Why international buyers want supersized sports facilities

Health and wellbeing are the new currency for today’s luxury consumers, with 79% of UK respondents to McKinsey’s latest Future of Wellness survey saying they are now a “top” priority. That is reflected in the international search for homes, with sporting facilities now a crucial consideration. Pools are getting larger and gyms more state-of-the-art, while additions such as golf simulators, saunas and running trails are appearing in high-design private properties. 

“Swimming pools and tennis courts used to be on the ‘nice to have’ list for our clients, but that’s no longer the case,” says Alice Storrie from Savills Global Residential team. “Now they are increasingly seen as essential. In many cases, the absence of good-quality sporting facilities is a deal-breaker.”

It’s part of a trend reported by Savills agents from the south of France to Mallorca and the Algarve. This laser-like focus on a healthy, active lifestyle is shifting priorities, says Storrie. “Health-focused international buyers are often as intent on the quality of the sporting facilities as on the property itself. I have a client whose top priority is tennis – for him, having a private court is as crucial as the desired number of bedrooms. We see it with swimming pools, too. Many buyers don’t just want a pool for splashing around, but will ask for one long enough to swim laps.” 

The ease of working remotely means owners are spending extended periods in their homes abroad, and they expect the same quality and range of facilities as at their primary residence, with enough versatility to keep a mix of generations amused and active.

Storrie points to two properties currently for sale in Mallorca. The first, in Llucmajor, 30 minutes from Palma, has a generously sized pool, a four-hole golf course, a pétanque court and a running trail in the grounds. The second, in Port de Pollença, has a swimming pool on the roof. “In Mallorca, there are restrictions on the percentage of built area you are allowed, and pools count as built area,” says Storrie. “In this house, the client wanted a large property and a pool big enough to train in. This way, he ended up with both.”

Buying a home in a notable sporting and leisure resort is another way to access superb sporting facilities. In the south of France, Terre Blanche is a unique 300-hectare private Provençal estate located between Monaco and Saint-Tropez, and just a 35-minute drive from Cannes. It has two championship golf courses, a world-class golf academy and a five-star spa. These facilities are a real draw for buyers, says Storrie – although, even with superb communal pools and tennis courts, many owners require private facilities as well.  

In the Algarve, on the sunny southern coast of Portugal, Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo are world-famous for their exceptional golf courses. Yet both have improved their facilities to offer much more, according to Iain Begg, sales director at QP Savills. 

“Both follow the mantra of being health-minded and family-friendly,” he explains. “The Campus at Quinta do Lago has a first-rate gym and extensive training facilities used by international athletes. The Irish rugby team comes twice a year and the British & Irish Lions were here immediately before this year’s tour of Australia. In Vale do Lobo, the resort owners are adding padel courts and upgrading facilities.” The biggest and best homes at Quinta do Lago now have a gym and often a sauna and steam room as standard, Begg adds. Some individuals are building padel courts and several homes have added golf simulators. 

Mallorca is also blessed with superb natural sporting facilities, as Storrie points out. “The island has always been popular with serious cyclists for its mild off-season weather and mix of flat terrain and mountain paths,” she says. “But now people of all abilities are taking to two wheels. It’s another example of how the real priority for our buyers is keeping active.” 

ALICE STORRIE, SAVILLS GLOBAL RESIDENTIAL
AStorrie@savills.com 

IAIN BEGG, QP SAVILLS SALES DIRECTOR, QUINTA DO LAGO AND VALE DO LOBO
iain@qp.pt

Read the Savills guide to the best properties with pools in the UK and Europe