01 August 2013

CONSTRUCTION work is nearing completion on an idyllic luxury residential resort in Bodrum that promises the best of both worlds: the comforts of a private home combined with the enviable amenities and legendary services of the Mandarin Oriental hospitality chain.

The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, which offers a choice of villa and apartments,  is expected to see completion by the year-end, according to its developer Astas Holding, the Turkish luxury real estate and hotel development pioneer.

Spread over a 600,000-sq-m waterfront site on the northern part of the Bodrum peninsula, the Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum is Astas Holding’s latest boutique travel destination project outside of Istanbul. Built on a series of levels on landscaped hillside boasting panoramic views over the Aegean Sea, the property sits along a 2.5-km stretch of Paradise Bay, which includes some of the most beautiful bays of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

The development includes 214 luxury private homes which will be branded and managed as Residences at Mandarin Oriental, and sits alongside the accompanying 115-key Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum resort.

The Residences at Mandarin Oriental involves the construction of 98 villas with private pools and 116 contemporary apartments as well as a helipad, encompassing a total built-up area of 160,000 sq m.

Construction of the €560 million ($734 million) project, being carried out by Astas Holding itself as contractor, was launched in September 2011 and to date work on the residential component is 90 per cent complete while the Mandarin Oriental hotel is 85 per cent complete. Astas Holding is working with the hospitality consultancy Servotel Corporation, while the international hospitality design firm Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo (WATG) is the masterplanner and architect.

Detailing the current status of construction work on the project, a spokesman for Astas Holding says, while work on the facades has been completed, electromechanical works are 95 per cent complete and landscaping is about 75 per cent complete.

 

Residences

All accommodation has been designed in an elegant, 21st century contemporary style, taking full advantage of the outstanding vistas, with design elements influenced by Bodrum’s architecture.

All villas offer breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea and the surrounding pine forests and olive groves from all rooms. These residences, varying from 1,000 to 3,000 sq m in area, allow natural ventilation as well as daylight through the indoor gardens that designed as glass showcases with their open roofs. The high ceilings of the duplex villas exude elegance, while floor-to-ceiling windows invite the outdoors in. All villas have L-shaped floor plan layouts, enhancing privacy. Their outdoor areas include infinity pools and wide terraces with natural wood decking. The villas are of three types, namely Melissa, Daphne, and Magnolia.

• Melissa: Combining a modern architectural approach with a user-friendly space design, these are the smallest villas of The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, with 560 sq m of living space. The theme of their timber and natural stone exterior facades is continued into their interiors.

The entrance floor includes the master bedroom with a private terrace, TV room and a wide terrace. The garden floor, accessed by the stair gallery located in the centre of the villa, includes two bedrooms with private bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a maid’s room, a housekeeping room and a powder room. The terrace sliding doors located on this floor lead to the pool and garden terrace thus the merging the interiors and exteriors.

• Daphne: The entrance floor of these 640-sq-m villas includes a master bedroom with a private terrace and bathroom and a guest room with a private bathroom. The garden floor includes a living room with panoramic views, two bedrooms each with a private bathroom, a maid’s room, a kitchen, a dining room and a powder room. The tall sliding glass doors of the bedrooms on this floor open onto the private infinity pool and the spacious terrace area.

• Magnolia: The largest of the villas with 760 sq m of living space, Magnolia units include a specially designed guest suite featuring a private terrace and a separate main entrance. The entrance floor has a master bedroom suite, with a private living room, terrace, dressing room, bedroom and bathroom. The garden floor, accessed by a stair gallery, includes a spacious dining and living room with panoramic views, a separate dining area, a kitchen, a study, two bedrooms with private bathrooms, a maid’s room and guest bathrooms.

• Apartments: The apartments offer spacious units all oriented with their glass-clad facades towards the turquoise waters of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas and pine and olive tree clad hills. Available in four different sizes, they offer individual privacy, yet together create the warm atmosphere of a neighbourhood community.

The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum – access within which is facilitated by a whopping 7 km of internal roads – will also have social facilities and clubhouses, private decks, outdoor infinity pools and boat mooring facilities allocated to residents. In addition, there will be 5 km of trekking paths and two tennis courts.

Mandarin Oriental’s legendary services such as 24-hour concierge and security, in-residence catering, daily housekeeping services, and preferred access to hotel restaurants and bars will also be at the disposal of the residents.

According to the developer, most of the 600,000-sq-m land area will be rehabilitated with more than 500,000 new plants and trees planted. Adding to its green credentials is the fact that the development will produce its own drinking water, with the help of biological treatment systems, and waste water will be recycled and used in recreational areas. Transportation within the complex will be with electric buggies.

Commenting on the successes of The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, chairman of Astas Holding Verdat Asci says: “Turkish cities are soon expected to replace Paris and London in terms of property investments from the Gulf states as I expect the price of luxury property in Turkey to increase by 20 to 30 per cent annually, due to a shortage of high-end developments in the country. Therefore, I believe that the Residences at the Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum will soon become a leading resort destinations in the Mediterranean for Arab nationals.”

Asci says investors from the GCC are showing strong interest in the project. It is close to the waterfront village of Göltürkbükü, which has picturesque narrow streets, waterside restaurants and a peaceful bay. Göltürkbükü is also a popular stopover destination for the super yachts that sail along the Turkish-Mediterranean coast. The resort is a 45-minute drive from Milas-Bodrum airport and 30 minutes from the centre of Bodrum.

“There has been an overall 50 per cent increase in sales (nearly 10 per cent from the UAE) for the project since May 2012, when the Turkish government passed the law in parliament, which enables foreign citizens to buy property in Turkey. A total of 183 countries, including all the Gulf states can now acquire real estate,”

He says villa and resident owners are from 23 different countries. “Some 30 per cent of the sales have been made to international clients and the remaining 70 per cent Turkish,” he adds.

About 70 per cent of the property has been sold with the remaining 30 per cent planned to be finished by May 2014.

 

Resort

The Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum resort’s guestrooms and suites will also incorporate the chain’s guest-centred technology and entertainment systems.

Offering the finest dining in the region, Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum will have a selection of six restaurants and bars including al fresco waterside dining, a stylish lobby lounge, poolside bar and a signature Mandarin Oriental cake shop. The resort will also offer a 135-seat ballroom and a further five function rooms.

An all-encompassing spa at Mandarin Oriental is expected offer the most comprehensive range of wellness, beauty and massage treatments available in the region. Built on a hillside ridge overlooking a lush valley and the sea, the 2,700-sq-m spa will benefit from a secluded location with its own private beach and feature 10 spacious treatment rooms, including three couples’ suites, built as private cabanas with expansive terraces set in the cascading Mediterranean landscape.

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