Cambodia's Song Saa Private Island Outperforms Resort Projects in Southeast Asia

The launch of the final phase of villas at Cambodia’s Song Saa Private Island in April at The Upper House, Hong Kong marked the sell out of the over-water villas with only the last release of beachfront villas remaining for sale prior to completion of the resort and opening at the end of this year.

Song Saa Private Island will be the first luxury private island development to be completed in Cambodia’s pristine Koh Rong Archipelago. Setting a new benchmark for eco-friendly luxury resorts, Song Saa Private Island will feature 27 rainforest, beach and over-water villas, each with private pools with sizes ranging from 135 sq.m. to 301 sq.m.

andnbsp;At the heart of the resort will be an over-water restaurant and lounge, positioned just off the island’s shoreline and surrounded by ocean. Other resort facilities include an infinity edged pool, gym, spa andamp; wellness centre, yoga andamp; meditation centre and a beachside water sports centre offering a range of activities such as sailing, diving, kayaking and snorkelling.

From the private launch in Hong Kong, several investors have enjoyed a hosted weekend trip to Phnom Penh and the island following bookings made at the event. The visits over the last few weeks have allowed investors to experience Song Saa first hand and confirming purchases.

“Song Saa is undoubtedly the hottest selling quality resort product in Southeast Asia at present. The project has outperformed other quality projects in Phuket, Samui, Bali and other established resort markets in the region in terms of interest level and demand” said Mr. David Simister, Chairman, CB Richard Ellis Indochina.

Song Saa not only offers the opportunity to acquire a truly unique piece of real estate, but the villas’ well balanced design makes it an ideal private holiday home as well as an investment with the ability to generate consistent income through a managed rental program. Priced from USD 600,000, the villas are sold on a 99-year lease, the best foreign ownership term in the region. The villas also offer an 8% guaranteed yield for 5 years.

Song Saa Private Island has already put together an impressive hotel management and operations team, guaranteeing villa owners and guests an exclusive luxury island experience.andnbsp; Heading the management team is Jean-Paul Riby, the resort’s General Manager, a specialist in small, remote luxury resorts who brings with him more than 15 years of experience in Asia including General Manager positions at Como Resort’s Bhutan property Uma Paro and Six Senses Hideaway in Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam.

andnbsp;Philippe Riant, Director of Projects is also a specialist in small ultra-luxury island resort development and operations with 17 years of experience working for Starwood. To complement the executive team is Neil Wager – Executive Chef, previously the Executive Chef at North Island in the Seychelles.

With a strong management team in place and construction already over 70% complete, Song Saa Private Island has received extensive media coverage globally and has now secured impressive bookings for the forthcoming year although the resort is six months away from opening, giving credence to the guaranteed yield offered by the developer. The rack rates for the villas range from USD 650 to USD 3,000 per room night.

Persistent rumours that domestic flights from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville will begin later this year have stimulated interest in beach and resort properties in the area and the Koh Rong Archipelago where Song Saa is located. Once flights are confirmed and regular airlift begins from Sihanoukville International Airport, this will have significant impact on coastal tourism and the property market as flights from Siem Reap will provide a 40-minute connections to the south coast to over 3 million visitors who visit Angkor Wat annually and coastal land prices are expected to jump on the news.

“We will hold prices of our last remaining beachfront villas firm until flights into Sihanoukville are in operation, offering investors the last opportunity to secure the remaining villas at current prices” said Rory Hunter, Chairman, Brocon Investment.

Rory and Melita Hunter are the vision and driving force behind Song Saa. Inspired by Cambodian fishing villages, Song Saa adopts a ‘Rustic Chic’ design featuring over-water buildings, thatch roofs, use of rough-hewn natural timbers and drift wood, while offering amenities and services one would expect from a five-star resort.

Song Saa is also the only resort with a full time environmentalist team in place. The dedicated team runs the island’s Conservation and Community Programme and works on a variety of projects to promote the vision of Song Saa which is in creating sustainable luxury through a combination of marine research and monitoring, reef management, education and community support.The remaining units of absolute beachfront villas are for sale through sole agent CB Richard Ellis.

Source = khpost.com