Mike Thiel: Dubbed "Mr. Villa Vacation" by Arthur Frommer, for his work popularizing that form of vacationing. Mike has spent his life living and traveling the globe, first as the son of a Diplomat, later as an oil/gas strategic consultant and finally as "Mr. Hideaways." In 1979, he founded Hideaways International as a match-making service for vacation home rentals and later branched out into a quest for the world most distinctive, luxurious and intimate hotels, resorts, cruises and adventure vacations.

The club he formed, now known as the Hideaways Aficionado Club is the world's premier luxury travel club for discerning, independent travelers. Mike believes in personally sampling and inspecting most of what the club recommends, so he spends considerable time wandering the world in search of its best travel experiences. Hideaways reports on these findings in its colorful and informative bimonthly newsletter, Hideaways Life, in weekly e-newsletters and on its web site at www.Hideaways.com