5 complexes with hotel apartments, opening in 2013.

By the end of this year, the first residential properties with apartments managed by international hotel operators will appear in Russia. In the West, this type of real estate has been successfully implemented for decades and is now present in almost all major cities worldwide. Typically, these properties are constructed in central areas where the main business activity is concentrated, as well as in resort cities. In our country, four branded residential complexes are planned to open in Sochi in preparation for the Olympics this autumn. These complexes include "Gorky Gorod," "Kamelia," "Hyatt Regency Sochi," and "Actor Galaxy." Hotel apartments differ from typical properties in that the owners have access to all the amenities of a high-class hotel, including spas, restaurants, meeting rooms, concierge services, room service, etc. These residences are serviced by hotel operators, whose responsibilities also include the rental of the property if desired by the owner. Hotel chains usually use their own customer base when looking for new tenants, significantly reducing risks and simplifying the process. 1. "Gorky Gorod" Resort The "Gorky Gorod" project is located on the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains, 70 km from Sochi. The resort is divided into two parts located at different altitudes - 540 and 960 meters above sea level. At the 540-meter level, the Lower City (Gorky City) includes the main apartment complexes with 1335 apartments and 2 hotels with 636 rooms: Marriott with 428 rooms and Gorki Plaza with 208 rooms. Next to the apartments, a shopping and entertainment center with an area of over 30,000 sq. m. is being constructed, featuring a playground, fitness and spa center, multi-screen cinema, night club, and an aqua park on the upper level. At the 960-meter level, the Upper City (Gorky Village) is being developed, including 7 hotels with 995 rooms and a high-class apartment complex: Rixos with 111 rooms, Swissotel with 168 rooms, 2 Solis Hotels with a total of 100 rooms, Capella with 120 rooms, Gorki Panorama with 302 rooms, Gorki Grand with 194 rooms, as well as 75 luxury apartments. The apartments in "Gorky Gorod" will be managed by international hotel brands such as Rixos, Marriott, Swissotel, Capella, etc. In addition to luxurious and designer hotels with penthouses, boutiques, wellness centers, and exclusive restaurants will also open here. 2. "Kamelia" Resort Complex The "Kamelia" resort complex is being built on the first coastline of the Black Sea, located at Resort Avenue, 89. The project is being developed on the territory of a dendro park with relic trees, occupying a total area of 6.3 hectares. Here, there will be a hotel with 200 rooms under the management of Swissotel Hotels & Resorts, 73 elite apartments ranging from 70 to 180 sq. m. with terraces and sea views, as well as restaurants, a swimming pool, sports and children's playgrounds, a well-equipped beach, a night club, and service facilities. The cost of residences starts from 18 million rubles. The territory of the Kamelia resort complex also houses the former Nauchka sanatorium building, designed by the famous Soviet architect A.V. Samoilov. The former sanatorium is a monument of architectural heritage of the Krasnodar region. According to the concept of the Kamelia resort complex, the former sanatorium will be adapted for modern use and will accommodate elite apartments with terraces ranging from 15 to 17 sq. m. The width of the terraces is 2.5 meters, with only 2-3 apartments on each floor. The management of the Kamelia apartments will be handled by the Swiss hotel chain, Swissotel Hotels & Resorts. 3. Hyatt Regency Sochi Hotel

The five-star Hyatt Regency Sochi Hotel with panoramic windows, including Karat Apartments, is being built on the first coastline at 15/17 Ordzhonikidze Street. The total area of the building is 69,000 square meters, and the plot area is 0.9 hectares. The hotel occupies the first 14 floors of the building, while floors 15 to 27 house 104 apartments with finished designs by architects and designers from England and France. Each apartment has a balcony or terrace with a panoramic view. The area of the residences varies from 86 to 456 square meters, the terrace areas range from 138 to 213 square meters, and the balconies range from 15 to 65 square meters. The hotel chain Hyatt will manage the apartments. Apartment owners will have 24-hour access to restaurants, bars, conference rooms, spas, fitness centers, beauty salons, and a swimming pool. The parking lot can accommodate 162 cars.

4. Actor Galaxy Residential Complex

The Actor Galaxy residential complex is being developed on the shore of the Black Sea, 200 meters from it. The total area of the plot is 4.5 hectares. The 30-story building consists of 674 open-plan apartments with views of the sea and mountains, ranging in size from 35 to 500 square meters. The entire complex's territory is a park zone with subtropical vegetation. The infrastructure of the residential complex will include a well-appointed beach for residents and their guests, indoor and outdoor pools with seawater, boutiques, an SPA center, a fitness club, equipped children's playgrounds, a tennis court, a restaurant and bar, a winter garden, and underground parking. The management of the residential complex is planned to be entrusted to an international hotel operator, although their name is currently being kept secret.

5. Novy Arbat 32 Apartments

The Novy Arbat 32 Apartments are part of a building that houses the Marriott Novy Arbat hotel with 234 rooms. Its infrastructure includes a steakhouse restaurant, a cigar bar, an Executive Lounge with a separate meeting room, a conference room (banquet hall), two rooms with modular partitions and the possibility of combining them into one hall, a fitness center, a business center, an SPA center with infrared saunas, a hammam, a jacuzzi, massage rooms, and a beauty salon. The parking lot, occupying four underground floors, can accommodate 595 cars. The 153 apartments, ranging in size from 45 to 420 square meters, are located on floors 2 to 13. The upper floors house two two-level penthouses with panoramic city views. A service contract for servicing the apartments has been signed with Marriott International.

"The premium real estate market is increasingly moving towards temporary living apartments. High-income families live in multiple countries, constantly moving from one geographical location to another. For them, the apartment no longer serves as a family home and becomes primarily a transit stop. Other people need apartments as a business location. In both cases, the audience is interested in buying an apartment with full-service maintenance. Owners do not have time for shopping or searching for qualified help with household chores. Therefore, the emergence of residential complexes that combine hotels and privately owned apartments becomes one of the main trends of our time. By purchasing an apartment in such a project, the owner receives high-quality service from a hotel operator, without having to worry about everyday issues that are particularly difficult to solve independently in a resort area. Moreover, the residence can be rented out during the owner's absence, thereby offsetting the costs of maintaining the apartment in a tourist area. The trend of developing temporary living apartments with service is only growing, and introducing new projects of this format to the Russian market is very timely," said Ekaterina Rumyantseva, Chairman of the Board of Kalinka Real Estate Consulting Group.