The Team Behind Le Bristol and Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Are Creating Bespoke Experiences in a Set of Historic Private Estates
World travelers in search of extraordinary destinations, take note: James Middleton has a few ideas for you.
Queen Elizabeth I slept at one of the properties, Fairley Wallop, which has been in the same family since the Domesday Book. For sporty types, there is the Hound Lodge at Goodwood, the famed heritage estate belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Richmond and Gordon. And a third, Glen Affric, is a castle-like Victorian estate nestled in the Scottish Highlands Nature Reserve within easy reach of Loch Ness—it, too, has served as a royal getaway in the recent past (dog lovers will appreciate that golden retrievers were first bred here in the 19th century).
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These are but three of a planned 20 or so destinations in a portfolio known as Masterpiece Estates, a selection of luxury experiences in privately owned, fully-staffed heritage properties, curated and managed in collaboration with the Oetker Collection, manager of nine legendary properties including the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the French Riviera, Eden Rock in Saint Barths and Le Bristol in Paris. In addition to a number of U.K. heritage properties, the program will expand to include destinations in France, Italy, Tanzania, and North and South America.
Unlike with most luxury home rental programs, the new-gen owners of Masterpiece Estate properties are keen to play on-site host, share the estate’s history and initiate guests to local ways by working with in-house staff to custom-tailor guests’ stay.
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“Hotels are wonderful, of course, but there are only so many things we can do. And when you rent a house, there is still the question of seeing to it that, say, three generations are happily occupied all at once,” notes Frank Marrenbach, CEO of the Oetker Collection. “When you have a private estate and hosts all to yourself, it’s striking how close the connection to a place becomes.”
After a breakfast presentation at The Lanesborough, the Oetker Collection’s five-star London hotel, Middleton (encircled by an adoring entourage—his golden retriever Mabel, and Ella, a black cocker spaniel and working therapy dog, plus her two pups) commented, “I’ve always been the family member who will go and make a bonfire and gather people round, even in the pouring rain. It’s what I love doing and I know that people will really enjoy it.” Being the host of Glen Affric and perhaps a handful of other properties, he said, is his true passion.
New Oetker Collection Homes Glen Affric
“He’s a much better host than I am,” added James Matthews, Middleton’s brother-in-law, who is the owner of Glen Affric. “My wife and I were just up there with friends last weekend; we look forward to offering that adventure and experience to others.”
Another friend, Billy More-Nisbett, said that he first got the idea of opening his family’s estate near Edinburgh after visiting Hearst Castle in San Simeon. “I was just dying to have a party there,” he said. “All of these estates were built for entertaining, and they are a really special part of British heritage, and of a community. They need to fit into the modern world.” That said, he allowed that he has a little home renovation to do before The Drum, his family’s seat, could join the Masterpiece roster. “The bedrooms need a little tidying up,” he quipped.
For Middleton, being a guide comes naturally, and he knows first-hand how having a good host makes all the difference. “...it all becomes these unforgettable experiences for friends and families. I don’t see it as work at all—I’d probably be [at the house] whether there are guests or not, so I’m excited to share the experience. So while it’s a wonderful opportunity, it’s really just good for the soul.”
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