Andrew Strauss Is On Top Of The World In St Lucia

England Test cricket captain Andrew Strauss has been at Lord's telling investors why he has bought a holiday home at Freedom Bay in St Lucia and how he is currently ‘on top of the world’. 

Riding high on winning the Test series with the England cricket team and becoming the world’s no. 1 ranked Test side, Andrew Strauss is predicting a double win with his investment in a luxury two bedroom villa at Freedom Bay.  Strauss will also be setting-up The Andrew Strauss Cricket Academy on-island.  The St Lucian Minister for Investment, Rufus Bousquet has encouraged such high profile investment and is the local MP where the academy is to be based.

Strauss says: "I am delighted with my purchase at Freedom Bay and am looking forward to spending some of my limited leisure time at my new holiday home each year, as well as investing time into an academy of excellence.  Whilst touring, St Lucia became my favourite Caribbean island and I feel I can totally unwind and switch-off there. 

"I hope my professional experience of the game will rub-off on the local community and give some of the young St Lucians a positive focus in their lives.  The West Indies has a real shortage of cricket training facilities and yet so many St Lucians love playing the sport.  I am ultimately hoping to cultivate a few more St Lucians to make the West Indies team!"

The Andrew Strauss Cricket Academy aims to provide quality coaching and cricketing facilities for St Lucians wishing to experience and learn the skills of cricket and its positive sporting values.  The academy recognises the sports unique place in St Lucian culture and will provide access to the game to many young people who are passionate about cricket but do not have the means to learn and improve their skills in a disciplined and nurturing environment. 

This will be the first independent St Lucian Cricket Academy designed to meet the requirements of the young individual cricketer wanting to play the game professionally, or the local school or college team selected to represent their district. 

Freedom Bay Luxury Hotel, Spa Resort and Private Residences is owned by The Malgretoute Hotel Development Company, who is also sponsoring The Andrew Strauss Cricket Academy.  The site is located in Malgretoute on the warm west coast of St Lucia, within a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the foot of the iconic pitons in St Lucia.  This ensures there will be no over development in the area and guarantees that property owners’ naturally beautiful views will be protected forever.  It also means there is a strictly limited supply of land and high demand which ensures property values will be sustained and grow.

Freedom Bay eco luxury resort development will include the first Six Senses international branded five star hotel in the Caribbean which is structured to be owned in two ways: deeded fractional ownership or owning a villa outright. Early investors in phase one will have the opportunity to purchase at 25% from list  prices with a sponsored exit strategy. 

Early investors have the choice of 29 detached one and two-bedroom and one 3 bedroom villa, each with their own pool.  The early investment launch also includes the release of only 10 plots within the private residential estate, where purchasers can build their own 3 or 4 bedroom villa.  Investors also benefit from an 8% guaranteed rental income for the first three years from opening and 50% of hotel villa occupancy income thereafter. 

The exclusive private residential estate of 50 three and four bedroom super luxury villas and 94 various sized apartments will be released at a later date in 2011 and will also benefit from the five star hotel concierge service.

St Lucia is the ‘undiscovered’ gem of the Caribbean yet has it all - mountainous terrain, rain forests, coral reefs, eternal sunshine, a hospitable culture and an established global infrastructure with direct flights recently increased to seven days a week from both the UK and the US.

Prices for a one week fraction of a one bedroom hotel villa start at £17,500, rising to a one week fraction of a three bedroom hotel villa at £35,000.  Investors have the option of renting their week through the hotel or using their week to stay in the hotel.

Whole ownership hotel villas starts from £660,000 for a one bedroom villa and rise to £975,000 for a two bedroom villa.

Land plot prices start from US$500,000 (approx. £330,000)

Prices for the three and four bedroom Private Residence Villas are to be announced in Autumn 2011 and are not included in the early investor offer.