Luxurious Magazine meets with former British No.1 tennis champion, Tim Henman, who serves up the latest on The Hideaways Club, luxury travel destinations, fine wines, Wimbledon Championships and why he’s enjoying his retirement so much.
LM: So Tim, please tell our Luxurious Magazine readers a little about The Hideaways Club and its offer?
TH: The Hideaways Club is a brilliant alternative to buying a house abroad. It’s a shared ownership club where members invest in, and holiday in, beautiful homes from a portfolio of properties owned by the Club in fantastic locations around the world. You can then enjoy holidays in these luxury homes through membership of a destination and lifestyle club. Lower capital investment is required for membership of The Hideaways Club compared with buying a second home and you’ll never be bored with the same location as you’ve got the flexibility of staying in a variety of beautifully furnished homes, each with a different character and ambience.
Membership comes without any of the hassles of property maintenance or finding a reliable key holder and is also supported by a great concierge service that will help organise your holiday, e.g. sorting out ski hire and lessons, transfers, or booking babysitting or sight-seeing tours. When our children were small the concierge would organise things like cots, car seats and they even stocked the fridge with our favourite foods.
LM: Why did the Hideaways Club appeal to you? Is it a sound investment programme?
TH: When I stopped playing professional tennis, my wife Lucy and I were considering buying a home abroad in either Tuscany or the south of France. We love skiing and also thought about buying a chalet, but we weren’t going to buy several properties. A friend introduced me to The Hideaways Club and we realised membership of the club was the answer as it provides access to a wide variety of beautiful properties around the world, plus potential investment growth. I also like the fact that my investment is spread across different markets. If in several years’ time you decide to exit the Club, then you can sell your stake to an incoming Member approved by the Club.
LM: The Hideaways Club has a portfolio of properties that come under either the ‘Classic Collection’ or the ‘City Collection’. Tell us more about these two particular funds that members can choose from?
TH: The Classic Collection offers a choice of 40 stunning villas and chalets owned by The Hideaways Club all across the world, including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mauritius, South Africa and South East Asia. Members can also stay in a further 200 luxury destinations through reciprocal agreements with other clubs. An alliance with HotelSwaps provides access to an even wider collection of luxury hotels and residences around the world.
Classic Collection properties are great if you are travelling with friends and family, as we have, as the homes typically sleep 8-10 guests.
The City Collection offers 11 city centre apartments in some of the world’s most iconic cities, such as New York, Prague, Berlin, Istanbul and Bangkok, with a further choice of 39 destinations available through reciprocal agreements. These apartments typically sleep 4-6 guests.
LM: Explain how to become a Hideaways Club Member? What’s the entry level?
TH: There are different entry points for Hideaways Club membership depending on when and where you want to travel and your budget. If you love city breaks, then the City Collection might suit you best, with investment starting at £69,500. If you want to enjoy holidays in a range of different destinations including rural hideaways, tropical beach villas or luxurious ski chalets in some of the best resorts, then Classic Collection would be ideal, with investment starting at £88,000.
LM: What’s your favourite luxurious travel destination and why?
TH: Two years ago I stayed at The Hideaways Club property in Ko Samui in Thailand for New Year. It is an amazing villa which surpassed our expectations and we had incredible staff looking after us. We went with another family and we all enjoyed the Thai food, the great beaches and the weather. It was great to get away from the UK winter for a while.
LM: Where’s next on your travel destination bucket list?
TH: I’d love to go to South Africa for some winter sun. There’s no time difference to the UK which is a bonus and there is lots to see and do, with some excellent wines to try too. I’d also like to go to Bali as I’ve never been there.
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