Tucked away in Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) is the Banyan Tree Residences, Hillside Dubai, a luxury residential development bearing the stamp of the Banyan Tree Group, the global premium developer in the hotel and spa sector. The resort is being developed in partnership with Dubai-based property developer, Sweid & Sweid, and is already attracting interest from investors and buyers due to its unique living and community concept.
Banyan Tree Residences is a gated community where the single 32-storey building occupies only 10 per cent of the 110,000-sq-ft site; the rest of the plot is assigned to create a luxury experience, incorporating elements of the Banyan Tree brand. This includes an exclusive clubhouse and spa, a two-storey gym, an indoor squash court, children’s pool and play area and a poolside café, a massive underground parking area for the residents and an extensive landscaping area. There will also be the globally renowned Banyan Tree spa that will have two dedicated massage therapists onsite. The Dh600 million project is set for completion in the third quarter of 2019 and the launch of the project will take place in the first quarter.
PW spoke to Maher Sweid, managing partner of Sweid & Sweid, to understand more about the project. Excerpts of the interview.
Tell us more about the project specifications.
Banyan Tree Residences sits on DMCC but it is removed from the rest of the DMCC with a dedicated road that leads to Hillside Dubai. With 244 residences, allotted between one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The ground floor duplex apartments have their own private outdoor gardens. The three full-floor penthouses boast of amazing of 4.5 metre ceiling heights, 360 degree views of Dubai skyline, spacious terraces and cantilevered pools.
All the apartments have floor to ceiling windows to maximise the breath-taking views of the Dubai skyline. Depending on which side your apartment is facing, you can take in the views of the Jumeirah Lake Towers skyline, the Emirates Golf Course, Emirates Hills, and Montgomerie Golf Course.
How did the partnership between Sweid & Sweid and Banyan Tree happen?
For the Banyan Tree Residences project, we were certain that we didn’t want to go for a cookie cutter styled homes. We wanted to evoke a sense of luxury with extraordinary ancillary facilities. We felt that we could add value to the development by finding the right operator who had a strong luxury hospitality background and would be able to partner with us to create an environment fit for urban residential living. When Banyan Tree came on to our radar, we knew that we would be a perfect fit as we shared similar ethos of creating open spaces with a luxury resort feel.
There is a lot of attention to interiors from bathroom faucets to kitchen fixtures.
Our background is in the field of interiors. We have brought that passion into this residential development, paying special attention to details in each room. So, for example, for the bathrooms, we used Grohe fixtures as well as Villeroy and Boch sanitary ware. In the kitchen we’ve used quartz and Zebrano wood detailing. We’re also manufacturing custom made tiles that are 1.2 metres each. Moreover, Banyan Tree was involved in the design process right from the beginning. They sent their experts to ensure that the development meets their brand standards and criteria.
Considering there’s a lot of floor to ceiling glass in the project as well as extensive landscaping, how will you maximise energy efficiency?
We have actually invested in technology where all the watering of the landscaping will be done through recycled greywater and AC condensation. With regards to the usage of glass, from the early days of concept design, we wanted floor to ceiling glass so that the residents would enjoy the spectacular views of the city. We decided upon open spaces to let the light in, coupled with the high ceilings.
In addition, from an extreme temperatures point of view, especially in the summer, we wanted the owners to be comfortable in their home environment and that meant that we would need to upgrade the quality of the glass. We’ve now settled to use high quality Belgian glass for the façade to meet these specifications.
When are you launching sales?
We are officially launching sales in the first quarter of 2018. The on-site sales centre and show home will be completed by then. The sales centre is a two storey building with a view of the whole community so that prospective buyers can grasp the sense of scale of the development, as well as the location and the views.
What are the other benefits owners will enjoy?
There’s one thing that I’d like to highlight from a property management perspective. In terms of maintaining the development when the units are sold, buyers can be certain that Banyan Tree will continue to remain heavily involved in day-to-day operations of the development. This is in keeping with their philosophy and ours.
