Why screen villains always play golf

Script writers seem to think putting is shorthand for evildoing –and the sport is gaining something of an image problem as a result. In popular film and TV fiction, golf is the sport of choice for conniving politicians, fusty fat-cat business moguls and devious mafiosos.

Read the the full Daily Telegraph story here

Select second homes

As buyers worldwide prioritise lifestyle over workplace, a few exclusive destinations – some traditional, some rather newer – are now second to none. When it comes to trophy assets, fashion is temporary but class is permanent.

Read the full Centurion story here.

Sotogrande Style

A fairway-side home in southern Spain is the perfect proposition for sporty types who enjoy golf, sailing and entertaining. This south-facing six-bedroom villa would suit a buyer looking for a tried-and-tested family residence with excellent rental potential.

Read the full departures-international.com story here

Amsterdam Arthouse

Connoisseurs of Dutch painting – from Van Eyck and Bruegel to Rubens, Rembrandt and Mondrian – will appreciate this four-floor townhouse at Johannes Vermeestraat 25, in the very heart of Amsterdam, close to the Rijksmuseum, the Concertgebouw and the Van Gogh Museum.

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My night drinking whiskey sours on John Caudwell’s superyacht

The billionaire Phones4U founder gives a tour of the Titania and talks spicy wings, politics and why he really donated to the Tories in 2019.

Read the full Telegraph story here

Swedish private island

Who hasn’t dreamt of living on their own private island?Ingarö Forsviksklipporna is in fact a small group of islands in the Stockholm Archipelago, remote enough to ensure tranquillity while being only a short boat ride and 10-minute drive from one of Sweden’s most famous five-star resorts, the Grand Hotel at Saltsjöbaden.

Read the full departures-international.com story here.

Life on the Fairway

Stylish new golf developments are appearing this year, while older sporting destinations are launching fresh schemes to attract holiday-home buyers. Peter Swain tees up some of the best residential projects worldwide.

Read the full Centurion story here and here.

Marrakech riad

Owning an authentic traditional house in the Morrocan city is a seductive prospect for many international buyers. This riad in the Mouassine district, part of the Unesco World Heritage medina quarter, is only a three-minute walk from the famous Jemaa El Fnaa square.

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A Cut Above

A gastronomic revolution is taking place, not in restaurant land but in the home. “Pandemic lockdowns opened our eyes to new ways of entertaining family and friends – professional-grade culinary appliances have become indispensable,” says Ben Phillips of Divertimenti in London’s Knightsbridge.

Read the full Departures article here.

On Top of the World

A look at key markets for those curating a global property portfolio, including seductive Mediterranean prospects in Monaco, Venice, Sicily and Ibiza, as well as Comporta in Portugal and San Miguel de Allende in the central Mexican highlands.

Read the full Centurion article here and here.

Tamarind Hills

Combining the tranquillity of a private villa and the amenities of a Caribbean resort, Stingray 21 at the beachfront Tamarind Hills estate on Antigua’s west coast, looks directly out over some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving sites in the Caribbean.

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Provençal holiday home

As the discerning few – including actor Hugh Grant and chef Heston Blumenthal – have discovered, the Alpilles in southern France is the perfect place for a holiday house, especially one with historical charm.

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A tropical treasure

Barbados may have something of an ‘old school’ reputation but ‘The White House’, in terms of technology and design, is positively new age. On the island’s fabled Platinum Coast, this eco-conscious villa on the Royal Westmoreland estate overlooks the Robert Trent Jones golf course.

Read the full departures-international.com story here.

Capturing the zeitgeist

Self-Sufficiency In Italy: the Forci Estate, overlooking Lucca in Tuscany, is all about agricultural regeneration and environmental sustainability. The Palazzina would appeal to a buyer with an eye for history and a vision for a ‘greener’ future.

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Fairway living

Nowhere is benefiting more from a post-pandemic work-life reset than long-haul destinations in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, which let executive nomads spend more time with their families in sunnier climes.

Read the full CENTURION story here and here p.76

Spa time

The most desirable city apartments in 2023 are all about easy access to exclusive amenities. In London, Wren House, 190 Strand has an onsite spa, luxurious swimming pool and 24-hour concierge service. A stylish business lounge, fully equipped fitness studio and personal trainer set-up, cinema and virtual golf simulator round out the opulent package.

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Sweet Caroline

At Kiawah Island, on South Carolina’s Atlantic shoreline,119 Ocean Course Drive is a magnificent five-bedroom modernist residence that sympathetically combines smart home technology and stylish comfort with spectacular views of the surrounding Lowcountry marshland landscape.

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A classic Tuscan Farmhouse

Some love affairs are brief; others bloom into lifelong passions. Set in glorious countryside in Lucca province, the modestly priced six-bedroom Farmhouse Torre – which has period charm, a generous pool and a guest cottage – is the definition of eternal bliss.

Read the full departures-iternational.com story here

It’s a goal!

The FIFA World Cup may be in Qatar, but the recreational and commercial heart of the Gulf is, of course, Dubai.  From golfing to racing, shopping .and dining, this Tuscan-style villa at Jumeirah Golf Estates is ideally located for enjoying the pleasures of Emirati life.

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Ski in, bliss out

Booking the right ski apartment at the right time can be a hassle. At the Chedi Residences in Andermatt, Swiss hospitality meets Asian design with elegant one- and two-bedroom apartments offering exclusive amenities and an enviable Alpine location.

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The best of both worlds

A new, younger class of global homebuyer is leveraging the trend towards hybrid working. The prime residential market has been dominated by older HNWIs, but a new category of international home-buying executives in their forties or even thirties is now emerging.

Read the full Centurion story here