Tropical Living Magazine Article - BEAR GRYLLS CLUB PENTHOUSE AT KATA ROCKS

Survivalist Bear Grylls Trades the Mountains for a Penthouse
Tropical Living Magazine June 2009 - 4 page Article 
To read the full article click on the link below.
http://www.tropical-living.com

PROPERTY PROFILE

Survivalist Bear Grylls Trades the Mountains for a Penthouse

STORY : Marie Moon
IMAGES : Courtesy of Kata Rocks

Where does the Discovery Channel’s top wild man go for some downtime? He heads for the rocks - Kata Rocks, Phuket’s newest and most exciting oceanfront apartment development. From the spacious luxury of his Club Penthouse adventurer-survivalist Bear Grylls can leave the bug juice behind and get re-acquainted with the finer side of life.

An Extraordinary Man

   At the tender age of 34 Bear Grylls has already lived an extraordinary life. After a grueling recovery from a parachuting accident in which he broke his back in three places, he became the youngest Briton to climb Mount Everest at the age of 23. He holds the world record for the highest dinner party held below a balloon at 25,000 feet, he has circumnavigated the UK by jet-ski and taken a powered paraglider higher than anyone else over Mount Everest. He has written several books, is an accomplished motivational speaker and was recently voted the seventh coolest guy in Britain!

   Bear is best known for his hit survival programs ‘Man vs. Wild’ and ‘Born Survivor’. Whether it’s lathering himself in animal dung to keep warm or eating live frogs and snakes for sustenance, Bear’s job is to demonstrate how to survive if you have nothing. It is a nice irony then, that he is purchasing a Club Penthouse in a chic, modern development that has everything.

An Extraordinary Site

   The Kata Rocks development occupies the six rai block that sits directly behind what locals call Kata rocks, the enormous natural boulders characteristic of most Kata beach postcards. With Phu Island sitting off-shore in the grand Andaman Sea it is, in this writer’s opinion, the most spectacular west coast site remaining. All of the 34 units planned will offer uninterrupted, 180-degree ocean panoramas, private swimming pool and award-winning contemporary architecture. The development will also include an oceanfront clubhouse with bistro and sunset bar right out on the rocks, a luxury spa, fitness centre and function rooms.

   Developer Richard Pope said, “We are calling our apartments, Sky Villas because they are a cross between a villa and an apartment. They are much larger than most apartments, all having their own swimming pools, a first in Phuket, and there is a maximum of three units in each block giving a very intimate feel. They range from one to four bedrooms and have been designed by Original Vision who won the Best Architect in Thailand award in 2006.”

   The four varieties of Sky Villa are the stand alone one-bedroom Ocean Lofts at 134 sq m (already sold out), the two-bedroom Pool Condos at 191 sq m, the three-bedroom Sky Duplexes at 324 sq m and the premium 460 sq m four-bedroom Club Penthouses that is Bear’s preference.

A Place to Chill

   Richard said, “Bear was introduced to us through one of our customers who knows him very well. He has three young children and so this is a great opportunity for 
his family.”

   Bear told Tropical Living that he is looking forward to getting a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) and going around the various islands surrounding Phuket. One might expect he will do this in a more leisurely fashion than his unassisted crossing of the north Atlantic Arctic Ocean!

   Bear said, “I make a living by doing and eating some pretty disgusting things to show how to stay alive if you are in a survival scenario. But when I want to just chill out with my family and friends, then I try and pick places that are discreet but spectacular. Kata Rocks is both of these in abundance.”

Award-Winning Design

   The 10 penthouses occupy the top two floors of each three-storey block with floorplans that capitalise on the spectacular views at every chance. The upper level contains two equal master bedrooms, each with private Jacuzzi on the balcony. A third bedroom is located on this level and the fourth double bedroom is located on the lower level. All bedrooms have ensuite bathroom, spacious features and offer that amazing sea view.

   Downstairs the 14.1 metre wide open plan living room, dining room and kitchen all lead onto a spacious terrace beside the private 10 x 3.5 metre swimming pool. This outdoor area includes an outdoor sala, an additional dining sala and barbecue kitchen. A maid’s quarters, utility room and owner’s storage area also occupy parts of the lower floor. The interior design is to have an accent of Zen minimalism with clean lines, white airy spaces and sleek modern furniture.

Rock Solid Sales

   The site is so spectacular and the plans so thoughtfully designed that Richard has already agreed sales on 17 of the 34 units. Of the ten Club Penthouses, eight have been snapped up off-plan. The Kata Rocks website features testimonials from the hip young couples who have invested into the Club Penthouses for lifestyle and returns. Bear Grylls’s investment was likewise in part due to the expected rental yields as Richard explained, “I went to visit Bear at his house in England and we spoke about his investment. He basically wants two things out of his investment; lifestyle and investment returns. Like a lot of people with money at the moment, suddenly their income from the banks has been reduced and he just sees this as a better way to get a return on his money.”

   High rental yields are expected with this unrivalled Phuket location, but to guarantee the ‘rock-steady’ returns, Richard is sourcing the best and most experienced service consultants to establish the six-star levels of service required to run Kata Rocks as a high-end boutique resort. Owners will enjoy total flexibility with the rental plan choosing when they would like to use their Sky Villa and when they would like to accrue rental income. Through a web-based system, owners can log on from anywhere in the world and monitor the booking of their unit. This system also enables monitoring of maintenance costs and ordering of anything they would like prior to their arrival. When they arrive the fridge and cupboards are stocked, the champagne is chilled and the good life is ready for living.

   No doubt, Kata Rocks has an extraordinary location, secluded on the headland but close to Kata’s great mix of restaurants and both Kata and Kata Noi beaches. Accordingly the property is very high end. Club Penthouses start from THB 64 million, but for this view, this extremely spacious design, the excellent facilities and services right down on the rocks, it is hard to refuse.

   Bear describes Kata Rocks as “a very special hideaway,” and coming from a man who has been to some of the most spectacular parts of the world, I would take heed.

 

The remaining units are selling 
out quickly, for more information 
www.katarocks.com

     “I make a living by doing and eating some pretty disgusting things to show how to stay alive if you are in a survival scenario. But when I want to just chill out with my family and friends, then I try and pick places that are discreet but spectacular. Kata Rocks is both of these in abundance.”