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    A First Look at The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences in The Bahamas

    You can now permanently live in one of the world’s most glamorous resort communities. 

    A quick jaunt from Miami, the famed Ocean Club, now a Four Seasons Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, has long been an escape for the world’s elite. The Ocean Club first opened in 1962 and, thanks to its wealthy and well-connected bon vivant businessman owner Huntington Hartford II, immediately became the ultimate Caribbean getaway for a glamorous assortment of international jet-setters and multi-millionaires, Hollywood A-listers, and European royalty. Slim Aarons was a regular; The Beatles recorded a video here; and Zsa Zsa Gabor was a frequent patron. In 2017, Four Seasons was brought in to brand and manage the property, as well as expand the resort’s offerings while honoring its venerable legacy.

    Floor-to-ceiling windows open to covered terraces.

    Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas

    “The Ocean Club has that beautiful, elegant, understated sense of tranquility that very few places get, especially in Nassau or Paradise Island,” says Reid Boren, managing partner at Two Roads Development, a partner on the project. “There’s a really loyal following for The Ocean Club, and families have been coming here for generations.” 

    The brand recently unveiled the soon-to-come Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas, in partnership with Two Roads Development and Access Real Estate to bring a new ownership opportunity to the Bahamas. Set to open in 2027, the 67 turnkey residences will sit in close proximity to the hotel and will be managed by Four Seasons. The residences, designed by SB Architects and Champalimaud Design, will contain between two and five bedrooms and span from a roomy 3,124 to a commodious 7,459 square feet. There will also be a select number of penthouses measuring almost 5,300 square feet, each with a private pool.

    Pricing ranges from $6.5 million to $23 million, and, when not in use, owners can opt to put their Bahamian getaways into a vacation rental pool. 

    “The residential aspect is an experience that regular guests of The Ocean Club want,” he says. “When you’re there, you have your own home and space with your family and friends, yet you can still feel like you’re at the resort.”

    A spacious ocean view terrace is the perfect spot for alfresco meals.

    Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas

    Each home will have a neutral color palette infused with warm, organic materials and will feature a sophisticated take on classic, relaxed Bahamian style, with subtle hints of pink blush in the stonework, stately columns, and deep terraces. There will be seamless access to the outdoors from nearly every room.

    The residences are split between four low-rise structures with beachfront villas along the first levels of each building. At the center of the residential complex is an expansive resident-only pool area and pool deck with a private clubhouse and private cabanas. There’s also direct beach access. 

    The residences will be separate from the resort and have a dedicated team exclusively to service the residents. There will also be a bevy of exclusive amenities in addition to the pool, including an owners’ library, a wine cellar and rum room, a co-working space, a children’s playroom, a media room, indoor and outdoor spa treatment rooms, a fitness center, a beachfront restaurant and bar, and private dining rooms.

    The many amenities include a resident-only library.

    Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas

    Should you want to visit the resort, residents have access to the legendary Ocean Club’s five-star amenities. In addition to three swimming pools and Versailles-inspired gardens that showcase a 12th-century Augustinian cloister, there’s the restaurant Dune, helmed by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, six Har-Tru tennis courts, and eight Balinese-style spa villas. The resort also offers daily yoga and Pilates, as well as a shuttle service to an 18-hole Tom Weiskopf-designed championship golf course.

    The Ocean Club isn’t your typical Four Seasons Resort; it’s infused with period details, European-style gardens, and glamorous grounds. There’s a 12th-century Augustinian cloister and impeccable gardens modeled after Versailles. It’s also set along a five-mile stretch of pristine, white-sand beach.

    Click here for more photos of The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas.

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    Paradero’s First Branded Residences Are Coming to Todos Santos Next Year

    Paradero Todos Santos is expanding its hospitality footprint. The eco-minded Baja California resort just unveiled a set of branded residences that will offer the privacy of your very own home away from home with all the perks of a luxury boutique hotel.  

    In addition to its 41 existing hotel suites, there will be 24 lavish residences that are slated to launch in summer 2024. The new accommodations will be largely geared towards family trips or group travel and will range from one- to three-bedroom homes, so there’s plenty of space to spread out.

    The units will be open for guest bookings, which means they’re not available to purchase like a typical branded residence. Instead, they’ll be available like a hotel, with a minimum two-night stay. Nightly rates have yet to be announced, but given their size and flexibility to host larger groups, expect them to run more than a typical suite at the hotel, where high-season rates start at around $600 per night.

    Each Brutalist-style residence will be decked out with a fully equipped kitchen that sports a traditional lava rock Oaxacan oven. Plus, all the homes will feature rooftop terraces (hot tub included!), star-gazing nets, and private pools on the ground floor. Residence guests will also be able to take part in an exclusive offering dubbed “the learning table,” which will include chef-run cooking classes and tastings for the entire group.  

    Paradero originally opened its doors on the Baja California Sur peninsula in Mexico in February 2021 and was founded by Pablo Carmona and Joshua Kremer. The property prides itself on preserving the desert landscape that surrounds it, and the wellness-focused, design-forward retreat allows guests to take part in everything from guided hikes to surfing lessons, yoga, farming tutorials, and curated catamaran sailings around the Sea of Cortez.

    Also making its debut next year will be Cosimo, the residence’s on-site Italian restaurant. The eatery, which is currently in the works, is said to be inspired by Puglia and Sicily and will highlight local produce and purveyors. Other additions to the five-acre property include state-of-the-art facilities geared towards younger children and teens alike, which will offer activities such as skating and bouldering. 

    “This new development represents a meaningful expansion of the existing Paradero Todos Santos brand and will usher in a new era of family-oriented travel through never-before-seen comfort for large groups traveling together,” the resort said in a press statement.  More

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    Forget Florida. Retirees Are Moving Overseas and Settling Down in Dubai.

    When many people in the U.S. think of retirement, they often imagine the wide beaches and crystalline waters of Florida. However, more and more retirees are being lured by more far-flung locales, such as the ritzy city of Dubai.

    The UAE metropolis has had a surge in pensioners looking to relocate abroad, and for some pretty compelling reasons, too. Aside from year-round sunshine, the gleaming urban desert paradise is known for its dazzling skyline, beautiful beaches, internationally acclaimed golf courses, and bustling arts and culture scene. Another chief attraction is the country’s citizenship programs, which make securing long-term residency available through investing in real estate.  

    “Although Dubai is not a typical retirement destination like Greece and Spain, we are seeing an increasing number of retirees settling in Dubai,” Maximilian Stamm, head of Engel & Völkers Private Office EMEA, tells Mansion Global. “Recent changes in government regulations have enabled residents to secure long-term golden visas and residencies, making it easier for retirees to stay in the city.” 

    Full-time and part-time retirees have a variety of housing options, from amenity-rich high-rise condos to swanky beachfront villas and epic mega-mansions. Prices range from $800,000 to more than $10 million, depending on the home’s size and the neighborhood. “Retirees seeking opulent living experiences usually live in Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Marina, Dubai Hills Estates, and Downtown Dubai,” Stamm adds. “These locations offer breathtaking views, accessibility to world-class amenities, and various leisure activities.” 

    More retirees are moving overseas and buying property in Dubai.

    David Cannon/Getty Images

    According to Honey Deylami, executive partner at Luxhabitat Sotheby’s International Realty in Dubai, branded residences are especially popular among retirees because of their five-star hotel-like offerings. Think on-site wellness facilities, Olympic-sized swimming pools, tennis courts, and lavish spas. Recently, a not-yet-built penthouse sold for a record-breaking $115 million. The unit is located within the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab resort, which will feature a 387-room hotel, 82 residences, and a superyacht marina when it’s complete. 

    For active types, the Arabian city has no shortage of recreational options, including horseback riding, golf, indoor skiing, padel tennis, and kayaking. And if your goal is to simply relax and enjoy your golden years, you’ve got one of the world’s most glamorous cities at your fingertips. “From swanky rooftop bars to trendy Michelin-starred restaurants, the city truly offers a vibrant social scene that caters to all tastes,” notes Stamm.   More