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.
Sun-drenched Sicily has been attracting international visitors for 2,500 years, so one can think of the three-bedroom Villa Smeraldo at the Verdura Resort as a modernist take on a classical tradition.
A palatial home on Madrid’s ‘Golden Mile’ gives buyers the chance to live like a lord in the heart of the Spanish capital’s most exclusive neighbourhood.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A newly reimagined course at Apes Hill on Barbados joins an assortment of standout links at Sandy Lane and Royal Westmoreland to make the island one of the best golf destinations in the entire Caribbean.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
With the onset of winter in northern climes, thoughts turn to a ‘place in the sun’, like this dreamy Caribbean villa. Compared with popular regional destinations such as Barbados, Antigua or St. Barths, the 36sqm island of Nevis is a hidden tropical gem.
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.
Quinta do Lago has been the pre-eminent golf resort in the Algarve for many years, and this spacious four-bedroom villa is a fine example of well-appointed fairway-side living.
High summer on the Côte d’Azur attracts the party crowd, so those in the know, craving a little tranquillité, head for the hills. This contemporary villa, close to Grimaud, would suit a buyer who wants easy access to Saint-Tropez but also needs security, privacy and generous entertaining spaces.
The global prime residential market has always been dominated by older HNWIs, but now there’s a new, younger ‘executive’ category of buyers, often in their forties or even thirties. Paul Tostevin of Savills World Research explains.
Owning one’s own private island is the ultimate residential dream for anyone craving privacy and isolation. St. Elmo Island, one of the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River on the USA-Canada border, delivers perfect seclusion but with easy access to a host of superior recreational and cultural facilities.
If a Grade II*-listed residence on the edge of the New Forest, standing in 3.62 hectares of manicured gardens with magnificent equestrian facilities appeals, look no further than Venards House.
The contemporary Villa Monserrat in the chic Nova Santa Ponsa district is a spectacularly well-appointed residence, ideal as a holiday getaway but also thoughtfully equipped as a ‘working from home’ base for longer stays.
In Greek mythology, ‘lotus-eaters’ are people who spend their time indulging in pleasure and luxury rather than dealing with practical concerns. Modern-day home buyers, in tune with that sentiment, might consider Villa Essential on Paros, one of the Cycladic islands, 200k southeast of Athens.
While Britain, Germany and Sweden shivered through the winter months, playing conditions in Andalusía, the Canary islands and the Algarve were just about perfect. Portugal and Spain have long been favourites for northern Europeans seeking a holiday home on a golf course, and the pandemic has only accelerated the trend.
The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation benefits from the golfer’s global success—but it also plays a significant part in his daily journey.
Buyers after fair weather and fairways are investing big in golf resorts in Europe and the Caribbean. A comfortable green-side home in the sun is now seen by some as a haven from overcrowded city life and never-ending health challenges. In fact, it’s a hole in one.
As the global property market rediscovers its mojo, Peter Swain salutes the sectors and cities forging ahead. Leading hostelry marques are offering remarkable residences that combine the ease and comfort of hotel living with all the privacy of one’s own four walls. In London and New York, tempting new projects woo with cutting-edge design and peerless panoramas.
Speciality paraphernalia adds immeasurably to the enjoyment of the finer things in gourmet life. The accoutrements associated with the likes of Beluga caviar, white Alba truffles, champagne, cognac and Cohiba Behike cigars perfectly complement the delicacies themselves.
One unexpected side effect of the past year is that new homes at super-luxe golf destinations are becoming increasingly desirable – not only for holidays, but as primary residences.
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.