its plans, prices and terms are set by each insurer. This page is a summary; the policy governs.




