The National - News

A holiday home a Bond villain would be proud to call his lair

- Patrick Ryan

At a market value of Dh100 million and surrounded by 1,500-year-old trees imported from Andalusia, the Sweden Beach Palace is the last word in luxury.

Getting to the island takes a four-kilometre boat trip to The Heart of Europe project.

At the moment it is a sea of constructi­on work, but by 2020 the developers say it will be something akin to a resort in the Maldives.

Inside the palace, life is as opulent as you might expect: the sofa cushion covers are made by Bentley, for example.

The lower floor is home to an impressive gym, a sauna and a snow room that pours snowflakes from the ceiling, forming a chilly pile taller than most people.

There is no doubt that here you are in the realm of the mega-rich.

Upstairs, or up-lift (this is Dubai after all), lies the master bedroom.

The view is nothing short of astonishin­g and there is an unusual circular bed and a free-standing bath – made from solid marble, naturally.

Farther up, there is an entire floor that could have been designed by a villain from a James bond film.

It is designed to mimic the stern of a Viking ship, and it sits around a model of the entire Heart of Europe project.

The room’s 360-degree view is impressive, and it will be even more impressive when the constructi­on work is done and there is only sea and sand on the horizon.

It isn’t hard to imagine this place being the location of choice for billionair­es on New Year’s Eve as they party and toast their good fortune to own such a property.

Snowflakes fall from the ceiling of a room on the lower floor, creating a pile of snow taller than most people

 ?? Chris Whiteoak / The National ?? Inside the opulent Sweden Beach Palace on Sweden Island in The Heart of Europe
Chris Whiteoak / The National Inside the opulent Sweden Beach Palace on Sweden Island in The Heart of Europe

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