Located a short walk down the beach from the hotel, One Sandy Lane is a commanding structure of roughly 100,000 square feet that houses just eight whole-ownership residences. The homes, which range in size from 8,147 square feet to 9,675 square feet, are priced from $21.8 to $24.6 million. “Buyers at this level want quality,” says Keith Rubenstein, founding partner of Somerset Partners, the property’s New York–based development partner. “And when they see quality, they’re willing to pay for it.”

Designed by Larry Warren, the Barbados-based architect who built the hotel, One Sandy Lane exudes quality. The massive edifice that houses the residences is constructed of Barbados’ indigenous coral stone. Its striking portico features an elegant marble staircase with a white-pewter-and-iron balustrade, designed by Les Ateliers Saint-Jacques of Paris, that spirals, like the striations on the inside of a seashell, toward an oval skylight. Other standout features include marble floors hand-cut and assembled in Italy by Bufalini Marmi; vaulted ceilings by EG Deco, of Monaco; and natural-pigment paint applied in layers by French artists with palette knives to create depth and tone. “When a buyer purchases a developer’s finish, they often have to customize it and spend additional time and money,” says Rubenstein. “But [One Sandy Lane] has the ultimate in finishes. Buyers just need to bring their furniture.”

Owners can work with their own decorator to furnish the residences, or hire Barbados-based Guillaume Menaud, whose design scheme—bamboo, ebony, and walnut for the cabinetry and doors; airy chandeliers and sconces that resemble branches of coral—graces the public spaces and for-sale residences.

Six of the eight villas at One Sandy Lane offer separate living quarters with terraces that connect to the main residences by outdoor walkways. All of the residences feature 12- to 14-foot ceilings; five en suite bedrooms; professional kitchens with Miele appliances and staff entrances; and views of the Caribbean, the beach, and the pool and gardens, which are landscaped with mahogany trees, star jasmine, and trumpet vines.

On-site amenities and services include a fitness center, a massage room, 24-hour concierge service, underground valet parking, a chauffeur, and discreet security combining biometric entry systems with video surveillance and around-the-clock guards. Owners, who pay annual maintenance fees of $14 per square foot on their homes, also have access to the spa, restaurants, and golf courses at the Sandy Lane hotel.

Rubenstein says that One Sandy Lane has piqued the curiosity of buyers from the United Kingdom and North America, but also from Brazil, Russia, and Spain. At press time, seven of the homes were still available for purchase.

One Sandy Lane, 646.545.2500, www.onesandylane.com

Modesto, CA – April 2012: Don Miguel Gascón®, one of South America’s most prestigious and historic brands of Malbec wine, continues to bring Argentina’s passion for polo to the United States, with its sponsorship of the 2012 Maserati Miami Beach Polo World Cup VIII, taking place on the sands of South Beach in Florida, April 26th through April 29th, 2012.

This year marks the second year in which Don Miguel Gascón has stamped its authority on the world of Beach Polo as the official wine of The Miami Beach Polo World Cup, crystallizing its close partnership and continued journey with The Polo Life, LLC, a Florida-based organization responsible for producing professional Beach Polo competitions around the world. Gascón Winery will be sponsoring two teams – men’s and women’s – competing in this year’s event, that will battle it out with vigor and grace during the world’s largest and longest-running professional Beach Polo tournament.

Don Miguel Gascón will also be prominently featured in the Miami Beach Polo World Cup Village. Attendees are invited to visit the on-site Gascón Tasting Tent in which comfortable seating allows guests to have a front-row view of the polo, while at the same time sample the elegant style of Gascón’s most acclaimed Classic Malbec or Reserva Malbec, as the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon’s sporting entertainment.

“We are proud and very excited to be returning to this year’s Miami Beach Polo World Cup,” said Don Miguel Gascón Winery President, Ernesto Catena.  “The Polo Life has taken ownership of professional Beach Polo and has turned the traditional game into a fun and exciting contemporary format that still maintains the sophistication and exhilaration of Arena Polo.  Our company reflects the values and traditions the sport continues to represent and we look forward to developing our partnership with The Polo Life Tour and being part of its vision for Beach Polo in the U.S and internationally.”

The wines of Don Miguel Gascón have exemplified a quintessential elegance and style that also resembles a way of life in the hills of the High Rio Mendoza Valley region – an area known for producing a consistently superior crop.  Along with the insatiable flair of the Tango itself, The Sport of Kings is the only other national pastime bred with the grace, nobility and passion that is inherently part of the Argentine culture.

Argentina is considered the birthplace of polo from as far back as 1875, and is regarded as one of the country’s two national sports, with the capital city of Buenos Aires hosting more than 30,000 polo fans each year at the Argentine Open, considered the world’s most prestigious polo tournament, along with The Palermo Open, Hurlingham Open, and the Tortugas Open, otherwise known as the “Triple Crown.”

Don Miguel Gascón Winery President, Ernesto Catena, is an avid polo aficionado and experienced rider.  His passion for polo has been the inspiration for the style and expression of his product.  The portfolio of wines under the Gascón umbrella offers a true representation of Argentine Malbec, which is developed from some of the best winegrowing regions in Mendoza. For more than a decade, Ernesto Catena brought together Argentina’s best amateur polo players to compete under the Escorihuela Gascón team banner, named after Miguel Escorihuela Gascón, who cultivated the Malbec-growing vineyards of Mendoza from Spain back in 1884. Catena groomed his stable of players who eventually represented Escorihuela Gascón at tournaments throughout Argentina from 2004, culminating in trophies being won as recently as 2011 at the San Jorge Open and End of the World Snow Polo Cup in Ushuaia.  Each year, the Escorihuela Gascón teams play at more than 20 polo tournaments across the country and former Argentine soccer legend, Gabriel Batistuta and Martin Zorreguita, the brother of Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, have even adorned the Escorihuela Gascón team uniform.

In 2009, Catena built “El Candor,” the first full-size polo field, built on the grounds of the Don Miguel Gascón Winery, among the grapevines and set against the majestic backdrop of the Agrelo Vineyard in Mendoza, to which international luminaries and celebrities are often invited to play.

“I feel so closely identified with the values upheld in the sport of polo,” says Catena. “Perseverance, sacrifice and the quest for perfection in every detail.  Having a polo field reinforces our commitment to polo and its development around the world.”

Mendoza is one of the great wine capitals of the world and has been the home of Don Miguel Gascón ever since it opened its doors in 1884.  In the 1940s, Don Miguel Gascón Winery was the first winery in Argentina to bottle a pure Malbec varietal wine, and it has been instrumental in the global popularity of Argentine Malbec ever since.  The state-of-the-art winery still operates at the same location where it first opened its doors 125 years ago.  To showcase the signature attributes of the Argentine vineyard, winemakers at Don Miguel Gascón develop its Malbec wines with an intense violet, deep purple color and soft, round tannins, exhibiting rich aromas of dark fruits with velvety flavors of chocolate, cocoa and mocha.

The Don Miguel Gascón partnership with The Polo Life has become an ongoing campaign, now in its second year, during which, the company initially tested the concept of Beach Polo in Spring 2011 at the AMG Miami Beach Polo World Cup, before becoming part of the inaugural Chicago Beach Polo World Cup in September on the sands of North Avenue Beach.  Due to the growing popularity of professional Beach Polo with players, Patrons and polo enthusiasts alike, avante garde brands like Don Miguel Gascón are viewing the sport as a viable marketing platform for engaging its core target audience while, at the same time, bringing the passion of Argentina’s Sport of Kings to the shores of mainland America.

For further information on Don Miguel Gascón, visit www.gasconwine.com <http://www.gasconwine.com> .  To purchase tickets for the 2012 Maserati Miami Beach Polo World Cup, visit www.miamipolo.com <http://www.miamipolo.com> .

-Ends-
Additional background materials and photography available upon request.  For further information, to arrange an interview or to request media credentials to the Maserati Miami Beach Polo World Cup, please contact:

Elliott Stares
ESPR
305.490.1985
Elliott@esprinc.com

About Don Miguel Gascón®
Established in the heart of Argentina’s wine capital in 1884, Don Miguel Gascón is the oldest continuously operating winery in Mendoza. Today, the wines of Don Miguel Gascón offer a true expression of Argentine Malbec, crafted from Mendoza’s high altitude vineyards at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Elegant and intense in style, Don Miguel Gascón Malbec is inspired by Argentina’s passion for the graceful and exhilarating sport of polo. Don Miguel Gascón is proud to bring the spirit of Argentine polo to the U.S. as the official sponsor of the Polo Life Tour. Learn more at www.gasconwines.com

Chaa Creek – Situated on this very cool piece of real estate in paradise at this 365-acre eco-resort above the Macal River, the Spa at Chaa Creek offers one of the best spa menus in Belize. The therapists are wonderful and friendly and within their fingertips lives ultimate relaxation. The massages and facials were some of the best I have ever had.
Jaguar Reef, Butterflies Spa – Next door to the famed Jaguar Reef, the brand new Butterflies Spa offers a welcoming environment and dozens of different treatments to choose from. I received an indulgent and relaxing facial and enjoyed the hydrotherapy immensely.

Cayo Espanto – Truly one of the most beautiful places to stay in Belize, if not all of Central America, Cayo Espanto’s whole vibe and ambience plays host to a small but well-orchestrated spa experience. The best treatments are done in your own villa: private, unobtrusive, and relaxing. Some treatments come with the room package (so does the cuisine). The spa treatments were extravagant and the accommodations were out of this world.  

Maruba Resort Jungle Spa – A different kind of place, Maruba Resort Jungle Spa is an oasis of charm and grace with a hint of wildness. This is not your traditional spa. The resort was conceived and created to blend various Mayan, Creole, and African designs side-by-side within a jungle setting, creating a tranquil and exotic feel. The spa offers all-natural treatments derived from ancient techniques that incorporate natural products produced from Maruba Therapy and the surrounding jungle environment. They also specialize in mud treatments using all-natural Mood Muds. It’s fun to get dirty here!

Ka’ana – Located poolside, the treatment rooms at this boutique resort in the Cayo district help make Ka’ana the perfect place for a day at the spa. Therapists use a variety of local calming and revitalizing ingredients in all massages, skin, and body treatments, and are performed by a terrific and friendly staff. The spa area is inspired by sensual Landero original Mayan artwork.  As soon as you step inside – smelling the soothing aromas and hearing the calming music, you’ll instantly leave all your worries at the door.

Now each month or so Belize is announcing new eco-resorts with spa experiences that are sure to wow guests. I’m confident that the next time we feature the top spas in Belize we’ll have plenty of new spa experiences share, each with their own unique Belize is so famous for.

Jocelyn Hernandez, founder of Punta Cana Lifestyle Real Estate (http://www.puntacanalife.com), is seeing increasing numbers of people buying homes and commercial real estate in Punta Cana. New schools and universities are drawing young families, and the burgeoning international expatriate community offers unprecedented opportunities for businesspeople offering products and services to a growing population.

Punta Cana’s newfound popularity as a place to live has landed the town on Hollywood’s radar. HGTV’s House Hunters International recently followed Indiana native Cory St. Clair and his fiancee, Karen-Ann Peterson, former Miss Aruba and current managing director of an international multi-service company, 7 Incorporated (http://www.7incorp.com), as they worked with Hernandez to find their dream home in Punta Cana. House Hunters International episode HHINT-3508H, “Choosing Between Sand Traps and Sandy Beaches as a Young Couple Plans a Wedding,” features an appearance by celebrated golf course designer P.B. Dye and aired April 5, 2012, on HGTV.

“Punta Cana is not just for vacations anymore,” said Hernandez. “There is a nice expat community, and young entrepreneurs are increasingly looking to invest and take advantage of the business opportunities available in the area.”

Hernandez, a New York expatriate of Puerto Rican descent, moved to Punta Cana and founded Punta Cana Lifestyle Real Estate in 2006. The agency offers real estate for sale and rent and has earned a solid reputation among colleagues and clients as one of the few fully staffed, truly full-service agencies in the Bavaro-Punta Cana area to sell only properties with clear title deeds.

“This is an exciting time to start a brand-new life in Punta Cana,” Hernandez said. “Real estate prices are still affordable, the community is safe and increasingly family-oriented, and the market is wide-open for people wanting to start their own businesses.”

Mel Gibson, Oscar-winning actor and director (Braveheart) has put the property on the market at $29.8 million. The recently divorced Gibson (56) owns several properties around the world including ones in Australia, Connecticut, Montana and a private island in Fiji. A proprety he owns in Malibu, California, is currently on the market at $11.8 million.

Located on the Playa Barrigona on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula just south of the Nicaragua border, the private 500-acre beachfront-and-jungle holiday home in Costa Rica first came on the market in 2010 for $35 million. The property’s main residence, which overlooks the beach, is a two-story hacienda-style house with seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, a large courtyard and a swimming pool. There are also two smaller guest cottages, each with two bedrooms, a veranda, vaulted ceilings, kitchen and private swimming pool. The property includes a Balinese entertaining house with no walls, a restaurant and another small cottage in the jungle.

Christie’s International Real Estate, the luxury real estate firm, announced this offering on Friday, March 23, 2012.

Each villa on the former cattle ranch is outfitted with native Costa Rican woods and Italian and Spanish tiles and features multiple verandahs and a private pool.

“The property is expansive, meticulously maintained, and ultimately private,” said Rick Moeser, Christie’s real estate senior vice president for the Southeast, Caribbean, Central and South America.

“With its multiple homes and outbuildings, this is the ideal family retreat,” Moeser added of the pristine property that includes an expansive beach.

Since 2006, when the Consefo Regulador del Tequila, the agency that regulates Mexico’s tequila production, established the extra anejo category for tequilas aged three years or longer.  Success, however, requires more than simply concocting a distillate that can withstand protracted aging, during lengthier maturation, after all, the barrel’s influence can sometimes overpower the tequila, masking its subtler characteristics and leaving it tasting like wood.  This potential for harshness has deterred distillers from bottling extra anejo, as well as other tequilas, at full strength (51 to 55 percent alcohol by volume), or 102 to 110 proof)—all of them, that is, except DeLeon.

This distillery a family owned operation that for generations made tequila for the family’s private use and still keeps it location (tropical property) and methods a closely guarded secret—took the cue for its latest release from cask-strength single malts.  DeLeon 51, the world’s first cask-strength extra anejo, derives its name both from it unprecedented 51 percent alcohol and its 51 months in barrels.  Yet the most remarkable aspect of this potent spirit is its silky smoothness, which results from two unique factors in its production.

The first of these factors is the slow, gentle steaming—rather than harsh roasting—of the agaves, which include the distillate with exceptional purity.  The second is the tequila’s aging in new, uncharred Haute Futaie barrels; the containers—made from straight, fine-grained oak harvested from first-growth forest managed by the French government—yield superb aromatics and tannins.

Despite its concentration, this tequila has no sting of alcohol to its aroma:  Only a slight tingling on the tongue hints at the lofty proof.  Honey, buttered almonds, and cedar essences are packed into every sip, while a hint of heather, reminiscent of single-malt Scotch, lingers at the back of the palate.  Handsomely packaged in a leather box and available in limited quantities, DeLeon 51, priced at $275, is one extra anejo perhaps best served with ice. Even the Mayans rough taste buds would have made DeLeon, a god. By the way, now it’s my (and the entire Luxury Living International staff’s) favorite sipping tequila…by far.

Luxury Living International will again join Chef Eric Ripert for a weekend celebrating food, wine and the natural beauty of the Caribbean at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. An celebrity loaded roster of world famous chefs, wine experts and spirits blenders will offer tastings, demonstrations, tours and dinners that celebrate the barefoot elegance that only the Cayman Islands can deliver…this is the Caribbean’s premiere culinary event.

World-renowned and award-winning chefs and wine experts roll up their sleeves for the Cayman Cookout at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman on Seven Mile Beach, one of LLI’s pick for the best beaches in the world.

You can now buy tickets for informative lunches and dinners with the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert. Wine tastings, culinary demonstrations, friendly chats and other informative, inspirational and invaluable events open up the world of delectable cuisine found in the finest restaurants across the globe.

Click here for more information on the Cayman Islands and Cayman Cookout 2012.

Follow along with the Cookout conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/caymancookout

Shakira and Waters are reportedly hoping to “reinvent the concept of tourism” by building both a small group of luxury vacation homes, private beaches and hotels with plans to sell prime ocean front real estate on this sexy little Cay.

Bonds Cay has 5 beaches and 3 bays, and a number of waterfalls. Waters and Shakira are also making plans to build an artists’ retreat which will house a series of artists-in-residence and galleries walled with new creative works from up and coming artists. It’s a concept more related to art and culture the boats and golf.”

According to John Christie of Caribbean real estate brokerage H.G. Christie said: “It’s a beautiful island with some height to it, which means as you build up, you get better views. There is the ocean to the east of it so you’ve got reefs and views of turquoise water”.

If it’s as cool as Pink Floyd music and as sexy as Shakira, it’s a resort and real estate venture that will work even in this market.

1. “It’s lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during ‘siesta’ time — this should be banned.”

2. “We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swim suits and towels.”

3. “Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women.”

4. “I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts.”

5. A tourist at a top African Game Lodge overlooking a water hole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of    this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel “inadequate.”

6. A woman threatened to call police after claiming that she’d been locked in her hotel room by staff. In fact, she had mistaken the “do not disturb” sign on the back of the door as a warning to remain in the room.

7. “The beach was too sandy.”

8. “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food at all.”

9. “We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white.”

10. A guest at a Novotel in Australia complained his soup was too thick and strong. He was inadvertently slurping the gravy at the time.

11. “We bought ‘Ray-Ban’ sunglasses for five euros from a street trader, only to find out they were fake, that is not acceptable.”

12. “No one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled.”

13. “It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England, it only took the Americans three hours to get home?”

14. “I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends’ three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller.”

15. “The brochure stated: ‘No hairdressers at the accommodation.’ We’re trainee hairdressers — will we be OK staying there?”

16. “There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners now live abroad.”

17. “We had to walk outside with no air conditioning.”

18. “It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel?”

19. “I was bitten by mosquito’s, no-one said they would bite.”

20. “My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked.”

SXC was founded in 2008 to offer suborbital space tourism flights and scientific research missions from the Caribbean island of Curacao in the next two years. The Space Expedition Curacao intends to lead the world in providing commercial space launch facilities and suborbital flight services from its Space Port Curacao, said its goal was to sell 50 spaceflights before the holiday season.

“A number of celebrities and notables have already signed up for this amazing experience, including Victoria’s Secret model Doutzen Kroes , World Series Champion San Francisco Giants batting coach and Curacao native Hensley Meulens, and celebrity DJ Armin van Buuren, host of the weekly radio show ‘A State of Trance,’ which attracts a reported 30 million listeners in 40 countries. It’s not hard to get people excited about what will be a life changing event,” said SXC co-founder Michiel Mol.

Through the new multi-million dollar transaction, SXC has secured the wet lease of production Lynx tail number two for operation on Curacao, pending export licensing action. Mol said: “The Lynx is unique in that it provides a one-on-one ‘co-pilot’ experience with an amazing panoramic view of the Earth and sky through large cockpit windows. It will be an unforgettable and very personalized experience for everyone who takes the trip.”

SXC also has a number of business channel partners lined up including KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. KLM will purchase flights to offer as frequent flyer rewards, support educational initiatives in the Netherlands through the use of flights for scientific discovery by students, and include flights as part of vacation packages to Curacao, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

“We’ve been working hard on the infrastructure end of things as well,” commented Ben Droste, president and co-founder of SXC. “Our relationship with Curacao Airport Holdings continues to be strong as they ready the facilities necessary to make this vision a reality. Things are now moving at an accelerated pace.”

Look out George Jetson…here we come!