Haute Residence continued its "Chat with Haute Residence Leaders" series with an exclusive one on one conversation featuring Vasco Borges: CEO of luxury private villa resort Beach Enclave.

He was hosted by Haute Media Group Cofounder Seth Semilof. Watch their conversation below.

The topics included Borges’ illustrious career from CFO of Grace Bay Resorts, Project Director for Water Cay Development, and his eventual ascendancy in luxury real estate as the CEO of Beach Enclave.

Vasco N F Borges has over 20 years of experience in luxury branding, real estate development, and hospitality. As the CEO of Beach Enclave, Borges raised funding, designed, developed, and is presently managing three private villa resorts. Founded in 2013, Beach Enclave is redefining Caribbean beachfront living by offering the privacy and seclusion of your own home with all resort amenities. Borges’ accolades include Best Caribbean development in 2017 by the International Property Awards, #1 Resort in Turks and Caicos by TripAdvisor, and highest average daily rate in Turks and Caicos.

Here are some of the questions and answers from the exclusive interview with Borges.

Seth Semilof: Tell us a little about how you went from college, growing up in Portugal, to the Caribbean.

Vasco Borges: It was absolutely by happenstance. I had done a more traditional career of economics, then I joined this consulting company called McKinsey. When you are a consultant, you get exposed to a lot of industries. There were a few options on the table. One of them was to join a restaurant group in Singapore and the other one was an opportunity to come to the Caribbean to work. I had never been to the Caribbean before, but they promised me a beachfront bedroom in a five star resort, so I came here. It was a vibrant place and I absolutely loved both the real estate and the hospitality component. That is why the idea of building something where people are going to leave with lifestyle experiences, but also hospitality was really, really exciting.

SS: I would love to learn how you came up with the game plan or strategy because you came out and built three different luxury villas. What transpired into that?

VB: At the time, if you wanted to own real estate in Turks and Caicos or the majority of the Caribbean islands, you could either on a condominium or a standalone home. I could not figure out why we could not combine both. You have the great things of a resort, which is all the amenities or services taking care for you, and combine that with the privacy of your home. You really just go in and it is ready for you. I could not convince my employer to do it at the time, so I decided to go in on my own.

SS: What makes Turks and Caicos so amazing? You have not chosen to go to any other Caribbean islands, just mainly stuck to Turks and Caicos.

VB: An amazing combination of things. It has an amazing infrastructure. It has US dollar, UK law, and above all, beautiful beaches. You can have breakfast in New York and lunch on the beach. It is very unusual to get, but we have very low-density development, a fantastic legal setup, and quality people. We are 22 miles outside of Manhattan, so Wall Street is a big part of our market. We are also seeing people coming in droves from New York to New Jersey to the suburbs. We are seeing tremendous movement in Westfield because interest rates are historically low, so it is a win-win.

SS: Where do you see the next 12 months specifically for Turks and Caicos?

VB: We have seen an amazing amount of money coming in and a lot of interest in our homes. We presold all the homes, even before acquiring the land. There is a lot of demand there, particularly for the high-end products. I think that will continue, but also, what you see in some of these locations is this new way with investment that is helping us build more amenities. An expansion of the ecosystem around us helps as that you really need people to come into the islands. Our purpose is continuing to grow because people want everything to be as easy as possible. We are putting together all these protocols and trying to make the experience top, top, top notch for our client.

SS: Where do you see your company in the next five to 10 years as you are expanding the brand?

VB: We are very happy with this location. Being on the best beach, we have some amazing homes coming our way. Maybe we will do something else here, but I think our next wave of growth once we have solidified and built our roster, the team is to go and expand abroad. I think what we have done here can be done in pretty much any location where you have wealth coming in, interest in real estate, and interest in a good lifestyle experience.

For more information, please contact Vasco Borges at 1-866-580-1675 or visit www.beachenclave.com.

To watch more real estate webinars curated by Haute Residence, visit dev.hauteresidence.com.

The post Chat With Haute Residence Leaders, Episode 7: Vasco Borges appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Photo Credit: Dani Abreu

"I am so pleased to introduce Eleonor Jimenez as One Thousand Museum’s Curator of Hospitality, a first-of-its-kind position in the industry," says Jason Kaye, One Thousand Museum’s General Manager. "As the name implies, Eleonor will spearhead and create the hospitality and lifestyle programming for all residents at One Thousand Museum. She was selected from a worldwide search of over 500 candidates. Her incredible passion, skill, cultural background, elegance, and diverse educational and industry background make her the ideal choice for this illustrious role."

Prior to her arrival at One Thousand Museum, Eleonor Jimenez spent the last decade mastering the South Florida landscape at some of the area’s finest properties. Most recently, she supervised the concierge department at The Setai, a Forbes Five-Star hotel in South Beach and established the Lifestyle Department at Jade Signature, a luxury residential property in Sunny Isles Beach. Her dedication to hospitality excellence and her professionalism led to her recruitment as the youngest woman to ever sit on the Board of Advisors of the Luxury Concierge Network.

Eleonor was formally educated at some of the world’s finest hospitality schools, beginning with her degree from the European School of Brussels, Belgium. After her undergraduate studies, she completed a degree in International Hospitality Management at Oxford Brookes University, UK. Eleonor combines her multicultural background, her attention to detail, and her passion for high-quality customer service to deliver a unique brand of luxury client care. Her formal education is buttressed by her impressive knowledge of world culture and travel. She is trilingual, speaking English, French, and Spanish fluently.

Eleonor thrives on creative problem-solving, which earned her a high commendation in London’s Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award while pursuing her higher education. Since then, Eleonor has never ceased to look for innovative ways to improve people’s lives through memorable hospitality experiences.

For more information on the project, visit 1000museum.com.

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Haute Living sat down with Sofio to hear more about revolutionizing architectural design, coining the design/build technique and transforming the House of Blues in a sprawling hotel with one of the top-sounding rooms in Los Angeles.

Acclaimed Designer, John M. Sofio of Built, Inc., Pioneers Design Revolution

Photo Credit: Built, Inc.

John, pioneering a design evolution in Los Angeles, you’ve reconstructed scores of nightclubs and restaurants—reshaping them into iconic spaces. Tell us about this movement.  

We had the opportunity in 2005, and 2006 to work on our first nightclub project called Guy’s Bar, which really set us off in a trajectory of focusing on nightlife as a design concept. From there, we were handed off from client to client. I think one of our strongest suits was that we designed and built the project. We created all of the décor. We delivered projects relatively quickly at a decent price but also with high design.

As President and Founder of Los Angeles-based firm Built, you created the design/build method. How does this approach allow you to better execute projects with consistency?

We wouldn’t do it any other way. The reason for that is when we design something, we start with the client’s overall budget. And then as the designer, we can control the budget because we’ll design into the budget.

What are its design benefits?

The design benefit is the singular thought from the beginning to the end.

Do you see future residential properties using this formula?

Yes, residential is definitely following in the design/build movement. A handful of design/build companies that I know are either an architect who has a partner who is a general contractor or a general contractor who has a draftsman. I’m a designer who builds my own work, and it’s a truthful design/build concept from color, material, furnishings, art objects and architecture. We are exploring that further on our end as well, as we work more and more within the hotel world, like we did with FOUND Hotel Chicago, and most recently the live music venue located in the Pendry Hotel. 

Acclaimed Designer, John M. Sofio of Built, Inc., Pioneers Design Revolution

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Daniels

Transforming iconic restaurants and nightclubs into new concepts with soul, you’ve reshaped destinations that have become staples in the Los Angeles area. Describe the process for reconstructing spaces like STK and Bagatelle into Poppy and Petite Taqueria.  

That’s interesting. That project was specifically tricky because they had different levels that they created for STK and Bagatelle. We stripped down the space back down to its raw bones. We took down the platform, ripped out the bar and started out fresh. A good example of this is where The Peppermint Club is. I built that building, and we did Guy’s Bar there and basically six different venues. Each one was a brand-new version, a brand-new venue. The only way for me to really do something successful there was to strip it down to the studs and start over as a blank space. So, we had six versions of nightlife venues in the same building, and each one was completely different from the last. The key is to move the entry, bar and DJ so there’s no faking it out, and it’s a completely different experience for the guest.

Recently designing The h.wood Group's country club-style sports bar, 40 Love, what project can Los Angeles locals expect to see next?

The one I’m really excited about is we’re replacing the live music venue where the House of Blues was with the Pendry Hotel operated by the Montage Group. In the footprint of the House of Blues, we’re creating a new live music venue for the hotel. We’re really interested in making it the best-sounding room in Los Angeles. The clients have allowed us to explore and punch through the corporate veil of commonality. We’re creating really what we wanted to create there.

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30 Park Place Four Seasons Private Residence

30 Park Place is New York's only Four Seasons' private residences. The entire luxury tower, the tallest condominium tower to grace the downtown skyline at 926 feet with panoramic views, is managed by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Located in Tribeca at the corner of Church Street and Park Place, 30 Park Place is designed by celebrated architect, Robert A.M. Stern, developed by Silverstein Properties, and offers 157 residences in a mix of one- to six-bedrooms. The Four Seasons Hotel sits below the private residences. The hotel is home to CUT by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrity chef and restaurateur’s first and only New York restaurant. 

At 30 Park Place, residents have actual hotel services available 24/7. Featuring nearly 40,000 square feet of amenities, as well as a full suite of hotel services, residents will also enjoy exclusive access to the Four Seasons Director of Residences and dedicated residential concierge, as well as a 24-hour doorman, bellman and service staff focused on providing the bespoke services in keeping with the brand. Best of all, the building offers tailored à la carte services to residents including in-residence dining and catering, housekeeping, grocery and flower provisions, car service and personal, child and pet care, and more.

20 East End Avenue

Courtesy of Hayes Davidson

Another building designed by the architects of luxury, Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), 20 East End is situated in the posh, old-world East End enclave of the Upper East Side. The RAMSA-designed building, both inside and out, has 41 two- to six-bedroom homes, including three triplex townhomes and two full-floor penthouses, along with a multitude of hotel-inspired amenities, such as a private massage treatment room.

Located adjacent to the gorgeous fitness center, the private massage room is completed with a dedicated shower, changing room and Scandinavian-inspired sauna room. With the ease of a building app, residents can book a massage anytime they want. Additionally, 20 East End residents are given a welcome basket when they move in that includes a free massage, a bottle of vintage Dom Perignon, a cashmere blanket from Duxiana Beds, among other goodies. With just an app and an elevator, residents are on their way to total relaxation.

Madison Square Park Tower

At Madison Square Park Tower, the tallest building between Midtown and Lower Manhattan, the 54th floor has been transformed into a luxurious lounge where all residents can entertain and enjoy sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. In a building where full-floor residences sell for upwards of $20 million, this shared amenity allows all residents to experience the perks of penthouse living without the price tag. With interiors by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, known for its work on high-profile hotels and private clubs, including the SoHo Beach House in Miami Beach, the lounge known as FIFTY FOUR includes beautifully appointed seating and dining areas, a demonstration kitchen with the capacity for full cooking, a separate catering kitchen and a cocktail bar. Residents can also reserve the space for private events via the building’s Tower Attaché concierge service, which can also arrange things ranging from dining reservations and theater tickets to fresh flowers for nightly turndown service and scheduling David Kirsch for private training sessions - and much more.

Jardim

Jardim, the Portuguese word for garden, is a fitting name for the first New York building by Isay Weinfeld, the world-renowned Brazilian architect and interior designer. With a canopy of native evergreens and flowering trees, an ultra-private urban park envelops the two 11-story towers that comprise this West Chelsea development. Weinfeld has designed spas and pools for some of the most elegant contemporary resorts in the world, including the Fasano Las Piedras in Punta del Este, Uruguay. He brings that same attention to sensory experience to the amenities at Jardim, where a serene pool surrounded by cool terrazzo floors and warm reclaimed old-growth pine walls opens up to the courtyard gardens with staggered skylights, suffusing the space with sunlight. Additional amenities include a fitness center, massage rooms and a block-long tunnel that acts as a private driveway.

The Kent

Superstar hospitality designer, Alexandra Champalimaud (Beverly Hills Hotel, Raffles Singapore, The Palace Hotel, Four Seasons Jakarta) is at the helm for the interiors of The Kent, a 30-story art deco development located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. In addition to a wide variety of cool amenities, including a pool and sauna, teen room, and sound lounge, The Kent offers a Garden Salon, akin to a hotel’s executive club level lounge, and the Drawing Room, where residents can entertain guests. These spaces were crafted for residents to imbibe, relax and play all while overlooking a beautifully landscaped zen-like courtyard garden by West 8 landscape architects.

The Kent also offers stroller valet service. Residents can have their stored stroller wheeled out prior to their departure and subsequently can leave their strollers with concierge upon their return for both convenience as well as not take up any residential storage space.

One Manhattan Square

Extell’s One Manhattan Square’s amenity spaces were designed by Meyer Davis, the globally recognized design boutique best known for their hospitality projects including the Four Seasons Papagayo, 1 Hotel South Beach, and W Hotel Lakeshore. Known for creating unique and inspirational spaces using bold design and striking details, Bill and Grey Meyer created a vertical village at One Manhattan Square, with an unmatched package of amenities spaces that spans 100,000 square feet.

Resort-like recreation can be found in the two-lane bowling alley, squash court, and state of the art fitness center featuring a weight room, cardio room, as well as yoga and pilates studios.

For relaxation, residents can unwind in a spa that rivals that of the world's top 5-star hotels. Features include a sunken tranquility garden, Hamam with cold plunge pool, private treatment rooms and a hot tub and sauna.

Further entertainment can be found at the building's cellar bar, lounge, wine room, cigar room, billiard room and theater and Performance Space. For foodie residents, a full-service culinary lounge and demonstration kitchen provide the space for both intimate events and larger celebrations.

Two Trees Management

Leading Brooklyn-based property developer Two Trees Management have embraced the hospitality philosophy wholeheartedly. In many of their residential properties, they offer the following services: Handwritten personalized cards at time of move-in along with welcome amenity bags (even personalized with the greeting in the native language of the resident if moving from overseas), pet treats, Welcome to Brooklyn Coloring books for children, stocking of apartment with basic items at time of move-in to create a more enhanced sense of welcome (drinks stocked in fridge, basic cleaning products, toilet paper etc..), birthday gifts and hand-written cards for residents, often personalized based on the residents' interest (drinks at local hotel, a gift certificate at favorite restaurant, a gift card at their favorite coffee shop, a bottle of wine etc.), welcome baskets with Mrs. Meyers product, a monthly wine club membership (Brooklyn Heights only) and even laundry bags.

These luxury buildings harness the ultimate staycation, a vacation for everyday life.

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