The series that cricket fans around the world have been waiting for has
finally started. The official opening is today, and first round matches
start Tuesday. The ICC World Cup is being contested in the Caribbean over
the next six weeks and, despite rumours to the contrary, there is still
accommodation to be had, in Barbados at least, for the duration of the
series. There is just one catch. You had better have a wallet so stuffed
with cash and black Amex cards you can barely lift it to secure one of the
palatial homes still “considering” taking bookings.
High-rollers love cricket as much as anyone else and they are flying out —
in their private jets, of course — to catch the world’s best teams in
action. Naturally, what they want at the end of another hard day’s
spectating is somewhere comfy where they can put their Gucci-mule-clad feet
up, have a Banks beer, discuss the day’s play, and watch a few televised
highlights. And they are willing to pay — dearly — for it.
A senior figure in Indian cricketing circles, for instance, is reputed to have
leased one of the best-known homes on the island, the Great House, at Turtle
Beach on the island’s prestigious west coast, for the cup series. Just how
much he is paying its owner, Nick Niell, one of Europe’s most senior hedge
fund managers, hasn’t been revealed, but the house can rent for $12,000
(£6,215) a night — and the minimum stay is a week — during
the Christmas period, traditionally the island’s peak holiday time.
Fustic House, built in the 17th century and stunningly redesigned by the
iconic British designer Oliver Messel in the 20th, also has some vacancies
after April 10, says its owner, William Gordon. Its 10 acres, six bedroom
suites, and secluded beach access, can all be yours for £2,785. The minimum
stay is a week, and you’ll still pay for food, drinks and tips.
Rumours have abounded for months that there are no free beds in Barbados for
the duration of the cup. The island will host some group matches, the Super
Eight stage and the cup final on April 28. That may be true for more
modestly priced properties, but some agents representing high-end properties
say they think it is the thought of the hectic atmosphere surrounding the
cricket that has initially been putting off some potential high-end renters.
The sort of high-net-worth individuals interested in renting the half dozen or
so really premium villas on offer in Barbados fly private, not commercial;
some agents believe some wealthy cricket fans will wait to see who makes the
cup final.
“If one saw England reaching the final stages, you would see that sort of
demand,” says Ian Holmes, chief executive of Private World, an international
private villa consultancy based in London.
The home that is really set to break rental records — if its owner
decides to let it at all, because, frankly, he doesn’t need the money —
is Cove Spring, a luxurious coralstone mansion nestling right on a secluded
beach on what’s known as the Platinum Coast.
Owned since 2001 by Ajmal Khan, a Nigerian-British millionaire (now a Canadian
citizen), it certainly is a remarkable property. Built in the late 1990s,
with a hint of neo-Palladian, the main 10-bedroom house sleeps 20, for a
start. Fully occupied, it keeps 20 staff busy; it costs more than £1m a year
to run. It is also big: 20,000sq ft of living space, with all the toys you
can imagine.
“My master bedroom upstairs used to be one room, 8,000sq ft of the house,”
says Khan, who says the house is the first property to which he has ever
become emotionally attached. “I said, this is ridiculous. I made it into two
rooms, which are basically 4,000sq ft rooms — still a pretty good size!”
Khan, who runs Verus International, a private merchant banking investment
group, moved to Barbados for tax reasons 10 years ago, and bought the house
after 18 months of negotiations. It was not only the most spectacular house
he had seen; he also relished the challenge of sorting out the 123 lawsuits
that surrounded it, linked to the financial dealings of the man who built it.
It is a place that attracts A-listers, many of whom are Khan’s friends: past
guests include the actor Glenn Close and the singers Rod Stewart and Sting;
there was even talk of Bruce Willis flying down ear-lier this month. It has
its own gym, spa, private cinema and three outdoor dining areas — a
formal table that seats 20, a tep-panyaki barbecue and a romantic spot for
dinner à deux. After a refit costing somewhere between £1m and £1.5m —
“I’m afraid to count,” says Khan — it’s the stuff
dreams are made of.
There is a secluded beach which, although public, like all stretches of sand
in the Caribbean, is accessible from outside only by boat. A three-bedroom
cottage in the grounds has had its living room turned into an office with
high-speed internet connection, fax machines and flatscreen televisions.
Khan, who spends about 10 days a month at the property, is able to run his
worldwide business interests from there: “The whole house is wireless, so
you can sit on the beach and send your e-mails.”
Khan, 45, says he has had several inquiries about renting it during the cup
series. Any potential lessee will need very deep pockets: the rate is a
staggering £95,000 a week, plus extra for food, drink and tips. Khan is
looking for a booking for the latter part of the series, from April 9
onwards. And he is definitely choosy.
He won’t name names, but says approaches so far have come from the chairman of
one of the world’s biggest banks; an English music industry celebrity who is
“fond of cricket”; Hollywood stars born in England and Australia; and by
figures from Bollywood and the Indian corporate world. “At that sort of
level, it’s more about offers on the table and who they are. My idea is to
see if someone can take it for a month.”
This, says Sam Mahon, the director of Bajan Services, one of Barbados’ leading
high-end estate agencies, is by far the most expensive rate being asked. It
also reflects just how much Cove Spring House, which Khan bought for about
£8m, is now valued at: he has already reputedly rejected one offer of £35m.
“One of the problems we have today is that real estate is at an all-time high,
and to find a home like mine — I mean, I’ve heard ridiculous numbers,
but I mean to buy a home like this would cost you north of 50, 60, 70,
$100m, easy,” he says.
Khan is a cricket lover — he used to play — and admits he wouldn’t
mind watching some of the series himself. What will he do if he does decide
to take up one of the rental offers he’s been made — do the
millionaire’s equivalent of dossing on a friend’s couch? “If the price is
right, I might just do that,” he says.
- Bajan Services, 00 246 422 2618, www.bajanservices.com;
Cove Spring House, 00 246 422 3166, www.covespringhouse.com; Fustic House, 07802 254 718, www.fustichouse.com
