Glossary · Types of home
Branded residence
In short
A home in a project that carries the name of a hotel or lifestyle brand and is serviced by its operator. The brand is licensed for a period, and the services are paid for through higher fees.
What it means
A branded residence is a condominium unit or villa in a project that uses a brand's name and standards, most often a hotel group's. The developer builds and sells the homes; the brand lends its name and usually manages the building, the services and, where there is one, the neighbouring hotel.
How it works
- The brand is there under a licence or management agreement with a fixed term. Ask how long it runs and what happens to the name if it ends.
- Owners pay for the service level through the common fees, which are higher than in an ordinary building.
- Many projects offer a rental programme under the hotel's licence, which is what makes daily letting lawful there. Some make joining it a condition.
- Ownership works as for any other home: a condominium unit within the foreign quota can be owned freehold; a villa follows the rules for land.
What to check
Read the management agreement and the rental programme as carefully as the purchase contract: the fees, the limits on your own use, who pays for refurbishment, and whether you may leave the programme. A known name says something about the standard of service. It says nothing certain about the price you will get when you sell.