03.20.06
Posted in Luxury, Caribbean, Villas, Real Estate, Travel at 10:00 pm by Luxury Larry
Ambergris Cay is an 1,100-acre (4.45 km2) secluded island at the southeastern end of the Caicos Banks in the Turks and Caicos. With 8 miles of immaculate waterfront and beaches, the island is nearly 3.3 miles (5.3 km) long by 1.5 miles (2.41 km) wide and rises to 100 feet (30.5 m), the highest elevation of any cay in the Turks and Caicos.
Ambergris Cay is being transformed at the Turks & Caicos Sporting Club in the British West Indies by DPS Development. The Cay will reportedly be developed into a luxurious sporting and housing development with its own jet strip and marina, and only electric-powered vehicles will be allowed on the Cay.
Sea-view sites for homes are being sold with prices ranging from $525,000 to $5,000,000, making sure that this private island affords not only immense luxury, but also exclusivity.
From a recent article in TheStreet.com
Fishing, snorkeling and other water activities will be offered by professional guides. About 450 homes will eventually be built. Private members pay a one-time $75,000 fee and about $7,500 in annual dues to be a part of the club. The island is home to more than 18,000 iguanas, the seas are filled with coral reefs and turtles, and humpback whales migrate through the islands from January to March. One of the added benefits: no property taxes.
“The idea was, people want to own something. These are not time shares or vacation club projects,” says Peter Pollak, a managing partner of DPS Development. “They’re not in a resort with massive hotels and casinos and villa rental apartments. There’s pride of ownership and they’re stewards of the land.”
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03.13.06
Posted in Luxury, Europe, Villas, Vacation at 10:49 pm by Luxury Larry
Luxury Retreats is an elite travel broker offering luxury villa rentals and yacht charters throughout the world including France, Italy, Greece, Morocco, South Africa, the Caribbean and more. The company has just released their 2006 collection of private Italian villas with accompanying catalogue.
Private vacation villas offer many advantages for large groups traveling together. Luxury Retreats has responded to growing demand for villa rentals in Italy, and planning a villa vacation is now easier than ever before.
“Over the past two years, we’ve seen a marked increase in travelers eager to try the villa experience in Europe,” notes Ben Tuff, Director of Sales for Luxury Retreats, “and once they realize its unique advantages, our guests rarely go back to vacationing any other way.”
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“Over the past six years, travelers have been able to browse our growing inventory of villa rentals in Italy online,” explains Clauderic Saint-Amand, Vice President of Marketing for Luxury Retreats. “We’re now pleased to be able to offer a selection of villas in catalogue form to make it even more enjoyable to plan a vacation with family and friends.”
source
Luxury Retreats is the sister company to CaribbeanWay, which specializes in Caribbean luxury villa rentals.
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Posted in Bahamas, Resorts, Real Estate, Travel at 10:07 pm by Luxury Larry
Former haunt of Ponce De Leon, Confederate blockade runners and president Richard M. Nixon, Dave Clark has plans to turn Walker’s Cay into a first-class international resort.
The 69-acre island is about 4,000 ft long sitting. The Cay is one of the northern most extremities of the Bahamas, 110 miles from West Palm Beach and 45 miles north of Freeport. On Walker’s Cay currently sits a defunct hotel and harbor, a private airport, a white-washed church and a diesel-fueled power plant.
A fishing show called Walker’s Cay Chronicles is currently ESPN network’s highest-rated outdoors sporting program.
From a recent article:
“We’re not going to turn it into something it’s not,” said Clark, a 47-year-old former accountant who now deals in hundreds of millions worth of development. “We’re going to try to keep the fishing feel.. It’s not going to be an Atlantis.”
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Clark’s company expects to close on the property in June. Until then, the purchase price remains confidential. It could spend five to 10 years developing the resort, but in the short term will put the restaurant, airstrip and marina in working order.
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A fishing show called Walker’s Cay Chronicles is the ESPN network’s highest-rated outdoors program.
“We’re not going to turn it into something it’s not,” said Clark, a 47-year-old former accountant who now deals in hundreds of millions worth of development. “We’re going to try to keep the fishing feel.. It’s not going to be an Atlantis.”
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03.01.06
Posted in Luxury, Europe, Villas, Real Estate at 1:18 pm by Luxury Larry
By Guest Author Bob Dickie
More and more people are buying a villa in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. So you´ve spent many, many hours searching for the perfect villa, and you´ve found it! Everything is arranged with the estate agent at lawyer, now you just need to pay for it. So how do you send over the money?
The cheapest and easiest way is to use a specialist broker. You will see them advertised in overseas property magazines and the internet, or your estate agent can recommend one for you. By using a good broker you can achieve very favourable rates of exchange compared to what you might get at your high street bank, saving you perhaps thousands of pounds on the purchase price. When buying abroad, normally you have to pay a deposit to secure the property and have to pay the balance in 2 or 3 months time. For the deposit, you are likely to use a Spot Contract. This is where the rate of exchange is fixed at the moment in time when it is asked for. This rate of exchange can move quite a bit even in just one day. For the balance of the money, the most common method is to use a Forward Contract. This fixes a price today for a transaction to be made in the future. This eliminates the risk of currency fluctuation changes and means you know exactly how much your property is going to cost you.
Currency levels can fluctuate quite markedly as we´ve said. Sterling to Euro levels have moved by over 5% in the past 6 months, which means that on a property of 200,000 pounds sterling value, fixing the rate at the start could have saved you 10,000 pounds by the time it comes to hand over the money. Of course it can work the other way and you could lose the opportunity to gain through the fluctuation of the rate of exchange! Do you want to take the gamble?
Bob Dickie lives in Lanzarote and runs Luxury Villas Lanzarote who offer a wide range of private luxury holiday villas across the island to suit every budget. Living there, he knows every area and villa very well and can offer extensive up to date information regarding all aspects of your holiday. You will benefit from booking direct with the villa owner at lower prices. Lanzarote Villas.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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02.06.06
Posted in Luxury, Travel, Vacation at 3:17 pm by Luxury Larry
Luxury Travel Magazine online has recently come out with their Top 10 World’s Most Romantic Luxury Hideaways list. Hotels making the list are sublime escapes in pristine surroundings offering unparalleled seclusion for romance.
Making this year’s list are irresistible hideaways around the globe including Capri’s chicest new retreat to a sublime resort on Brazil’s Costa Esmeralda and an enchanting, restored French chateau in the wine region of Beaujolais. The list also includes the USA’s best kept secret for a luxurious romantic escape.
Other hotels making the top ten list include magical hideaways in Patagonia and New Zealand, each nestled in dreamlike settings surrounded by breathtaking scenery, as well as an idyllic sanctuary adrift in the Indian Ocean’s Maldive Islands, an exotic kasbah in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains and an extravagant hotel overlooking the most famous monument ever built for love.
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Posted in Luxury, Travel at 3:08 pm by Luxury Larry
A recent article highlights the success of Small Luxury Hotels of the World:
Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), which boasts 359 hotels in nearly 60 countries, announced that it finished 2005 with a 10% increase in reservations revenue over the previous year.
“There is no arguing that luxury travel is on the rise,” commented SLH Joint Managing Director Paul Kerr. “As illustrated by our consistent growth throughout 2005, there is high demand for the very best accommodation. Not only will we continue to offer the best properties globally, we will strive to make the booking process much easier and more efficient through our online advancements – always delivering to our guests exactly what they want,” he added.
Overall, arrivals to SLH hotels in Europe were once again strong in 2005 with an increase of over 10% in revenue for travel to both France and Spain. Elevated demand for SLH properties in Paris and the Cote D’Azur in the South of France helped to fuel the growth in France; while the addition of four new member hotels contributed to the reservations growth in Spain. For 2005, America remained SLH’s number one source market making up 60% of the total global business, followed by the United Kingdom in second place.
Full article via TravelDailyNews
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01.27.06
Posted in Luxury, Europe, Villas, Travel, Vacation at 8:32 pm by Luxury Larry
Tuscany located in central Italy is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and a popular vacation destination. When you need something that isn’t your average farmhouse in Tuscany, RentVillas.com has your answer. Here are their latest offerings from their latest press release. Most Italian villa rentals are Saturday to Saturday, with a one week minimum stay.
- Castello Machiavelli (2): Located in a 9th century castle once owned by Machiavelli, this apartment is surrounded by a medieval hamlet and gorgeous views. The location is ideal for day trips to Lucca, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and Volterra.
- Villa Antonietta (10): A traditional but well-equipped country villa in the midst of the Chianti hills, this property sits near the ruins of a 14th century castle. Open-beam ceilings and terra cotta floors provide that authentic Tuscan feel.
- Il Rifugio (2): This apartment within an ancient Vertine hamlet provides picturesque surroundings for an intimate Italian vacation with your loved one. Explore nearby villages Gaiole and Radda or take a day trip to Monteverchi, Siena, or Florence.
- La Villa Monteriggioni (6): Overlooking the medieval walled hamlet of Monteriggioni, this stone villa is decorated with frescoes and original 17th century furniture. Vineyards and olive trees on the property produce olive oil and Chianti Classico wine, while the garden by the private pool is kept in classic Italian style.
Well what do you think? Have you stayed at these villas?
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