Property and travel news round-up

Furniture included in the price

Interior of a Ville degli Olivi property

To celebrate the launch of Realitalia’s new web site, the company has created a promotion for people who sign a Preliminary Contract at Ville degli Olivi in Tuscany before July 31, 2010. They will gain – included in the price of their Italian home – a Realitalia Furniture Package.

The Realitalia Furniture Packages are a customized selection of fittings and furniture designed to make their Italian home fully enjoyable from day one. Owners can decide on colors and style to create their own perfect home. An example of these Furniture Packages can be seen in the new Realitalia.co.uk Portfolio section:

The offer means that for the 3-bedroom garden flat ‘Basilico’, buyers will be able to obtain a complete Furniture Package that costs €37,000 included in the price.

This is an excellent time to buy since people who do so will be able to take maximum advantage of the Realitalia Design Options. This means that owners can deal directly with Realitalia’s team without the need to manage and deal with the construction.

The first phase of delivery is expected for the spring of 2011.

Ville degli Olivi

One bedroom apartments from circa £200,000

Two bedroom apartments from circa £ 250,000

Three bedroom apartments from circa £ 420,000

For more information, contact: http://www.realitalia.co.uk/en/portfolio

New facilities under construction in St Lucia

St Lucia's lifestyle is receiving a major boost

St Lucia, part of the Windward Islands chain in the West Indies, is aiming to attract second-home owners with plans for a new airport terminal and upscale facilities such as a new casino (the first for the island), a multi-million pound shopping mall and super-yacht marina.

The Minister of Tourism, Allen Chastanet, explains that the quality of life is changing for the better in St Lucia and services are developing to support a higher-end lifestyle for property owners and travelers. The news has been welcomed by luxury developments such as The Landings, an exclusive development of private residences based close to the new amenities.

St Lucia has always been a popular sailing destination with many boats starting there and heading to the Grenadines. Now with the opening of new super yacht facilities at Rodney Bay Marina, the new facilities can take yachts on 32 dedicated berths up to 250 feet in length.

The Government has announced plans recently to construct a new terminal with all modern amenities at the Hewanorra International Airport in Vieux-Fort. Work started on the new terminal in January 2010 and it will take two years to complete.

The Baywalk Shopping Mall in Rodney Bay is another development in the north of the island that is close to completion. There will be two floors of retail shops including some of the world’s best brands and St. Lucia’s first casino which is opening in July 2010.
The Landings has just launched a new phase of beachfront apartments. Each property features a fully equipped high-end kitchen with premium-brand appliances, a spacious living room, dining room, cloakroom, bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and four poster beds, two balconies or a landscaped terrace.

Properties at The Landings start at $550,000 for a 1-bedroom residence and the new beachfront residences range in price from $1.8 million (£1.18M) to $3.5 million (£2.24M).

Canary Island Upgrades

Lanzarote’s leading resort rejuvenated at a cost of over €16 million

Puerto del Carmen is receiving major investment

Nick Ball of www.lanzaroteguidebook.com reports that work on the €16 million project to rejuvenate Puerto del Carmen, the largest resort on Lanzarote, is now drawing to a close. Over the last 12 months, island tourist authorities have followed through on their promise to improve facilities and amenities in the popular tourist destination in order to compete with other holiday hot spots, such as Egypt and Turkey.

Puerto del Carmen has long been the engine room of the island’s tourist industry, accounting for the bulk of the 1.3 million foreign arrivals who visit Lanzarote each year. The project has encompassed a number of measures including improvements to the main seafront promenade and the transformation of the Old Town harbour area into a luxury marina.

High Speed Hook Up For Canary Islands

Tenerife, Gran Canaria and La Palma are all set to benefit from a major multi-million euro project which will deploy a new submarine cable between the islands and Cadiz on the mainland.

Delivering high-speed Internet services and improved connectivity for the benefit of consumers, public administration services and research facilities, the project is the result of collaboration between Alcatel-Lucent and CanaLink and is scheduled for completion as early as the first half of next year.

“This project is a significant contribution to the regional communications infrastructure and socio-economic development by permitting diversified accessibility to cost-effective services,” said Alfonso Gajate, president of IslaLink and CanaLink.

Stated Philippe Dumont, head of Alcatel-Lucent’s submarine network activity. “With this project, CanaLink will have access to advanced technologies and rely on the bandwidth availability required to make end-users enjoy the best communications experience possible.”

Free travel guide to Cyprus

Pick up tips about family favourite Cyprus before you go

Specialists in luxury holidays, Sovereign.com have introduced the first of a new series of unique travel guides, ‘The Insider’s Guide to…’ The first of the four-page guides focuses on Cyprus and can be downloaded free on the Sovereign Holidays website.

The Insider’s Guide to Cyprus will provide holidaymakers with a handy guide on where to go, what to see and hidden delights on the popular island of Cyprus. Travel tips come from hoteliers and the in-resort concierge team to provide an informative guide direct from those who live there.

The guide also includes handy phrases, recommends traditional Cypriot food and drink, days out for the family, best beaches and provides a list of some of the most popular festivals holidaymakers can combine with their trip.

The Insider’s Guide to Cyprus has been designed for visitors to pack in their hand luggage. It is split into four distinct sections, so even if a holiday will only be spent in the larger resorts of Paphos or Limassol, holidaymakers can still benefit from resident’s knowledge and insider tips on where to go, what to see and where to eat.

To download the free guide, visit the Cyprus holidays page at: www.sovereign.com

Portugal’s Silver Coast sees the launch of new resort Falésia D’El Rey

Praia del Rey resort

Well-known international developer, the Beltico Group, owners of Praia D’El Rey Golf & Beach Resort on Portugal’s Silver Coast, announce the approval of their next five star golf and leisure resort, Falésia D’El Rey.

“Praia D’El Rey Golf and Beach Resort put the Silver Coast on the map”, says Beltico Chairman Stuart Swycher. “Now, with the launch of our next project Falésia D’El Rey, we aim to repeat our success, and introduce even more people to the barefoot luxury lifestyle of the Silver Coast”.

Falésia D’El Rey is a spectacular 230-hectare front-line ocean site, right on the cliffs overlooking the sea and beaches of the nearby Óbidos lagoon. Here Beltico will develop a 5-star luxury resort, with an 18-hole links golf course and golf clubhouse, a 5-star contemporary hotel overlooking the sea plus a boutique hotel with spa, swimming pools, tennis courts, shops, exercise circuits and more.

Declared a Project of National Interest by the Portuguese authorities, at Falésia D’El Rey 475 luxury properties will be created around the new golf course which is designed by the world renowned American golf course architect Pete Dye, with front line ocean views and ranging from apartments (192) and townhouses (205) to luxury detached villas (78).

For more details, go on-line at: www.praia-del-rey.com