Come Home To… A Beachside Residence On Phuket

After blossoming in 1980s America, the branded-residence concept has now taken off on Thailand’s holiday island. Gary Jones reports.

- Gary Jones

When The SherryNetherland threw open its ornate, etched-glass doors on Fifth Avenue in 1927, the magnificent new hotel quickly attracted Manhattan’s high society to what was one of the Big Apple’s first Art Deco skyscrapers.

The hotel rapidly earned its reputation for tip-top standards of service and soon began catering to the varied needs of the luxurious apartments that also nestled in the 38-storey tower. And so the concept of the pampered and prestigious “branded residence” was born.

Almost a century on, real estate giants Savills and Knight Frank both estimate that there are now about 400 branded-residence projects operating in more than 60 countries. Each houses a collection of high-status homes in a variety of configurations in prime locations. All leverage the star power of a respected, sought-after brand name.

While a handful are aligned with designer fashion labels that include Versace, Armani and Bvlgari – and there are even Aston Martin and Porsche-branded residences in Florida – the bulk are affiliated with hotel chains (84 per cent of the global total, according to Savills’ Spotlight: Branded Residences 2020 report – Marriott International alone has 60 branded residences planned for coming years).

Branded residences not only provide the investor with an opportunity to buy into an upscale brand’s hard-won fame, but also cover a myriad of the grubby, glamour-free duties that usually come bundled with a second home, including ongoing maintenance and round-the-clock security, even in the owner’s absence, and drumming up a healthy return on investment through managed rentals.