The appointment of Ireland’s biggest estate agency group, Sherry FitzGerald, to represent the Cheltenham-based Almanzora Group Ltd throughout Ireland is expected to result in a major boost for both the UK and Irish businesses. Both are to market new residential properties in leisure resort, village and beach developments, including the Desert Springs Resort and Golf Club, in the Almanzora region of Almeria in south-east Spain.

Today’s news is described by The Almanzora Group’s sales and marketing manager Bridget Rosser as “a great fit and an enviable accolade for both” because both companies met all the stringent individual criteria which Sherry FitzGerald and The Almanzora Group demand must be met before linking up. “The new arrangement gives The Almanzora Group unrivalled representation across Ireland which we regard as a significant and valuable market for the high quality properties we offer,” says Bridget. Commenting on today’s news, Philip Sherry, who heads up Sherry FitzGerald International said: “This agency gives us access for our clients to some of the very best resort, golf and beach developments available today.”

The Almanzora Group Ltd is the principal agent in northern Europe marketing new properties built in the new Almanzora region of Almeria by The Almanzora Bay Group, an Anglo-Spanish sister group to the award-winning Cheltenham-based developer, the Robert Hitchins Group. Established in 1958, the Robert Hitchins Group specialises in large-scale strategic land planning and commercial development in the West of England and South Wales. The Almanzora Group Ltd is a subsidiary of the Robert Hitchins Group and acts exclusively for the development companies which comprise The Almanzora Bay Group. Under the new agreement, Sherry FitzGerald will be supporting the marketing of brand new properties in three distinct and complementary developments in Almeria. They are the luxury family resort and desert golf course of Desert Springs, the fishing village of Villaricos, and the beachfront development of Playa Marques.

Desert Springs Resort and Golf Club
Desert Springs, Europe’s only international award-winning luxury desert resort and championship golf course, is located on more than 300 hectares (750 acres) on an elevated plateau over the Rio Almanzora, near the coast of the municipality of Cuevas del Almanzora. The first phase of the resort - including the Indiana Desert Golf Course and Club House, with its international award winning El Torrente Restaurant, the Crocodile Club family restaurant and bar, with its pools, sun lawns and sand play bunkers, and The Sierra Sports and Fitness Club which has facilities for tennis, paddle, gymnasium and football - is already up and running. Future plans for the resort include a second 18-hole golf course, a four-star golf and sports hotel, a super luxury five-star plus ‘well being’ and spa hotel. Also planned are more homes ranging from apartments, townhouses and cottages to villas and country houses built to the highest standards of construction and finish.

Villaricos
Villaricos is a traditional fishing village located between the Almanzora River, the Sierra Almagrera and the sea. The village has an existing population of around 400 people and is being redeveloped by The Almanzora Bay Group in conjunction with the local town hall. More than 200 apartments and townhouses have already been built at Villaricos by The Almanzora Bay Group. Now further new homes consisting of two- and three-bedroom apartments and townhouses are being constructed around a series of individual courtyards, gardens and pools. All are designed in the distinctive complementary style developed for the village and are planned as part of a scheme to improve and expand it.
It has been said that Villaricos and its area have the ambience of Westport in County Mayo.

Playa Marques
‘El Playazo’ – the Great sandy Beach – of Palomares, five minutes from the fishing village of Villaricos, is the location for The Almanzora Bay Group’s Playa Marques beach front development where a mix of 200 marine style two- and three-bedroom beach cottages, apartments and exclusive three-bedroom ‘Malibu’ beach houses are under construction.

Co-ordinating the business links between The Almanzora Group and Sherry FitzGerald are Lisa Curran, senior sales executive in Sherry FitzGerald who is based in Sherry FitzGerald’s headquarters in Dublin and Irishman Paul Connaughton (33) who joined The Almanzora Group earlier this year as commercial manager.

Further Information email:  lisa.curran@sherryfitzie