There are some sumptuous five-star hotels around the world, and equally, the idea of being able to hire out a luxury villa is not a new one. But combining these two things is a growing trend. Ultima Corfu is the latest abode from the Ultima group and represents a world-class luxury villa that’s run like your own private five-star deluxe hotel.
Think of it like this – on flights you have economy, business and first class. They say you travel economy when it’s all you can afford, business when someone else is paying and first when you’ve made it. And while first class is a luxury experience that is desirable, although not cheap, the wealthy see value in traveling that way. But those who’ve really made it fly in private jets. You don’t even see them, let alone mingle with them in duty free or baggage collection. They value privacy and convenience and are prepared to pay for it, and that’s where places like Ultima Corfu comes in.
Around 95 percent of the guests who stay at Ultima Corfu arrive on the island by private jet. Most are from Russia, the GCC, America or Switzerland, the latter group often as a result of having already experienced the brand back home.
The whole Ultima concept was created by entrepreneurs Byron Baciocchi and Max-Hervé George, as a way of offering exclusive living and giving guests the privacy of a chalet experience with the five-star, personalised service associated with a hotel. The first property was Ultima Gstaad, that opened in December 2016 and operated as a boutique hotel, but this was succeeded a couple of years later by the first private residence, Ultima Crans Montana. Now with two properties in both Switzerland and France – in locations largely catering to the ski crowd – they decided to expand operations to warmer climes.
Ultima Corfu is the most recent edition to their portfolio. This unique villa of 1,000 square meters can host up to 14 people across seven bedrooms, but if you want to stay here you must rent out the whole place. There’s no chance of bumping into a stranger in the corridor – this is all yours for a long as you stay and the staff here become your staff.
Everyone knows your name and uses it from the moment you arrive, which is strangely friendly, yet comforting. There’s no generic “sir”, and it adds to the sense that you are the focus of their attention, not merely another customer passing through the lobby. Of course, there is no lobby as you arrive by private boat to the villa’s jetty. From there you head up to the cliff-top villa (there’s a discrete lift if you don’t fancy walking) and hunker down in absolute opulence.
The facilities include a private cinema room with streaming services including AppleTV and Netflix or you can Chromecast your own media from your laptop. There are two infinity pools overlooking the sea and a Jacuzzi, because the best way to drink a glass of bubbles is when you’re also surrounded by them.
The art-laden living room has a piano for some Jeeves and Wooster moments, a first-class telescope if you want to see what’s happening across the bay in the Old Town, and a blackjack table if you fancy some cards. Downstairs is a gym and a hammam, but when you book a massage it takes place in your room, which means a far more personal experience.
In each of the bedrooms, gym area and living rooms are what looks like portable silver hockey pucks with a button on top. With these wireless devices, and pressing the button sends a message to the nearest staff member’s beeper and in seconds they can be there to help with whatever it is that you need. The first question they tend to answer is often, “what does pressing this button do?” because this level of attention and service is a something most people will never have encountered before.
Along with the bedrooms there are rooms that can be configured for alternate use. The office can be turned into a bedroom for your security, for example. Unlike in a typical hotel, the kitchen is at the centre of the house and has been designed with a granite-topped island unit, and significantly there are stools around it, encouraging guests to sit at the bar and enjoy something made right there by the Ultima team. They also offer cooking lessons, but the fact you can enjoy the kitchen as a space to eat and drink further adds to this feeling like home.
The Corfiot cuisine has been very much influenced by Greek and Italian traditions, and tavernas around the town like the excellent Avli Corfu are fine places to sit outside, eat a long lazy lunch in the sun (featuring some of the best tomatoes ever picked) and seeing off a bottle of something white and crisp. But for many, the villa itself is where you’ll want to spend most of your time relaxing.
From the vast tomes of myth and legends of Greek mythology to the halcyon days of Gerald Durrell’s pre-WWII book My Family and Other Animals that documents his time as a child growing up on Corfu, this has long been an island to inspire. Yes, it comes at a price and only a select few can afford it, but for those who can, this is something special.