Athena Golf Resort-Saidia

[redangel7861]

For the last week I have been agonising over whether I should invest in a 1 bed on the Sahra apart/hotel resort with sea views or purchase a 2 bed penthouse on the Athena Golf Resort with frontline golf views.

I finally decided after much delibaration to purchase on the Atheana Golf resort.

Anyone else here purchsed on Atheana - your views on this development would be appreciaited.

It's located on AP13 in a more tranquil area of the Saidia resort, with a ten minute walk to the beach.

 

[Investy]

I have'nt heard of this particular development. Do you have a website link?

As for the hotel, I'm not a huge fan of these investments as I feel they are not as liquid as normal freehold property and I also feel the price is too high. Furthermore, a hotel room for me would not feel like a personal treasure.

Also if I wanted to use my property for long periods (say in retirement) I suspect this would not be possible with a hotel. With an apparnment or villa you could put your stamp on it assuming that is you are not in a rental pool with strict dictats.

 

[redangel7861]

Have a look at the morocco sands website - can't post the link will not let me



Also have a look at the video. Looks like a cracking investment. Due for completion in 2010 when the full resort will be complete, hence capital appreciation will be better than those who purcahed in 2006 (in my opinion). Set in a more tranquill location of the resort AP13 surrounded by villas and lots of open land. All apartments have frontline golf views. I have reseved a 2 bed penthouse in block 4 directly opposite and overlooking the swimming pool with great golf views. 10 minute walk to the beach and the development is the only one that is close to the local village.

 

[Investy]

Hey, I like the video!

Seem good value from £54000.

Not too far from Le Jardin De Fleur golf villas where I purchased.


I asked an agent (not the one I purchased through) whether I had made a mistake buying quite far from the beach as she thought the opposite was true. She thinks the resale values on the more peacefully located properties will hold up well with people wanting to live in Saidia by virtue of the fact they wont want to live where all the tourists are! She said in Spain it is common to find expats wanting to live away from the tourist trails, that is to say, on the quieter parts of golf developments.

I was surprised that anyone would want to live there, but she said retirees will be drawn to the development as there is so much to do and on site medical facilities. She thinks French in particular will want to live there through a substantial part of the year.

 

[H Boss]

Athena Golf

Hi Redangel 7861

H Boss here
I also purchased at Athena Golf, a 1 bed and your spot on, you purchased at the right time. I know someone who purchased 2 years ago on another development in Mediterrania and the price is still the same today. Due to the fact it is a very large development a lot of people who purchased in the beginning didn't realise that all the developments will not finish at the same time. The Spanish developer who started the whole project could not cope and sold off a lot of the development to other developers and they are all moving at their own pace. I don't think Athena Golf will be finished by 2010 it will be more like 2011. I don't care as I have no intensions of selling, I will be letting hopefully to a sunseeking golfer. I went there last year November and was very inpressed with the whole site. Anyone thinking about buying in Morocco should consider this development and also consider this, that John Terry, Les Ferdanand and Gary Neville, all premiership footballers have brought the sports complex, which is not far from Athena Golf. If anyone has anymore info please let me know.

 

[redangel7861]

HB.

Agree totally. Athena is set in a more tranqil part of the resort and is close to the local village. 7 min walk to the beach and the sport facilaties just a short walk away. Ontop of this we have frontline golf views and low density of build.

I've reserved a 2 bed penthouse on block-4 over looking the swimming pool. Which block have you reserved on???

I have also spoken to the developers, the seem very reasonable and honest chaps. They have also discounted the 6% on TVA which is also great news.

With completion due around the same time the whole resort is due for completion, we should see good capital gains on Athena.

 

[Lee Filkins]

subject

Golfers don't rent a flat. As they play golf day time and spend the rest of their time drinking with the lads, remember its a boys trip abroad. They don't go there to cook, wash or make beds. Golf clubs get special deals for golf Golf clubs and they prefer to go to a hotel with all done for them and the bar is downstairs.

Any of you buying with the intention of solely letting to golfers should keep this in mind.

 

[Investy]

Camel, I checked with several golfers I know and yes some did prefer hotels, but others preferred thier own pad, some villas, some appartments. Villas seem to attract golfers with families, there are plenty of them I guess. Groups of lands probably would'nt want a villa.

 

[Lee Filkins]

"Golfers with family "
These people go on family holidays and Golf is secondary. Golfers on holidays is purely for Golf and this distinction is crucial if you are targeting them & relying on them to pay or contribute towards your mortgage

 

[Investy]

Ok, we wanted a villa and we had a choice; Did we go for an ordinary villa or a golf villa. We took the view that a golf villa will still attract non golfers and golfers, so you get access to 2 audiences.

Good friends of mine always stay in golf villas, and they have a young family.

Other freinds go with thier parents and all 4 of them play golf, so yes, they stay in villas.

Saidia will be a great exuse for golfers to 'get away with' a golf related holiday as the family and non golfing partner get an on site beach and all the other non golf leisure facilities, whereas other golf developments often dont have the other familiy attractions in great enough quantity - for example most Spannish ones are a drive from the beach so car hire is needed - and the feeling of separatness from golfer to family is more accute, whereas on Saidia the feeling of separatness will be less apparant as hubby (or wifey) 'pop's out of the garden and is on the golf, whilst thge other halve makes thier way to the beach on the trolly bus, bike or walking.

 

[Lee Filkins]

Investy: I am not disagreeing with you. All I am saying is that in my experience/my golfing friends who goes on golfing holidays to France/Spain/Portugal, stay in hotels.

I also have friends who have golf front properties in Spain for well over five years and they have never had one golfer renting from them.

My advise is to not to rely on golfers only and spread your market.

 

[Mr Ri]

Camel and Investy

I read with interest your debate about golfers preference for accommodation (hotel or villa) and thought I might throw in the results of some research and experience.

The research tells us that most villas and apartments are rented by families, and that a higher percentage of bookings are made by women. This can result in a 'golf' property being booked because:

• One (or more) member of the family plays golf
• There is a certain standard associated with 'golf' property and its surroundings
• Families enjoy the scenery, quiet, peaceful nature

When its comes to golf groups, you can be successful renting villas/apartments but to do this you need to put together an organised package for the stay including rounds of golf, a competition, tuition, services like cleaning and towels, and organised dining. Essentially include a service to develop a custom package for the golf group.

 

[Lee Filkins]

MrRi,
You have just confirmed, what I have been saying on the forum. I do not want people to buy a property thinking that golfers will rent their one or two bedroom apartments and this would help towards the payment of their mortgage.

The normal line taken by Agents is Oct to May to Golfers, July/Aug/Sept, summer holidays makers. Its just as well they don't tell you Jan/Feb skiing.

 

[Investy]

Camel

To be clear I'm not 'relying' on just golfers, they are but one market sector.

I wanted a property that had general appeal and that might also appeal to golfers in order to have exposure to both markets, rather than be confined to a single market sector.

Mr Ri - very interested in your research because my gut feel had lead me to draw those same conclusions, particularly the bit about families opting for golf property as they tended to be associated with high quality and peace and quiet.

The LJDF village du golf is very much aimed at families what with the amphitheatre, kids clubs, on site pitch and put and so on.
In my searches I have found such developments located by a beach with own green reasonable sized gardens and own pools to be very rare - indeed we have not found any in the £1500 per week (high season) bracket.
Often people twell me they know of one but when we research we find the beach is a 10 minute drive (which required expensive car hire),or the gardens are not suitable for kids (note the tiny strip gardens on Polaris World) or there are'nt enough onsite leisure and sports ammenities.

 

[Lee Filkins]

subject

Investy: That is fine, if that is what you looking at. An advantage with a golf property is that you don't have to do your gardens if the property is on the green etc.