Posted: Oct 15, 2015
When money is no object, luxury comes as standard. Here are ten properties where the finest quality, the best design and the wow factor meet in the ideal location.
1. 432 Park Avenue, New York £51m ($78m)
You would have to be very well-heeled to consider living in this new slimline block. Right on Central Park, it is the tallest residential tower in the western hemisphere. Perched at the top, with views unequalled anywhere in the Big Apple, the generous proportions and light flooding in through enormous windows give this penthouse a feeling of space and peace. As you might expect, the price tag opens doors to every luxury. As well as designer interiors and your own private elevator landing, the building has a spa, gym, indoor pool, library, screening room and private restaurant.
2. La Favorita, Nagueles, Marbella £23.6m (€32m)
Situated just above Marbella’s Golden Mile, this newly built villa is spectacular in every respect. The rear view across the outdoor pool and formal gardens to the sea beyond is magical. The entrance is suitably grand and the rooms feature gilded plaster moulding and shiny marble floors. There are eight bedrooms in the main house, including his and hers master suites, plus four more bedrooms in the staff house. The basement is essentially a leisure suite with an indoor pool, gym, sauna and so on. If you venture down to the beach, Playa Nagueles, you’ll be sure to spot some celebrities, who love the nightlife here.
3. Villa Cap Martinet, Ibiza, Spain £4m (€5.5m)
Ibiza is party central. But it has another side, sought out by millionaires and movie stars. Away from the hot spot of San Antonio, the White Isle is laid back and quiet, fringed by pale sand and scented pine forests. Property here is in limited supply. If you can secure this new-build villa overlooking Cala Roja bay, you’ll find it ideal for entertaining. Its L-shaped layout makes the most of the sea views, while retaining maximum privacy. Planted courtyards and terraces will tempt you outside all year round. The island boasts 300 days of sunshine a year and temperatures rarely dip too low.
4. Villa Florentine, Montreux £16.5m (CHF 24.5m)
Montreux has always been a magnet for A-listers, from Noel Coward to Freddie Mercury. Musicians are attracted by the famous studios, bought by Queen in 1978, and the town has erected a statue of the band’s frontman by Lake Geneva. The Villa Florentine was built in 1894 by a politician and banker, who kickstarted the town’s life as a snazzy resort. Its lakeside position belies the fact that it is very close to the town centre. Currently the bottom floor has some retail units and some of the second floor rooms are offices, so there is scope to create many more than the six bedrooms it currently has here.
Aylesford International (020 7349 9772 www.aylesford.com)
5. Ibiza town £7m (€9.5m)
It was the Phoenicians who named the island in the sixth century BC and settled here. Today, archaeological remains give a glimpse of those ancient seafarers. This palacio in Ibiza’s fortified Upper Town has a stone cistern, or water storage tank, that dates from those times. The seven-bedroom property has been fully restored and now has clean modern interiors blending seamlessly with its centuries of history. From the rooftop pool and terrace, you can look over the town to the sea, and imagine the Phoenicians, the greatest traders of their time, bringing their trademark purple dyes across the Mediterranean.
Engel & Völkers (0034 971 311336; www.engelvoelkers.com )
6. Quinta do Lago, Portugal £2.65m (€3.6m)
Part of the Algarve’s Golden Triangle of exclusive resorts, Quinta do Lago is a golf and residential estate. Hot, dry summers, mild winters and championship golf courses make it a popular holiday destination for those from cooler, northern climes. Nearby Faro airport has regular flights to the UK and Ireland. This six-bedroom villa has views across the fairway, and its own pool for less energetic visitors to sun themselves by.
Engel & Volkers (00351 289 358955; www.engelvoelkers.com)
7. Deia, Mallorca £16.9m (€23m)
This pretty village is known as a retreat for foreign artists and creative types. The poet and writer Robert Graves lived here and is buried in the graveyard on the hill. Musicians meet and strum together in the cafes and bars. Artists enthuse about the quality of the light. Above the village, this six-bedroom villa sits apart, in its 28 acres of gardens and olive groves. The current owner attests to its privacy and tranquillity and says that sitting on the terrace at night, gazing at the lights of Deia, you really do feel on top of the world.
8. Paris £1.7m (€2.3m)
Rue du Faubourg St Honore is the very essence of chic. Nearly every top fashion house has a window on to this street. The president’s Elysee Palace is here too. This six-room apartment nearby has elegant, tall windows where you can watch the world go by. When you tire of that, there is also an outlook over the sunny interior courtyard. Period detailing and grand proportions make this apartment rather special.
9. Franchet, Tignes, France £2.9m (€3.9m)
This welcoming chalet sits snugly on the slopes above Lake Chevril in the French Alps. Mountain views fill the huge windows while, inside, the woodburner and the sauna will keep you warm. Within easy reach of the glittering resorts of Val d’Isere and Tignes, this property places you at the base of the Espace Killy ski area, with its 150 pistes. Every ability can be catered for and, with five en-suite bedrooms, this chalet will easily take an extended family or a large group of friends.
10. Cannes, France £32.6m (€45m)
This Mediterranean mansion is a new-build, created in the spirit of the Riviera. It has a cypress-lined driveway, a classical entrance, Moorish arches and a Persian-style courtyard. The outdoor pool has views over the coastline. And if you prefer the outdoor life, there’s a summer kitchen, a salon with a bar, and an orangery. Indoors, the spaces are vast and airy, perfect for entertaining. Your visitors can stay in the six guest suites, leaving two bedrooms and a caretaker’s house for staff.
