From Lake Tahoe to Hawaii, Los Cabos to Belize, these luxurious resort-style communities make every day feel like a holiday.
The following is an excerpt from The Agency Magazine’s Fall/Winter Issue.
Read the full article here.
In 2008, The St. Regis Punta Mita opened its doors on Mexico’s Banderas Bay, sprawling through 22 acres of lush oceanfront jungle. In the years since, it’s operated with consistently high occupancy, commanding some of the highest rates in all of Mexico. Stellar service, a stunning location, and spacious rooms have helped the hotel’s success—but so has its setting in one of the most sought-after residential communities in North America, Punta Mita.
The 1,500-acre, low-density, master-planned development of Punta Mita, just 25 miles from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, has been carefully developed since its debut 25 years ago. Filled with a mix of homesites, hotel-branded residences, sprawling beachfront homes, and convenient turnkey condos, the community has long provided something for everyone. The array of offerings has allowed buyers to grow with the community—upgrading as they decided to spend more time there or downsizing when their travel habits needed to adjust.
Unlike many of the second-home communities that preceded it, Punta Mita wasn’t a one-and-done project and has continued to grow and evolve. Fresh off a $45 million renovation, the St. Regis continues to draw guests into the resort community, who then fall in love with the area and want to buy a home. Lucky for them, the Punta Mita development currently offers nearly 20 residential neighborhoods, as well as four beach clubs and two golf courses. The community also boasts a Four Seasons resort with its own branded residences, and come 2026, Montage and Pendry hotels will arrive with their own residential offerings.
The 1,500-acre community at Punta Mita.
Punta Mita didn’t invent the resort community, though. Vacation-home communities have been around since the 1960s, often mixing a seasonal sport like golf or skiing with fractional-ownership homes (once called “time-shares”).
Today, resort-style living is about much more than just getting out of town to focus on your hobby. Resort-style communities have become life-enriching destinations that prioritize overall well-being, family bonding, and rich cultural immersion. These communities are adapting with ultra-specialized amenities (private airstrips, 24-hour concierge services, and top-tier sports facilities and instructors), elevated service standards, and enhanced levels of luxury that make it feel like you’re living permanently on vacation.
The appeal of safe and reliable communities was no doubt driven by the Covid-19 pandemic when a wave of urbanites decamped city and suburban lifestyles in favor of turnkey destinations where they could be outside and work remotely—and all they had to do was bring their toothbrush and suitcase. Today’s resort-style communities aren’t for retirees; rather, buyers are getting younger and demanding more. A recent report from the National Association of Realtors shows that millennials are the largest group of homebuyers compared to baby boomers.
Storied Developments Prioritize Reinvention
The premier golf courses at Punta Mita, which held much of the community’s original appeal, have been complemented by other outdoor activities, such as surfing, snorkeling, tennis, and cultural excursions. The transition to a lifestyle-oriented approach caters to a younger, more active demographic that rates experiences over tradition, which has helped Punta Mita experience some of the highest real estate value growth in Mexico. (Several homes have sold for more than $10 million in recent years.) Since 2021, there has been a surge in property sales, with over 60 new homes, villas, and condos sold by the end of that year. About 57 percent of these sales were to existing owners or their referrals, highlighting the appeal of the community to those already living there.
This also rings true for another notable leader in master-planned communities: Hualālai on the Big Island of Hawaii, an 865-acre property that opened in 1996 along the Kona-Kohala Coast with the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. To date, there are 178 custom homes, 49 townhomes, and 144 condos. In 1999, the most expensive property was $3.5 million; today, the highest property sale is $23 million, which conveys the community’s immense growth.
Villa at Hualalai.
Credit: Michael Lee
The global shift toward health and wellness has reshaped Hualālai’s focus, making it a leader in wellness-centered living. The resort’s world-class spa has expanded its offerings to include wellness programs that integrate both modern science and traditional Hawaiian healing practices. Residents and guests can indulge in personalized treatments, including lomilomi massages, organic skincare treatments, and meditation sessions.
In fact, resort communities that have opened in the past decade are taking cues from more established developments. Much of Mexico’s coastline is being reinvented with the proliferation of master-planned resort and residential communities catering to luxury buyers. For instance, on Mexico’s eastern coast in Riviera Maya, known for its vibrant reefs, cenotes, and rich Mayan heritage, is Mayakoba. The 620-acre master-planned community debuted in 2003 along the Caribbean Sea and now hosts four hotels: Rosewood, Banyan Tree, Andaz, and Fairmont.
Along with the hotels come hundreds of hotel-branded residences in the form of private villas, penthouses, and lagoon-front residences. Back on Mexico’s west coast, there’s the multiphase Costa Palmas, which debuted in 2019. Here, the 1,500-acre community on the East Cape of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula boasts nearly two miles of swimmable beach (a rarity in Los Cabos); a yacht marina and village; a Robert Trent Jones Jr.–designed golf course; a Four Seasons and the forthcoming Aman and Casa Blake hotels; and branded residences and condos with stunning views of the Sierra de la Laguna mountains, the dunes and desert landscapes, and the Sea of Cortez.
Lifestyle Shifts
Golf has long been a draw for warm-weather destinations, but several communities are prioritizing other types of lifestyles, such as skiing, equestrian activities, and adventure. Take the Windsor Club in Vero Beach, Florida, a private residential and sporting club more than two hours from Miami.
The seaside escape, founded in 1989, is known for its multimillion-dollar homes exceeding $25 million, as well as its world-class equestrian center, polo field, Stan Smith–designed tennis courts, golf course, miles of hiking trails, two restaurants, beach club, and art gallery. The tony community, situated among a wildlife refuge between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean, is reinventing itself through new, sustainable residential development that prioritizes healthy living and wellness. The North Village is the community’s most recently developed neighborhood, with 34 single-family homes, six Row Houses, and amenities surrounding the estuary and a lake.
The Windsor Club.
The equestrian center at the Windsor Club.
While golf is still a staple of Windsor’s community, here, equestrian pastimes prevail. In addition to polo fields, there are 26 stables, 14 paddocks, a multipurpose stick-and-ball field, a full-size polo field for exhibition matches, riding trails, and a team of experts who can offer lessons. No age is considered too young; the equestrian center even has a children’s polo team. International players often take to the fields to compete in charity matches, including the biennial Charity Polo Cup.
In communities like Martis Camp in Lake Tahoe, residents are attracted to the development for its proximity to some of North America’s most impressive skiing. The Truckee, California–based property spans 2,177 acres and has 671 home-
sites, with some built homes asking between $4 million and $25 million. Since 2020, there have been over $1.3 billion in home sales. There’s an award-winning Tom Fazio–designed golf course, consistently ranked as one of America’s best modern courses, but the community primarily attracts residents for its private ski connection and mountain lifestyle. Residents have direct entry to the Northstar California ski resort through a private, high-speed lift. Martis Camp also offers home-pickup shuttles and valet service, as well as access to Lookout Lodge, a private ski lodge designated exclusively for Martis Camp members.
Sustainability Reigns Supreme
Many new developments are answering traveler demand for nature-filled experiences, while also keeping another important tenet top of mind: sustainability. Caye Chapel, a private-island club community in Belize, sits at the edge of the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. Here, the ocean and land take center stage. Caye Chapel, which began development in 2019 but was delayed due to Covid-19, will have a 104-room Four Seasons Resort and 138 homesites, which will include 24 Four Seasons Private Residences and 114 custom estate lots.
Marking the Four Seasons’ first-ever private island offering in the Americas, Caye Chapel will feature expected amenities that brand loyalists will love, including a world-class championship golf course, private beach club, harbor and marina village, Fabien Cousteau Adventure Center, and holistic wellness experiences. Just 10 percent of the island will feature infrastructure, while the remainder of the island will be dedicated to preservation and conservation. Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of oceanographic explorer Jacques Cousteau, will lead a team of researchers and scientists devoted to strengthening the surrounding reefs. Residents can expect thought-provoking programming with lectures from marine biologists and conservationists to teach residents and guests about the importance of preserving our delicate environment.
Safety & Secutiry
It’s not just about having a world-class championship golf course or a renowned spa at your fingertips—communities like Punta Mita are primed for your everyday life. Within its golden gates, residents have access to crucial services like emergency care, surgical capabilities, schools, ICUs, on-site pharmacies, and even fertility centers. Demand for these high-end properties continues to rise, driven by shifts in work flexibility and lifestyle preferences; resort communities are no longer just a retreat but a primary choice for many. The ability to access first-rate recreational activities, bespoke services, and a strong sense of community makes these developments the epitome of modern luxury living.
— Emma Reynolds
Read more about the world’s most luxurious resort-style communities
in The Agency Magazine.
