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I知 a celebrity, get me into here |
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HOME >> NEWS >> I知 a celebrity, get me into here |
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 As more and more people buy second homes abroad, the properties they are purchasing are becoming more sophisticated, and the clients ever more demanding. For many would-be owners, a large, beautiful and well-designed home in an idyllic location by the sea or in the country is no longer quite enough – they expect 24-hour concierge service, a 30,000 sq ft spa and a private butler.
Some also expect their property to pay its way during the many months they are toiling away at their desks in London or New York. Welcome to the world of fully serviced hotel villas, where every whim is indulged, although often at a considerable price.
“Our buyers will already own four, six or eight properties,” says Olivier Beumer, project manager at the international residential and resorts department of the estate agency Savills. “They are what we call the ‘string of pearls’ collectors. They have homes around the world, and want to enjoy each with a minimum of hassle. At a villa-hotel resort, they know in advance which coffee you like, which type of milk you prefer and which cereal your children eat in the morning. The buyers are going to be perfectionists who expect this type of service.”
The idea of teaming hotels with private property for sale originated a decade ago in Las Vegas. It was in the Caribbean, however, that the luxury-hotel-villa phenomenon really took off. The international property consultancy CB Richard Ellis reports enormous growth in demand for residential resorts in the region in the past three years. It attributes this in large part to an increase in the number of wealthy baby-boomers in America and Europe, with enough disposable income to spend several million pounds on buying a home, along with a further five-figure sum each year in service charges.
Many such buyers expect their holiday homes to pay for themselves. This is how it works: you own a villa, and when you are not there, the property goes into the hotel rental pool. The owner splits the profits with the hotel once the running costs are stripped away.
“If you let out an ordinary holiday home, you might have to chase a number of companies dealing with its upkeep,” says Sarah Dukan, sales director at Chesterton International. “With these schemes, everything is there already. It’s completely hassle-free, and you have the benefit of a well-known hotel brand, which makes it easier to let and could boost capital growth in the long run.”
So, what is it to be? A villa on a private Caribbean island? A mountain hideaway? Or the perfect bolt hole for a golfing weekend? Hotel villa resorts come in many different guises – here are six of the best.
Best for celebrities There will be no better place to see and be seen than at the Four Seasons private residences on Clearwater Bay, in Barbados. Situated on the island’s fashionable west coast, the resort will stretch across 32 acres. Simon Cowell, a Barbados regular, has recently bought two properties that he plans to merge.
“Barbados has always appealed to a celebrity market,” says Robin Paterson, chairman of Cinnamon 88, the developer behind the scheme. “There are people who have been coming here for years and would have bought before, but just couldn’t find the right home.”
The famous need not worry about prying eyes here. Designed on the same principles as open-air Asian pavilions, each of the 36 villas will be landscaped to ensure complete privacy. They range in size from four to six bedrooms and include private swimming pools, sea views and direct beach access.
The real draw for many, however, will be the service provided by Four Seasons. “The hotel has a huge following,” Paterson says. “We have guests who will only stay at a Four Seasons hotel wherever they go.”
Source: http://property.timesonline.co.uk/ |
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