Courtesy of Nicholas Delaney of Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty
PARADISE ISLAND, NASSAU – The year was 1962. With the introduction of commercial passenger jets into the skies in the previous decade, air travel was becoming an increasingly popular pastime among the international elite. From wealthy businessmen to celebrated stars, the world’s richest and most famous built a lifestyle around it, flying from one glamorous destination to the next. And, Paradise Island was high on that list of destinations, thanks, in part, to a financier, an appliance manufacturer and an international playboy.
However, the real story of Paradise Island (originally named Hog Island) began a quarter of a century earlier when Edmund Lynch, co-founder of the Merrill Lynch & Co brokerage firm, sold his Hog Island estate to Dr. Axel Wenner-Gren, owner of the Swedish manufacturing company Electrolux. Even though it was 1939 and the world was on the brink of war, Wenner-Gen set about building an extravagant tropical oasis which he dubbed “Shangri-La.” The lavish estate was so expansive that it included a 75-foot-wide terraced garden modeled after the Versailles Palace gardens in France overlooking the Nassau Harbour that stretched a quarter of a mile from the grounds of Shangri-La to the southern edge of Hog Island.
Just a few months before his death, Wenner-Gren sold the entire estate to his neighbor, Huntington Hartford II, grandson of the founder of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P). Known as a playboy and patron of the arts, Hartford was launching his career as a hotelier and had plans to convert Shangri-La into a luxury resort. Recognizing that Hog Island didn’t exactly conjure up the images of luxury and sophistication he hoped would attract the rich and famous, Hartford successfully petitioned the Bahamian government to change the name of Hog Island to Paradise Island. As for his resort, he named it The Ocean Club.
“He hired the Palm Beach architect John Volk and built The Ocean Club, Cafe Martinique, Hurricane Hole and the golf course, among other island landmarks,” said George Damianos, Chief Executive Officer of Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, whose family has been selling real estate on Paradise Island since 1945. “He also acquired and installed the Cloisters, a 14th-century French Augustinian monastery. The entire opening of Paradise Island was covered in Newsweek and Time magazines.”
And, just as Hartford had envisioned, the celebrities weren’t far behind. World leaders like Jackie Onassis and Sir Winston Churchill, famed artist Salvador Dali, actors Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando and, yes, even The Beatles flew from every corner of the world to see for themselves what Hartford had created.
“This was the true birth of Paradise Island and The Ocean Club as we know them today,” said Damianos, adding that while much has changed since 1962, Paradise Island and The Ocean Club continue to be beacons that draw in the world’s most elite high-net-worth individuals.
“Paradise Island has a long history of enticing jetsetters and celebrities, and it’s because of the resort-style lifestyle that Hartford manifested nearly a half-century ago,” Damianos said. “A custom-designed golf course, private beaches, tennis clubs and marinas … all of this continues to be extremely attractive to the ultra-wealthy, not only when it comes to vacationing but also when purchasing homes.”
To this day, Paradise Island is consistently voted one of the top destinations in the Caribbean by distinguished travel publications like Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler. And because it’s only a 40-minute flight from Miami, travel to the island is virtually hassle-free.
“High-net-worth individuals are attracted to the fact that Paradise Island is easy to get to on a moment’s notice,” Damianos said. “When it comes to purchasing second and third homes, they want something that’s not going to be too burdensome to own; something that’s easy to take care of, easy to maintain and offers ease of access to their favourite pastimes such as golfing, diving and boating.”
But, according to Damianos, it’s the island’s stunning waterfront properties that really set it apart from other luxury communities. Homes on the island range from elegant one-of-a-kind estates and gorgeous beachfront sanctuaries to exclusive high-rise condos and world-renowned hotel brands. Ocean Club Estates—one of the most exclusive oceanfront and golf-course communities in The Bahamas—is one of the more unique enclaves on the island due to its partnership with The Ocean Club Bahamas (now a Four Seasons Resort) which grants Ocean Club Estates homeowner full access to all of the resort’s five-star amenities.
“This exclusive access adds incredible value when purchasing homes like Villa Tarka,” Damianos said, referring to the one-of-a-kind 20,000-sq. ft. beachfront estate exclusively listed by Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty. “There are very few homes currently on the market in The Bahamas that offer this combination of unparalleled elegance and wealth of amenities.”
And then there’s the golf course. The Ocean Club golf course is an 18-hole, 72-par championship course that features breathtaking signature holes and seaside greens and tees stretching over 7,100 yards of beautiful coastline.
“Not only are investors getting the ultimate turnkey experience when they purchase a home in communities like Ocean Club Estates, but they have access to the ultimate high-end lifestyle that defines Paradise Island,” Damianos said. “There aren’t many islands that offer this level of convenience and luxury.”
For more information about Villa Tarka, please visit SIRbahamas.com or call George Damianos at 242-424-9699. George can also be reached via email at [email protected]
About Sotheby’s International Realty
The Sotheby’s International Realty network currently has approximately 22,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in over 970 offices in 72 countries and territories worldwide. Each office is independently owned and operated.
About Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty
Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty has 10 offices located throughout the islands of the Bahamas, providing unsurpassed market knowledge of Abaco, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Exuma, Nassau, Paradise Island, Ocean Club Estates, Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay, Albany and Private Islands. Head office 75 Shirley Street, Nassau. For additional information, please contact 242-322-2305 or [email protected].