Kenmare/from €1.45m: Buy one of 18 luxury apartments being built in the grounds of an exclusive Co Kerry hotel and you'll have a choice of a Mini Cooper, a Harley Davidson or a cellar full of wine. Fiona Tyrrell reports
Well-heeled buyers seeking a holiday home in Kenmare with five-star facilities close by will be interested in the launch of a scheme of apartments being built in the grounds of the The Park hotel.
The Park, run by brothers Francis and John Brennan, is known for its old-fashioned welcome and prides itself on simply catering to its resident guests - there are no conference rooms and there is a strict guest-only policy at the hotel's spa, Sámas.
Now the welcome is set to be extended to a select group with the launch of The Retreats, a scheme of apartments with interiors by David Linley. Prices start at €1.45 million for first-floor units going up to €2 million for rooftop suites.
In an unusual sales pitch, owners will be offered a gift to go with their new home - the list includes a Mini Cooper, a Harley Davidson, a Bose home entertainment system and a fully stocked wine cellar.
Set in the woods around the Victorian hotel, each of the 18 apartments is named after a tree found on the hotel's 12 acres of parkland. Two-bedroom apartments are generous in size with over 150sq m (1,650sq ft) of living space.
Ground floor garden apartments have private gardens and an optional spa pool. Rooftop suites have a veranda and private rooftop garden. First floor suites have large verandas.
All apartments have an open-plan livingroom/diningroom/kitchen, a "lifestyle" studio (wired as a music or home cinema room) and a 1,000-bottle walk-in wine cellar.
Designed with couples in mind, the apartments have two en suite double rooms and an additional guest bathroom.
Oppermann Associate Architect, which designed the Sámas spa, has come up with a low-key contemporary look using local limestone, native woods and floor-to-ceiling windows.
David Linley, nephew of Queen Elizabeth , has designed the interiors, which will be optional for buyers. Drawing on the natural colour palette of the woodland setting, interiors will have wall surfaces imported from Italy, cashmere and silk carpets and Linley's trademark bespoke furniture.
Standard features in The Retreats include walnut floors, SieMatic kitchens, Gaggenau appliances, steam ovens, integrated coffee machines, a panic button to the hotel, gas fires in the livingrooms and stone floors in bathrooms and halls.
Keen to maintain the exclusivity of the estate, the Brennans will include a clause in the contracts preventing owners renting out their apartments. Services available at The
Retreats will include 24-hour concierge services to home maintenance packages. Residents will have full use of the hotel's facilities.
Two underground car-park spaces and an underground storage unit come with each apartment.
The Park is located on the edge of the pretty heritage town of Kenmare which has been voted one of the top places to retire to by Forbes magazine. It has the distinction of having more restaurants than pubs (12 of the 44 restaurants in the town are mentioned in the Michelin Guide).
