There is no doubt that the UAE is home to some spectacular properties. From penthouse apartments to plush villas with sprawling gardens and incredible pools, it’s a real estate haven.
Each week, The National showcases some of the finest homes on offer in its Property of the Week. Here, we take a look at a villa in Dubai Hills Estate.
The key details
Where do we begin? The property has nine bedrooms and is set across a 41,433-square-foot plot of which 37,500 square foot is built up. It is located within one of Dubai's most prestigious neighbourhoods and has golf-course views.
The asking price is available to interested buyers upon application, but is above Dh100 million.
What's the story?
Houses for sale can generally be judged by the length of their description on the online portals – short and sweet and it's likely a carbon-copy new build. If it's had some upgrades, then expect to spend a minute or so reading.
This property is another beast entirely, with a love letter-esque outpouring from its broker well worth a read.
The features are seemingly endless, while the rooms, of which there are so many you could easily lose count, contain their own tales of creation and passion. It's like a whole street's worth of style within the same home.
Or, as one observer put it when taking in the quite extraordinary staircase, it's like inhabiting a remarkably upmarket cruise ship.
However you perceive this home – be it museum, work of art or something more transcendental – it wows on every level.
As going from room to room, or even floor to floor, would take forever, here are the highlights:
- Two life-sized horses on the front patio.
- The as-mentioned cantilevered staircase complete with gold rail.
- Artwork everywhere (though it doesn't come with the house).
- Kitchens designed by Goettling of Germany.
- A private lift to reach the first floor.
- The master suite has a sitting room, two balconies – one with a Jacuzzi – and a walk-in closet.
- Every bedroom has a walk-in closet, and one has a professionally equipped audio production studio.
- A safe room with three safes weighing a total of 500 kilograms.
- The basement has a bar, separate men's and women restrooms, and a seven-seat home cinema.
- The garage can double as a nightclub.
- There are two gyms, plus a massage parlour.
- More than 35 varieties of marble have been used throughout, as well as 200 solar panels and 110 trees in the backyard.
What the brokers say ...
Is this the most extraordinary property on the market in Dubai right now?
The short answer is yes. This house has it all, from a recording studio to a nightclub, a spa and a gym, plus a great expanse of living and entertaining space. Rarely do homes of this nature come to market. This has the unique presence of being an imposing and incredible work of architecture, as well as a gorgeous and comfortable family home.
The interior must have taken some time to design and implement …
This home is a work of art and, as with all great masterpieces, time and care has been taken with every single part of the design process. Such precision, attention to detail and design flair has produced something that is mesmerising – a priceless piece of art.
They say that art is the irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world. This home expresses the world through the homeowner's inspirations from Bali to New York, London to Paris. The globe truly has been the canvas for this mansion.
Does it come furnished?
Yes, this home is sold furnished and ready for families to start living in. Just bring your toothbrush, your children and don't forget the family dog. The artwork in the home can also be purchased separately.
Have you seen anything comparable to this in Dubai in terms of "wow" factor?
Not really. This home is so eclectic, so very unique, so truly wonderful that there really is no other home that is comparable to it.
It must be worth more than D100m?
The asking price is indeed in excess of Dh100m and it is worth every single dirham. Enjoying incredible golf course and city views and a private location, it is one of a kind.
If you had to pick one room as the most remarkable which would it be?
I personally love the private study – French grey wood panelling, coffered ceilings complemented by marble flooring with veins of red tying back to the colour of the sofas. This room is reminiscent of private members' clubs in London. It is just waiting for deals to be struck and meetings of great importance to be held, followed by late evening coffees enjoyed through the thick haze of cigar smoke.
– Liam Jeffrey, associate director, LuxuryProperty.com
