Grove Spa Resort Blog Update 19th October 2010

We are delighted to have taken possession of Plot A of The Grove Spa Resort from GCC. It has been a challenging year for everyone involved, given the seismic changes in world economic conditions but we are proud to have delivered a top class scheme.  It is looking really excellent now the outside work has been finished and the pools have been filled.

View of Blocks B and G from the poolside

We have had a busy programme of handovers to clients and this continues throughout October and November. The feedback is very positive and clients have been enjoying the serenity and views from the resort when staying overnight.

During the day the site is a hive of activity with contractors finishing the last details, clients taking possession of properties, furniture deliveries and utility companies doing the final sign-off checks.

Plot A from the Spa building

One of the giant Jacuzzis in action

One of the pool technicians demonstrated today how the pool water, which is cleaned without chlorine using an environmentally-friendly process,  is cleaner than the municipal tap water and can safely be drunk.

Pools on Plot A

The decking and gardens on Plot B

View of Plot A from Block H

Work continues on Plot B (comprising Blocks C, D, E and F) to the end of the month when all private apartments will be ready, all external communal works completed and GCC hand over this plot.  Work will continue on the Spa building, shop, restaurant, green area and roads to the end of the year.

Planting begins on Plot B

Spa reception building

Installation of the decking around the pool in front of C-Block

One of the townhouses in D-Block is now fully furnished and provides a cool retreat from the heat and dust of the building site.   

Townhouse

Master Bedroom

Second Bedroom

 

The Grove Spa Resort Construction Update 15 June 2009

I attended the monthly site meeting in Cyprus last week and can confirm that construction at site is going extremely well.

Stephanie Fairhurst attends these meetings every month which brings together the prime contractor, expert electrical and mechanical engineering consultants, sub-contractors where appropriate all under the chairmanship of the architect.

The latest pictures from the site are below:

My Latest Visit To The Grove Spa Resort Site - Dominic Farrell

I was in Cyprus last week where the temperatures were 30C with clear skies on most days. I went to the Grove Spa Resort site meeting and found the progress made by GCC to be excellent. The scheme is now beginning to take shape as evidenced by the pictures below.

Also, our decision to purchase the addtional plot of land at Christmas 2008 next to D Block has been fully justified and rewarded as the layout looks fantastic.

Regards

Dominic Farrell

Incredible Progress At The Grove Spa Resort - 12th May 2009

Progress 12th May 2009

Construction is moving ahead very rapidly at The Grove Spa Resort with swarms of workmen busy on site. The basements of residential blocks B, C, D and G are completed and construction has moved up to the ground floor level. The forest of reinforced steel and non-stop pouring of concrete is shaping the rest of the underground level, including the supports for the ground level pools and the layout of the Spa facilities.

The rapid pace of construction and large scale of the project requires top quality supervision and control and this is the team from GCC responsible for keeping the site under control and on time: From left to right: the site foremen Aristotellis Aristotelous and Christos Ioannou; the Project Manager Nick Iacovou and the project engineers Yiannis Stephanides and Nicos Zachariou.

Latest Construction Site Photos - 14 April 2009

The Grove Spa Resort, Cyprus - Latest Construction Update 8 April 09

I would like to thank the many homebuyers and investors at The Grove Spa Resort who have expressed their appreciation and support for the construction blog.

The photographs below were taken this week and show remarkable progress, particularly given the severe weather conditions recently.



Dominic Farrell

Further Update From The Grove Spa Resort Construction Site

We have a mass of photographs coming through from the Grove Spa Resort site as our intrepid operations manager, Jonathan Fairhurst, known in the company as "Nanook of the North" has been on-site all week.

This is his latest report today:

As you'll see there is a huge amount of activity today on both plots. The membrane has been laid under the Spa building and Blocks E & F and GCC were in the process of pouring the concrete on top.

The temporary wooden boundaries to the rear of Blocks C & D were also being erected. The concrete base for the lifts had been delivered and were being manoeuvred into position. On Plot A, the initial concrete base had been completed and the steel reinforcement was being constructed - this was mostly done for Block B.

Have a great weekend

Dominic Farrell

The Grove Spa Resort, Mazotos, Latest News

The latest news from the Construction site is:

• The concrete slab has been laid down for B Block
• The footings for the lift shafts have been excavated
• The reinforced steel has arrived ready to be used
• The footings for the spa hydro therapy pool is also being dug

The Grove Spa Resort, Cyprus - Latest Construction Update 12th March 2009

We've had a delay to the construction due to the severe weather in Cyprus, with torrential rain for the past 4 weeks or so and subsequent "wash-out" on site.

However, taking a strategic view of events the rain has been fantastic for the dams and gardens and has been a very postive event for the island as a whole. GCC are back on site and laying the membrane today in preparation for the slab.

I was in Cyprus last week for the monthly on-site "Progress Meeting" which is led by our architect, Constantinos. I was very impressed with the conduct of the meeting and the clear level of expertise we have in the team of consultants and main contractor.

Thanks for the very postive comments we have recieved about the value of this construction blog - much appreciated.

Please find some update photos taken on the site today:

Best wishes

Dominic Farrell

Investors Plan Ahead For Their Grove Spa Rentals

This is an e-mail from Richard Smith, an investor in The Grove Spa Resort, who gave permission for us to publish it here. From experience, those investors who think well ahead of completion about their rentals and property management are very successful:

"Last month I had a chat with an independent travel agent (a friend recommended him to me). The idea was to advertise our UK holiday let, however, we got onto the subject of Cyprus and I told him about our investments in The Grove Spa Resort, Mazotos.

He knows Cyprus well and has many contacts in the travel industry. He informed me that a number of them would be interested in taking a block booking of 10 weeks for themselves to rent out to their clients. (The Larnaca area has very few quality properties and none that will compare to the Grove Spa Resort once completed).

I am currently producing a marketing pack so that I can set up a meeting with the companies in question. If all goes well I will be buying more properties there!"

InvestinCyprus.com Developers Operations Manager Beats The Snow!

The weather has been particularly bad in the UK recently and we have all had to improvise in order to get into the office. Jon, operations manager at InvestinCyprus.com Developers, did particularly well.

A bit different from Cyprus!

Property Buyers Delighted As Final Approval Is Given For 14 New Golf Courses In Cyprus

The Cyprus government has finally approved the creation of 14 new golf courses, which will bring the total number on the island to 17. The decision was finalised at a cabinet meeting last Thursday (5th February 2009).

Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the actual decision had been taken by the previous government.

“It was taken for the purpose of strengthening the tourism product in Cyprus and boosting economic activity,” he said.

Dominic Farrell, director of InvestinCyprus.com Developers, the company behind the much acclaimed Grove Spa Resort in Mazotos says:

“This is excellent news for homebuyers and investors alike and will provide a substantial boost to rental demand, re-sales and economic activity in general.

Additionally, seasonality will be reduced in areas surrounding courses as the winter months in Cyprus are ideal for playing golf. Combined with the increase in low cost flights from airlines such as easyJet, we will see a sharp increase in visitors to the island.

Owners of high quality properties, such as The Grove Spa Resort and Palm Spa Resort, with all-year-round facilities will benefit most.”

For an article by Jet-to-Let Magazine on the benefits of investing near golf courses click here

Meet The Team Behind The Grove Spa Resort, Cyprus

In a series of "Meet the Team" blog postings, we intend to introduce you to the professional team behind the InvestinCyprus.com Developers' 5 star scheme, The Grove Spa Resort in Mazotos.

We have assembled the best possible professional advisers who are the leaders in their field. As all buyers know the developers, Dominic Farrell and Stephanie Fairhurst, you will not necessarily meet the team during the construction. So here we are:

First up is the Architect and Civil Engineer seen here on site. Further information about these two key professionals will be posted tomorrow.





Best wishes

Dominic Farrell

TheMoveChannel Investigates Disneyland Of The Mediterranean In Larnaca

Disneyland of the Mediterranean (in Larnaca)

Last week, it was announced that Russian investors have applied for planning permission to build a brand new Disney resort in Cyprus, which would be the largest ever single investment made on the island -

TheMoveChannel investigates what this would mean for the tourism and property markets in the country...

Who would have thought that Mickey and Minnie would ever make an appearance in Cyprus?

Following the Russian based Boema Group's announcement that it wishes to develop the leased state land near the UN buffer zone around the Larnaca - Famagusta border, this could become a reality.

The conglomerate had originally chosen Serbia as the ideal location for some Disney magic but Cyprus was eventually decided upon after its political stability, EU membership and year round sunshine were highlighted.

The state owned land lies between Turkish and Cypriot lines and the Russian Government are hoping that building the resort there will help to merge the Turkish and Cypriot communities.

"This £754 million project will be the largest investment in our country to be made with foreign investment capital," said Cypriot Minister of Finance, Mr. Charilaos Stavrakis.

The park is seeking to gain the reputation of being the ‘EuroDisney of the Mediterranean' and the rides in the theme park will be inspired by Greek mythology and Cypriot history, such as a daily performance of the naval Battle of Salamis.

A reconstruction of the ancient Kourion Amphitheatre, the Penatadaktylos mountain range and the Baths of Aphrodite will also be wowing visitors. If the park does go ahead, its gates are due to open in 2012, when Cyprus will receive the six-month presidency of the European Union.

What does it mean for tourism and investors?

Anything Disney related is bound to create a lot of hype and a project of this scale on an island like Cyprus cannot fail to have a large impact on both the tourism and investment sectors.

The island's economy relies heavily on tourism and the Cypriot Government thus takes the job of boosting visitor numbers very seriously. Millions of pounds have already been ploughed into improving infrastructure and transport to make access easier and make the island more appealing to overseas visitors.

Larnaca International Airport has been upgraded and future developments of the marina and port are also in the pipeline.

The Government has also recently announced plans to increase the number of golf courses on the island from three to fourteen in an effort to boost numbers.

It is estimated that the new Disney resort will create 3,000 new jobs and become an extremely valuable tourist attraction, drawing attention from holidaymakers and investors who had not previously considered Cyprus.

The resort also aims to attract more than half million tourists per year with high buying power from Russia and other countries of the former Eastern block.

If you own a property in the area or are considering investing in one, the capital growth for the future looks strong and the massively increased tourist numbers should have a positive effect on rental income.

Source: TheMoveChannel

Dominic Farrell

The Grove Spa Resort, Cyprus - New Land, New Facilities

I have just got back from Cyprus where I spent the week working with Constantinos the architect and the whole consultancy team to finalise the changes to the plans for the The Grove Spa Resort.

Back in November 2008, we bought a new piece of land adjacent to The Grove Spa Resort that recently became available. We felt this offered a fantastic opportunity to improve the overall layout of the scheme and add in extra facilities.

The purchase of the extra 780m2 of land has enabled us to do several things to considerably enhance the Resort:

We have created a much larger central space between Blocks D & E and added a further pool for children with a beach-style entry and waterfalls plus more gardens and sunbathing space around this new pool.

We have also been able to extend the shops. The size of the supermarket has increased from 95m2 to 150m2 which means we can now offer an on-site bakery and off-licence in addition to general groceries and fresh food.

The second shop has been increased from 53m2 to 90m2 to allow an extra retail facility in addition to the on-site re-sales, lettings and management office.

And finally we have added three new 1 bedroom apartments plus two 2-bedroom apartments to the second floor of Block C.

Please see the attached site map to see the new scheme layout. I think you will agree that the overall design of the scheme is significantly enhanced and that the additional pool, gardens and shops provide increased amenity at no extra cost, thereby enhancing your investment and offering even better value for money.

Stephanie Fairhurst

InvestinCyprus.com Developers

For a larger image, click here