If panoramic views are a key feature of your dream home, look no further than this stunning Mallorca property.
Villa Solitaire, located in the Spanish Balearic Island's prestigious Son Vida neighbourhood on the outskirts of Palma, is a residential masterpiece by Milanese architect Matteo Thun.
On the market for €65 million ($77m), this property is currently one of the most expensive on the islands.
Each week, The National showcases some of the finest homes on offer in its international property of the week series. Here we spotlight what makes the sleek and modern property so special.
The key details
Spread across 2,300 square metres, on a 4,250-square-metre plot, this seven-bedroom, six-bathroom property comes fully furnished. It also has a lift, an open-air rooftop cinema, swimming pool and a terrace, with Balearic Sea views.
What's the story?
Built in 2017, this modern masterpiece is billed as "without doubt the most impressive property" on the market.
Villa Solitaire was built as a representation of boat sails floating above the ground. The property is situated on the highest part of Son Vida, and faces south, subsequently offering ample natural light throughout.
The villa has four floors: the ground floor with the living areas; the first floor with suite-style bedrooms that benefit from city views; the panoramic rooftop with an open-air cinema and jacuzzi; and the basement with underground parking. The floors are accessible by stairs or a lift.
Blending indoor and outdoor terraces, the exterior of the property boasts a swimming pool with views over Palma, an outdoor dining area and a fire pit for the cooler autumn and winter evenings.
Moving inside, the floor-to-ceiling windows on the back of the property open out on to the terrace. Inside takes you into a sunken living area, formal and informal dining rooms, a bar and a wine cellar.
The bottom floor contains the basement, with a video art installation, Zen garden, gym, treatment rooms, sauna, Turkish bath and parking space for six cars. It also has two bedrooms that could serve as staff accommodation.
What the brokers say
What makes this property stand out?
Villa Solitaire is located in Son Vida, regarded as the most exclusive residential community in Mallorca, and known locally as the Beverly Hills of the island.
The villa is outstanding in terms of size of the plot, location – high up in the hills of Son Vida – its orientation, amazing views and the provenance of its architect, Thun, who has created a spectacular and elegant design. He also completed the interiors with exceptional quality finishes and design details throughout.
What makes it worth its €65m price tag?
The value of this unique property is in its location in one of the most desirable areas of Son Vida, the size of the plot, the views and the fact that Thun has created a masterpiece of architecture and design.
Do properties of this magnitude come on to the Mallorca market regularly?
In recent years we have seen a handful of ultra-premium properties and estates coming on to the market in Mallorca for about €30m. However, at this price there is nothing quite like Villa Solitaire.
Is Mallorca popular with GCC buyers?
The island has a long association with GCC buyers and especially in Son Vida, where the size of the properties, together with the security and privacy that the area offers, have been compelling factors. Emirati, Saudi and Qatari citizens have owned homes in Son Vida for many years. Most bought older traditional properties of large dimensions. More recently, new Gulf investors are constructing ultra-modern mansions of spectacular proportions.
Son Vida is only a 15-minute drive from Palma’s international airport and private jet terminal, and just a 10-minute drive to Palma’s centre, where there is a great choice of restaurants, shopping and some of the island’s most exclusive marinas and harbours.
Has the coronavirus pandemic affected the Mallorca property market?
Most definitely. The pandemic has re-enforced the island’s safe-haven status, its natural beauty, healthy environment and underlined the importance of its Mediterranean lifestyle, climate and excellent modern infrastructure.
The demand for Mallorca is greater than ever. This is reflected in Engel & Volkers's Mallorca sales figures that are on track to be the best in the company’s 30-year history on the island.
In Son Vida, over the past five years the real estate sector – which has always been at the top end of the island’s market – has further developed towards the ultra-high segment with increasing demand – mainly from overseas buyers – for large, bespoke designer villas.
- Gabriela Munoz, managing owner, Engel & Volkers Son Vida, mallorcasouthwest.com
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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HOW TO WATCH
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Twitter: @thenationalnews
Instagram: @thenationalnews.com
TikTok: @thenationalnews
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
How to book
Call DHA on 800342
Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation text message
Present the SMS and your Emirates ID at the centre
DHA medical personnel will take a nasal swab
Check results within 48 hours on the DHA app under ‘Lab Results’ and then ‘Patient Services’
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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