Deciphering Alternative Lodgings : Knowing the differences between a villa, a chalet, a townhouse and a condo is a good first step.

Villas, chalets, farmhouses, castles, guest houses, townhouses, condominiums, maisonettes and apartments are among alternative-style accommodations available to travelers. Understanding the distinctions between them can help travelers avoid confusion and disappointment.

Villas, which to most travelers would imply large, luxurious, estate-type accommodations, are probably the most likely source of consumer confusion.

“The term villa is one of the most misused terms in the whole travel industry,” said Robert Eastman, managing director of Villas of Distinction, an Armonk, N.Y.-based company that books villas in the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal and on the French Riviera. “A villa is basically a free-standing house with one or more bedrooms, a kitchen and at least one bathroom. But some companies refer to almost any type of accommodation as a villa, even if it just has a kitchenette, and even if the unit isn’t free-standing.”

In Greece, for example, a “villa stay” might mean lodging in an apartment that is part of a villa complex. “It became the custom to call some apartments ‘villas,’ ” said Laurie Croze, president of Twelve Islands and Beyond, a Washington, D.C.-based company that handles lodgings in Greece and Turkey. “But we code accommodations in our brochure to show which are apartments and which are free-standing, and ask customers if they want a detached house or not.”

Some villa accommodations are larger and more luxurious than others, both in internal and external facilities. For example, villas may have a private pool and spa on the grounds, and feature staffs that include a maid, cook and other service personnel. Then again, residents of a villa may share a pool and spa with people staying at other villas in a complex. More modest villas, or villa apartments, may come without amenities such as a TV and phone.

The term chalet, originally used to describe a small house in an Alpine ski resort, also confuses some travelers. “This term has also been bastardized to cover villas and non-villas around the world,” Eastman said.

A guest house is a private, free-standing house from which rooms are rented out. A townhouse, typically, is an attached unit that’s part of a group of connected structures. However, what is typically called a townhouse in the United States is referred to as a “terrace house” in Europe, according to Barbara Kerr, marketing director for the U.S. office of Interhome in Fairfield, N.J., a Swiss-based company that offers vacation-rental properties in nine European countries--France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Greece.

Farmhouses could be restored farms, or part of an existing farm or vineyard. At most castles that have been converted into hotels or have hotel-like sections, guests simply rent a room.

“Some castles are smaller and travelers can rent the entire unit,” Kerr said. “We have one castle, in Voutenay-sur-Cure, in the Burgundy region of France, that sleeps just 10 people.” The Burgundy castle includes a private nine-hole golf course, tennis court and swimming pools at about $5,900 per week.

A “maisonette” is an expression sometimes used for a small house or cottage that is usually two floors and connected to another building. Condominium units may be in resort or urban settings, in high-rise or low-rise buildings, but they’re generally attached to another unit as part of a centrally managed complex. Apartments are rented out in buildings that are in more urban settings.

Costs of alternative accommodations vary widely, depending on the area and season. “Sometimes people call us for villas, but they are really looking for condos that are less expensive,” Eastman said. “In Spain and Portugal, villas for seven nights range from $1,000 to $5,000. On the French Riviera, villas for a week go for $2,500 to $5,000. In the Caribbean, villas range from $1,000 to $15,000 a week.”

In spite of what may not seem much like bargain prices, Eastman reported a 25% increase in business last year over 1990, and forecast another 25% jump in 1992 over 1991.

“A free-standing villa isn’t necessarily more expensive than a villa apartment,” said Croze of Twelve Islands. “You can get a two-bedroom villa for up to six persons on the Greek island of Paros for $120 a night, while a villa apartment in Mykonos for two persons would cost $180 per night. Mykonos is more popular than Paros, and the apartment villa would also have a TV and phone, which the Paros villa doesn’t.”

One advantage for travelers using alternative-style accommodations is the extra space that they usually afford. But it’s also important to find out just how much space--and how many rooms--is involved.

“Consumers should consider their budget and destination first, before the type of accommodation,” advised Lori Gedon, president of Norwood, N.J.-based VHR Worldwide, which rents vacation homes. “The biggest misconception is the expense of villas. If you divide the cost of a villa by the number of people using it, it’s usually less than a stay at a comparable-style hotel for the same period of time.”

Kerr agreed. “These type of accommodations, including villas, don’t have to automatically mean a dent in your wallet. It’s certainly more economical to stay in a villa than in many hotels for a week.”

This year, Interhome expects to send about 6,000 Americans to Europe, roughly a 50% increase over 1990 bookings.

Another factor to remember for consumers seeking alternative-style accommodations is that renting a car is generally required to get to any unit outside a gateway city.

Some accommodations list extra charges for items such as linens and towels, others provide them as part of the basic cost. Some may not offer such basic items at all, requiring guests to bring their own.

Most of these accommodations require a minimum of a week’s rental. However, depending on the season, shorter rentals are possible. Advance reservations are particularly important in renting European properties, since American travelers may be competing against Europeans. Figure three to six months ahead for Caribbean rentals, six months for Europe.

Contact travel agents or Interhome at (201) 882-6864; Twelve Islands and Beyond, (800) 345-8236; VHR Worldwide, (800) 633-3284, and Villas of Distinction, (800) 289-0900.