It's a Sunday night.
You're sitting at home, glass of Henri Jayer Echezeaux Grand Cru in hand, scrolling through Airbnb listings in pursuit of the perfect home to rent for your next trip to the Mediterranean.
"No, no, no!" you scream at the screen in frustration, knuckles turning white as you grip the stem of your Chateau Baccarat glass.
"These properties simply will not do!"
Fear not, dear luxury lover, for the rise of the online sharing economy hasn't left you behind.
In recent years, several luxury-focused sites have been launched to allow owners of multi-million dollar properties an outlet to rent out their mansions, villas and penthouses to their wealthy counterparts for the short term.
When a five-star hotel just isn't exclusive enough
Among these is Australia-based LuxeHouses.com.
The site has close to 100 properties up for rent, as well as private jets and yachts and a concierge service.
CEO Jessica Kirkpatrick, who founded Luxe Houses in 2011, says she was inspired after a period of living and travelling through Europe.
"Loving the space you're in is so important for me," says the 34-year-old entrepreneur.
"Four years ago I began renting my own house and realized there was a strong business concept. Then many colleagues from my earlier career in banking had houses for sale and travelled regularly, leaving their mansions vacant and letting me manage their rental interests.
"That's where Luxe Houses started."
Who uses a service like this?
A lot of business is repeat clients and referrals.
"Guests at this end of the market are demanding an exclusive, experiential holiday experience," Kirkpatrick says.
"It's not only about magnificent homes with the wow factor. Travellers are seeking privacy, space and true luxury."
The other obvious question -- why are wealthy people opening up their homes to strangers?
It's not only about the cash, says Kirkpatrick.
"Owners are primarily motivated to rent homes for money, but some also like showing off and sharing their properties; others like to drop names of people who have stayed in their homes," she says.
"We have a huge focus on permanently available holiday houses now so for people who have invested in properties it can be a very lucrative way to earn an income from their asset."
In addition, the Christmas/New Year period is peak season, when many luxury home owners go overseas to ski, providing a window to rent their houses.
What does it take to make the cut?
Though Kirkpatrick wouldn't share an exact "your house must be worth XX dollars" benchmark, she did say there's an obvious standard that needs to be met.
"We choose owners who understand the brand and want to be a part of the experience we are building," she says.
"The properties we choose are in line with our guests' expectations and we only accept those that allow us to exceed their expectations by way of location, views, facilities, furnishings, design and style."
Curious about which types of properties do make the cut?
Chateau St Tropez (St. Tropez, France) Price: $27,400 per Week
The chateau itself sleeps eight in four suites, while a guest house across the lawn has a further four suites, all with private terraces. Private outdoor pool? Of course.
Casa Tres Soles (Punta Mita, Mexico) Price: on application.
Designed by renowned architects Juan Collingnon, Manolo Mestre and Karen Collingnon, Casa Tres Soles sits atop a dramatic cliff that gives uninterrupted pacific ocean views in all directions.
The house sleeps 18 adults and children in 9 suites.
Leobo Private Researve (South Africa) Price: $3,244 a night
Located in South Africa's Waterberg mountains, it sleeps 9 people in four bedrooms. It has a spacious entertaining area and a roof top jacuzzi.
Kata Rocks (Phuket, Thailand) Price on application
Part of Kata Rocks---a six-star boutique resort---these 34 "Sky Villas" range in size from one to four bedrooms, each with its own private swimming pool.
Chalet Les Anges (Switzerland) Price: from $8,500 per night
Chalet Les Anges is located in the exclusive petit village area of Zermatt and offers breath taking views of the Matterhorn, featuring reclaimed wood throughout, it's spread over three floors and sleeps fourteen in seven rooms.
Jagged Edge (New Zealand) Price: from $6,700 per night.
Minimum stay of five nights. Suspended high above the waters of lake wakatipu and surrounded by mountains, Jagged Edge is located a 10 minutes drive from Queenstown. Each bedroom has views of the lake and ensuites bathrooms.
Though Jagged Edge holds only six, there is a guest house that holds an additional 10 people.
Chalet Zermatt Peak (Switzerland) Price: from $55,795 per week
Winner of the best ski chalet in Switzerland 2013, this stunner is reached via a rock tunnel. It has five bedrooms with a 180 degree view over Zermatt and to the Mattahorn.
La Corniche (Sydney) Price: from $1,443 per night
This prestigious waterfront apartment offers million dollar views of Sydney harbour. It occupies an entire floor and has a private lift access.
Sydney's best bathroom view? La Corniche has 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms and four private balconies.
AQUA (Whitsundays, Australia) Price: from $13,000 per night
AQUA sits on a secluded peninsula with its own private beach, marina and helipad. The 40 metre-long infinity edge pool, complete with sandy beach and swim up bar, is one of the largest private pools in Australia,.
Villa Praslin (Seychelles) Price: $5,000 to $6,000 per night.
This stunning Seychelles villa sleeps ten in five bedrooms. It has a private pool, wine cellar, a private boat and skipper, guest villas and a private chef.
Villa Tessillac (Cote D'Azur, France) Price:from $32,000 per week
Tessillac is a classic villa offering fantastic view of the Mediterranean in France posh Cote D'Azur region. It sleeps 16 in eight rooms in the main house and guest wing. It has a private pool.
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