The whole world is hoping to witness the beginning of revival of the tourism sector from spring 2021. Such hopes are primarily associated with the new COVID-19 vaccines. On its part, the tourism industry is closely linked to the real estate sector. In Georgia, this is particularly evident in Batumi, where the aparthotel business has been rapidly growing during the last few years. One of the most prominent projects in this segment is White Sails. Property Georgia spoke to the director of White Sails Natia Gogidze.

- 2020 has been a year full of challenges due to the pandemic. What are the investment prospects for the real estate sector in Batumi in 2021?

- The whole world rejoiced about the news that the new vaccine is effective. Experts and economists have started talking about economic revival. Naturally, we realise that this will not happen in the short term, and it will take several years for the economic figures to reach the pre-pandemic levels. However, we are still expecting to see a positive dynamic. As the tourism sector starts moving again, the real estate investment prospects will also improve. If it was not for border closures, our clients from abroad – Poland and Israel in particular – were ready to come here to invest.

- White Sails consists of premium-class residential and hotel apartments in the New Batumi Boulevard, near the coastline. There have been many new apartment projects in the city over the last few years. What sets White Sails apart?

- As you say, there are now many aparthotels on the market, so we tried to create a different kind of product. These are not just apartments – they offer added value to our customers.

At White Sails, our goal was to provide our clients with emotional comfort and create a residential and recreational environment that would withstand the market trends for many years to come. White Sails is a multifunctional hotel and residential complex situated by the coastline and boasting unique infrastructure: a large part of the complex (13,000 m² of the total area of 29,445 m²) is taken up by the recreational zone in the shape of a boulevard-type courtyard. The complex has a huge parking lot that is free for our clients to use, so they will never have a problem finding space for their vehicle. There is an outdoor swimming pool that is designed for adults and children alike, as well as a sports field, children’s playground, restaurants, café-bars and supermarkets – everything will be in a single space.

Furthermore, the White Sails complex will incorporate the Ibis Styles Batumi hotel, which will be completed in 2021. It will boast advanced infrastructure, which our clients will be able to use at exclusive rates. Facilities will include an indoor pool, fitness and spa centres, common working spaces, etc.

- Buying an apartment in White Sails is a profitable investment in real estate. Apartment owners will have a source of guaranteed income. Can you specify how this business model works?

- To provide our clients with full comfort, we established a management company that ensures occupancy of the apartments. Holidaymakers will be offered all services that are characteristic of a high-end hotel: 24h reception and check-in/check-out facilities, concierge service, bell boy, security, daily cleaning, laundry, free access to the pool, sports field and parking, entertainment programmes for children and adults, and many more. Each apartment owner will have a virtual cabinet where they will be able to manage their property’s occupancy and rates. With the help of a smart home motion detector, they will be able to check from anywhere in the world whether or not their apartment is occupied. We are negotiating with local and international tourist companies and state organisations. We have official representatives in Israel and Poland, and we expect a large flow of customers from these countries.

The management company offers the following terms: apartment owners receive 60% of the revenues from rentals, while the company receives the remaining 40%. All the aforementioned service costs, as well as all utility costs, are covered by the management company. I can confidently say that thanks to the infrastructure and services on offer, White Sails apartments will have far higher occupancy than our competitors.

- What are the terms for buying an apartment?

Although construction has been completed and buyers can already use their apartment from this season, we offer our clients the possibility to pay in interest-free instalments over 1 year. This means that you can buy and enjoy your apartment, and complete the payment a year later. As part of our New Year’s offer, you can also use our 2-year internal interest-free payment plan with a 15% down payment, or receive a 15% discount when paying in a lump sum. We also work with banks with regards to mortgage plans.

- Are your clients mostly from Georgia or abroad?

- Thanks to the high standard of construction, the unique infrastructure and diverse services, the White Sails project is particularly popular among foreign investors. The distribution of our clients by country of origin is as follows: Israel – 27%, Russia – 17%, Ukraine – 11%, Poland – 10%, China – 9.5%, Georgia – 9%, others – 25%.

- One of the most important factors for real estate buyers is the quality of construction materials used in the project, as well as the general energy efficiency of the building. Can you give us details about the construction materials used in White Sails?

- It was important for us to create a product that would satisfy market demand for many years to come. We therefore prioritised the quality of construction and chose the materials accordingly: for the façade, we used the energy-efficient foam block that absorbs the vapour produced inside the building and channels it outside, preventing dampness and ensuring that your apartment remains dry. It is energy-efficient, soundproof and safe. We used waterproof paint to prevent water from the façade reaching into the apartments. Inside the apartments themselves, we are using an energy-efficient heating and cooling system.

 

The buildings are equipped with double-glazed, dual coloured, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows supplied by the German firm VEKA. On the balconies, we have installed 10 mm ASAS glazing. The glass balcony creates more space and keeps the apartment bright. On the roof, we used heat resistant paint that keeps the building warm and prevents the forming of condensate on the ceiling. For waterproofing, we used acrylic paint that prevents rainwater from reaching inside the building.

As for the interior works, we used the eco-friendly waterproof paint from Caparol for the walls. This is a non-toxic paint that does not affect air quality. It is durable and easy to clean.

It is also important to note that construction works have been carried out by Anagi, Georgia’s largest building firm with 31 years of experience. This guarantees quality and strengthens the trust factor with our customers.

- Recreation is also a priority in today’s urban development. Does the project location offer a healthy environment?

- Generally, I believe that you must create a product that you would be happy to use yourself. It is unfortunate that we still find construction projects without a courtyard or parking facilities today. The pandemic has made us all appreciate the importance and necessity of recreational spaces. White Sails is situated along the coastline, 150 metres from the sea. The New Boulevard runs in front of the building, while the complex itself has its own 13,000 m² boulevard-type recreational zone, a sports field and a children’s playground.

- Going back to the challenges created by the pandemic, has there been an increase in remote sales in 2020, and do you believe that this segment will remain important in 2021?

- At this stage, foreign nationals account for the majority of our sales, and we can register property ownership remotely. Our clients can also purchase apartments with mortgage remotely.

- Are you planning to implement new projects in 2021?

- Despite the pandemic, we try to keep going and implement new projects. Very soon we will offer our customers a unique project near the Batumi Botanical Gardens.