In vogue: resident curators, sommeliers in luxury properties
Developers are bringing in resident experts in high living to cater to luxury home owners as a doorman and concierge are no longer enough
Apartment dwellers used to consider themselves privileged if they had a doorman to help them with packages.
These days, however, buyers of luxury flats can expect an altogether different level of service. Developers are hiring everything from art curators, nutritionists, sommeliers, tech experts and even lifestyle consultants to be permanently on site, available at a moment’s notice to make the lives of the inhabitants easier.
“These are people who are spending millions of dollars on a unit,” said Patrick Campbell, vice president of developer the Related Group in Miami. “They want to leave their burdens behind and they have tastes that need to be fulfilled on a regular basis.”
At the Rem Koolhaas-designed Park Grove in Miami, which is slated for completion in 2018, a nautical concierge will be on staff, tasked with setting up activities like yachting, paddle-boarding, or kayaking through the mangroves.
“We are across the street from the marina and decided to push that theme,” said Campbell. Interested buyers get a taste of the service by being invited to try one of the marine activities while they’re inspecting the property.
The league of specialist employees being tapped by developers is largely contingent on the location and vibe of the building.