London is awash with spectacular prime properties, and following the change to the UK's travel rules, it is now much easier for travellers from the UAE to come and see them.
The National's London luxury property series serves to whet the appetite, and this month, a five-bedroom Notting Hill townhouse with a Hollywood twist is the star.
Featured property
Westbourne Park Villas, Notting Hill, W2 – £12.5 million ($16.9m)
The key details
Five-bedroom townhouse among Notting Hill’s most unusual properties.
Its idiosyncratic layout includes a raised multi-tonal parquet ground floor and two reception rooms.
An industrial themed kitchen-diner marries emerald green cabinets, stainless steel and state-of-the-art appliances.
More London luxury property
There are few purposes the townhouse doesn't cater to. Boasting a steel-framed extension, a huge entertainment room, a home office and a south-facing library – prospective owners can read and bask in the sun at the same time.
Of the five bedrooms, the standout is naturally the master suite which stretches across the second floor, where a mezzanine makes the most of the vaulted double-height ceilings. Storage spans from wall to wall and two walk-in wardrobes keep it organised.
There are also two enviable options in the bathroom for daily ablutions: a Corsican marble deep-seated bath, and a twin vanity and steel-framed shower.
Back on the ground floor, French doors lead out on to a spacious garden replete with a terrace, basketball court, hot tub and sauna – a truly multifunctional entertainment space.
The garden also offers a taste of Tinseltown with an LA-style guesthouse – although this isn't the first time the area has made a harmonious match with Hollywood, as fans of late-1990s Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts romcom Notting Hill will attest.
What the broker says
What makes the property stand out from the crowd?
There are many things that make this house stand out but the garden is the one I’d highlight. At about 140 feet by 80ft, it will be among the largest private gardens in Notting Hill and at its level of maturity, there’s a woodland feel to it.
Within the tiered green space, there’s a basketball court, a fire pit, a traditional sauna and hot tub. At the back is an LA-style studio house, a rare feature in this part of London.
Are there similar homes in London?
Not that I’ve seen in 20-plus years. I’ve seen bigger but they tend to be more uniform.
This house is a one-off with its unique interiors, enormous entertainment and cinema space, and discreet position. The homeowner has also knocked through and combined one of the floors with the apartment next door to create a private guest space.
What kind of buyer would the property most suit?
A creative type, a musician perhaps – it's a very inspiring house. Equally, somebody who likes to entertain would feel at home here. It’s got plenty of spaces to host in: the steel-framed extension, the extensive garden, the entertainment room and, of course, overnight guests can easily be accommodated in the studio.
Why is now a good time to buy in London?
In August, London was hailed by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as number one city of choice in its annual quality of life report.
Within London, Notting Hill has been highlighted as a top-10 global neighbourhood for post-pandemic recovery thanks to its world-class retail and entertainment scene.
After a turbulent five years, the London prime market has steadied and is growing again. With a backdrop of cheap debt and a desire for a scene change, the stage is set for a strong few years ahead.
Westbourne Park Villas townhouse agent is Giles Barrett. Head of Sales, Domus Nova
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
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THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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
RESULTS
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
Fixtures:
Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm
Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm
Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm
