08.3.2007

New World thrill, old-world charm

Manhattan's buzz and Switzerland's tranquillity could soon be yours, discovers Jenny Knight
Buying in one of the world's most vibrant cities, particularly New York's Manhattan, is a sure-fire investment winner in the long term - but sadly the entry level is too high for most.

New York storey: all you want is here
Take Park Avenue Place in Midtown East, which offers all the high-end extras, 24-hour attended lobby, doorman and concierge, parking, a leisure club with restaurant, bar, fitness studio, private dining rooms, meeting places and a library lounge. There is also a spa, sauna and steam rooms, changing rooms, face and body therapies and a beauty salon with a hydration bar.

But prices are eye-watering, even for Londoners. You'll pay from £456,000 for studios to just over £5 million for the penthouses for the 16 flats currently available. For that money you get Brazilian cherry hardwood floors throughout, good ceiling heights, Bosch washing machines and dryers, black granite kitchen worktops and floors, sub-zero refrigerators, wine coolers, Miele dishwashers, and espresso makers.

Contact Philip Barker, Overseas Homesearch, 0800 652 0769 or philip@overseashomesearch.co.uk
Second chance for a swiss belle

The National Hotel in Montreux, on the banks of Lake Geneva, has been empty for the past 20 years, but now the Belle Epoque building has been converted into high-end flats with an average price of £750,000. The minimum reservation fee is £40,000 plus a deposit, but investment in Switzerland is so keen at the moment that the development is selling quickly.


National treasure: the iconic hotel, now converted to high-spec flats, overlooks Lake Geneva
The National is on a slope overlooking the clear waters of Lake Geneva and its mountain backdrop and now houses 16 flats. In three new buildings with complementary architecture are another 60 flats, ranging from one to five bedrooms.
Facilities include a spa, 'wellness' centre, private club, commercial space and a business centre with secretarial services - evidence that many buyers are expected to be spending city bonuses.

Sean Collins, managing director of PURE International, which is marketing the properties, says: "The National is an iconic building and the only development available for sale to non Swiss property buyers on the Swiss Riviera. We expect interest from UK, American and Russian buyers as well as those from the Middle East who visit Montreux to enjoy the temperate summer climate. An additional appeal is Switzerland's financial strength and discretion, and the potential tax benefits to permanent residents."

Flats will be ready in 2009. Prices range from £276,000 for a one-bed apartment to £1,338,000 for a four-bed apartment.
Contact PURE International, pureintl.com
Bank on Bansko
Galliard Homes, the Essex builder, has launched its first international development - an apart-hotel in Bansko, the ski and golf resort in Bulgaria.

The developer is known for brilliant marketing and for conjuring queues of people desperate to buy. The launch of Pirin Spa in Bansko was no different. More than 100 flats were sold on the launch day at the Hilton Hotel in Canary Wharf. There will be two buildings, one with private flats and the other with apart-hotel investment suites managed and let by Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts. The studios, one and two-bedroom flats cost from £32,995. Prices in the apart-hotel are from £38,995 with a seven per cent net in come guarantee for two years.