After the beautification of the surroundings and the creation of superlative villas and the exclusive lakeside club at The Beach, the latest evolution in the unique offering of La Reserva Club de Sotogrande is Village Verde, a beautifully styled and conceived community of luxury apartments and penthouses that extends the country club’s lifestyle concept.
It all began with a change at the helm, when a noted European-based real estate private equity fund specialising in developing luxury destination brands acquired Sotogrande S.A. and began a process of improvement and beautification that forms part of a long-term vision whose ultimate goal is to make Sotogrande one of the very finest luxury residential-tourist destinations in Europe.
They didn’t select this master-planned resort by accident, but fully realised the value of its unique pedigree and potential – something Sotogrande CEO Marc Topiol has been building upon as he opens a new golden chapter in the area’s history. “We have a long term vision to create something very special here, but the beauty of Sotogrande is that it comes with a very proud heritage, so we’re enhancing the stature and appeal of a Bentley or Audemars Piguet in ‘resort’ terms, and certainly not starting from scratch.”
For this reason, the brand and its associated offering have been carefully curated to not break with the past, but build upon what is a singularly rich tradition and unique DNA. “Sotogrande is a very special place, offering space, security, excellent infrastructure and understated sophistication, to which we are adding world-class amenities and properties. The aim? – to create the kind of lifestyle offering that you would be hard-put to find anywhere else in Europe.”
A Sotogrande Lifestyle Half an Hour from Marbella
The Sotogrande lifestyle is all about space, exclusivity, views, five-star resort living within country surroundings, upmarket amenities and stylish traditions, as well as family living within an exclusive environment. It is a tasteful antidote to the occasional brashness of Marbella, but at half an hour is also fully complementary with it, and as such appeals to a select kind of clientele that loves to dip its toe in the excitement of a place like Marbella, but enjoys to live in a place where children can roam freely and safely.
“This, in a nutshell, is what La Reserva Club de Sotogrande is all about: a private residential club that caters to people in search of relaxation and special moments within a quality environment,” says Marc Topiol, “and it is around this concept that the amenities and indeed the style and brand values of La Reserva Club de Sotogrande are being lovingly crafted.” Indeed, much like an artist creates a sculpture or painting, he is nurturing a great work of art in ‘service’ terms, having overseen the upgrading of the already exclusive golf component of La Reserva Club and the creation of the unique inland sports lagoon, private beach and its full service beach club.
Village Verde
At the heart of the new community that is being created here are property projects that eschew the Costa del Sol norm and catch the eye. “That’s because they are conceived from within the same philosophy that is giving shape to the rest of La Reserva Club de Sotogrande,” says Sean Woolley, “and that is: to offer a superlative quality of life within beautiful natural surroundings. Quite frankly, the epitome of the country club, but within a modern context.” As the CEO of Cloud Nine Spain, a specialised property agency, and an expert in positioning luxurious new developments, Sean is working closely with Sotogrande S.A. to manage the product development, commercialisation and marketing of Village Verde, a project that follows in the footsteps of the grand modern villas which form part of El Mirador and The Seven – the latter being a superlative offering of seven singular homes set within a private parkland landscape.
“Marc and his team are passionate, creative people who don’t follow trends but have a very clear focus and direction in creating environments of superlative offering,” says Sean, whose team is managing the new La Reserva Club Discovery Centre on Marbella’s Golden Mile. “In everything, from the design and layout of this stylish office to the beautifully conceived two to four-bedroom apartments and penthouses at Village Verde – and the fantastic amenities available on-site – it is clear that they go that little bit further than anyone else, thinking, creating and caring more with the clear ambition of offering something that truly stands out.”
This is visible in the advanced yet timeless architectural styling, the well-balanced proportions, innovative layout with spacious open-plan flow and rounded wrap-around terraces, the quality finishing, unique features, sustainable credentials, and also the greenery that surrounds this ‘green village’. “You will find the full range of luxuries modern buyers demand, but just taken to the next level of detail, and complete with such lifestyle features as walking tracks and picnic zones within your own landscaped parkland.” If it seems that the properties at Village Verde are somehow different that is because they are an extension of the design and service philosophy that conceived and created such iconic lifestyle landmarks as The Beach and The Seven.
WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SOTOGRANDE S.A.