Cliffside Pool, Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc, France

The majestic infinity-edge pool of the fabled Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc is forged into cliffs along the rugged Cap d'Antibes coast just outside Cannes. Filled with ocean salt water and heated on cooler days, it looks out on the Lérins Islands and the glassy Cannes Bay, where the gin palace yachts of the celebrities and tycoons who stay here bob on the water. On a secluded cement terrace, hidden among rocks above the pool, cocktail waiters tend to guests reclining in private cabanas on deck chairs under glossy white umbrellas. Almost as spectacular as the views are the celebrity sightings of the likes of Kate Moss, Bruce Willis,
and Johnny Depp.

Tip: A rope at pool level allows you to swing Tarzan-style off the cliffs into the ocean swell below.

Spa Village Pool, Pangkor Laut Resort, Malaysia

This long, narrow infinity-edge pool rimmed by palm and frangipani trees is the same jade green as the ocean beyond it, so you will feel as if you are swimming in the sea. Part of the Spa Village of this exclusive private island resort, the pool and its steep curved edges drop down to a narrow sandy beach that's invisible from the pool itself, so your view is of palms, villas on stilts in the ocean, and the lush forests of Pangkor Island across the Bay of Malacca. Fragrant frangipani and bougainvillea petals float on the water, adding to its Zen calm.

Tip: Running alongside the pool is the Jamu Bar, a snack and juice bar where you can order tropical fruit cocktails in between laps or sessions on the sun lounger.

Rooftop Pool, The Berkeley, Knightsbridge, London

In a city not known for its pools, the heated rooftop lap pool of the classy Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge is one of the best-kept secrets in town. Built in the 1970s and framed by handsome Roman pillars and arches, it's set under a retractable roof that opens up to the sky on warm days. You get rare views of the leafy expanse of Hyde Park to the north, and an eagle-eye vantage point of Knightsbridge and flagship stores Harvey Nichols and Harrods to the west. You can't order cocktails from the Blue Bar, but you can sip juices from the spa menu.

Tip: For US $120 (GBP 60) a day, nonresidents can get access to the pool and spa.

Hydropolis is the world's first luxury underwater hotel. It is under construction. Joachim Hauser is the developer and designer of the hotel. He said that Hydropolis is not a project. It is a passion. It has already been compared to both a jellyfish and a sea turtle.

The land on which this project Hydropolis is being built belongs to His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. Around 150 firms are involved in this project. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares.

The project is divided into three sections. One is the land station. Land Station is the complex where the visitors are welcomed first. It is a large building with roof that dips and rolls like peak of the wave. Second one is the connecting tunnel from which people start their journey to the hotel. This tunnel is 1700 ft and carries a train beneath both the land and sea.

Third and last section is destination, the hotel itself. The hotel is shaped like bubbles. There are curves which are designed to provide maximum resistance against pressure of sea water as well as occasional typhoon. It features a pair of observation domes which allow an expansive view of the water and the creatures that live in it. They are large enough to emerge above the waves, and one is planned with a retractable roof allowing people to be surrounded by the ocean while looking directly into the sky.

Hydropolis reproduces the human organism in an architectural design. There is a direct analogy between the physiology of man and the architecture.

The Palm Islands also known as the Palm Dubai and The Palms. The Palm Islands are the three man-made islands in the world. These Palm Islands are built in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. These Islands make Dubai a tourist destination. The Palm islands are considered as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

The three Palm Islands are Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira. These islands are built in a shape of a date palm tree and consist of a trunk, a crown with fronds, and are surrounded by a crescent island that acts as a breakwater.

The islands will support luxury hotels, freehold residential villas, unique water homes, shoreline apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities, health spas, cinemas and various diving sites.

Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah is the smallest island of the three Palm Islands. Its construction was started in 2001. It is located in the Jumeirah coastal area in Dubai.

Palm Jumeirah is the unique man-made island which is built in the shape of a date palm tree and consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that will form a water-breaker. It has already been acclaimed a marvel of marine construction and engineering vision.

The Palm Island Jumeirah combines extraordinary geography with extraordinary experiences. The island is primarily a retreat and residential area for living, relaxation, and leisure. It will contain themed boutique hotels, three types of villas Signature Villas, Garden Homes, and Canal Cove Town Homes, shoreline apartment buildings, beaches, marinas, restaurants, cafes and a variety of retail outlets.

The Palm Jumeirah will contain over 25 of the top international hotel brands. The heart of Palm Jumeirah is the trunk which is 2 km long living retail and tourism destination.

Palm Jebel Ali
The Palm Jebel Ali Island is the middle sized island. It is located on the Jebel Ali coastal area in Dubai. The man-made palm-shaped island will consist of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that will form a water-breaker.

The construction of Palm Jebel Ali began in October 2002 and is expected to complete in 2008. When the construction of Palm Jumeirah will complete it will be encircled by the Dubai Waterfront project. The Project will be 50 percent larger than Palm Jebel Ali.

The Palm, Jebel Ali is a tourist destination that combines excitement with entertainment in every sense. Featuring a vibrant blend of residential communities, leisure, cultural and entertainment outlets, The Palm, Jebel Ali offers visitors and residents a unique, unmatched and unforgettable experience.

The Jebel Ali Palm is more of an entertainment destination for both adults and children, which caters to both residents and tourists. The island will include six marinas, a 'Sea Village', a water theme park and water homes built on stilts between the fronds and the crescent.

Palm Springs
Palm Springs will be located on the lower west corner of the crescent of the Palm Jebel Ali. It will a 25-story building which offers freehold apartments, each with sea or waterscape views.

All of the apartments will have their own balcony, and a number of the 2 and 3 bedroom apartment will contain maid's quarters. Amenitities at the Palm Springs will contain include a private beach, health club, water park, dedicated marina, children's play area, restaurants, five-star management, house keeping, retail outlets, tailor and laundry, room service, 24-hour security, and transport services..

Palm Deira
The Palm Deira is the largest man-made island of the three Palm Islands. It is located on the Deira coastal area of Dubai. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 41 fronds and a surrounding crescent island that will form a water breaker.

Construction of Palm Deira began on October 2004 and is expected to complete in 2015. Projections indicate that construction will consume over a billion cubic meters of rock and sand. The Palm Deira will cover 14 kilometers in length and 8.5 kilometers in width and have an area of 80 square kilometers.

It will consist of residential property, marinas, shopping malls, sports facilities, and clubs. The residential area will be located on the fronds and will contain 8,000 two-storey town houses in three distinct styles - Premier Villas, Grand Villas and Vista Town Homes.

Burj Tower




Burj Tower is the largest skyscraper in the world which is currently under construction in Dubai. Burj Tower is the centerpiece of the Gulf regions most prestigious urban development, entitled Downtown Dubai.

Burj is an Arabic word which means 'Tower'. So, Burj Dubai means 'Dubai Tower' or 'Tower of Dubai'. Its exact height hasn't been disclosed but it is suggested that it will be over 700 meters tall. Its design was influenced by the six petal desert flower as well as incorporating patterns found within Islamic architecture.

The design of Burj Tower was originally proposed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill for the Grollo Tower in Melbourne, Australia. Burj Dubai is being constructed on Sheikh Zayed Road which will be surrounded by a man-made lake. It will also be surrounded by a combination of residential, commercial, hotel, entertainment and leisure outlets, along with open green spaces, water features, and pedestrian boulevards.

Its shape will be integral to its impressive size. The design is intended to reduce the impact of wind and to reduce the need for a stronger core - allowing for more space - as it ascends.

The Burj Dubai has been designed to be the centre piece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels such as the Burj Dubai Lake Hotel & Serviced Apartments, 6 acres of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12 hectare Burj Dubai Lake.

Like the six-petal flower, the base of the tower blossoms as it reaches skyward, tapering gracefully into a spire at the top where visitors will be able to enjoy panoramic views of the city from the Observation Deck. The dome shaped plan accentuates a series of steps that lead up the vertical height of the building.

International real estate

The term international real estate is a relatively new phenomenon, which implies a post-Globalization real estate, or property sector. The term encompasses real property development and sales/leasing transactions between nations; and the enormous amount of legal, design, urban planning, engineering, financing, and construction work that follows from developmental transactions. International real estate is, by definition, influenced by fluctuating market value in various sectors between counties, as can be evidenced by the 2008 global credit crisis. International real estate is best subdivided into two categories: commercial and residential.

International commercial real estate has been a natural consequence of business' evolution toward multi-national business operations. Often, International commercial real estate transactions require the formation of corporations used to purchase or lease real estate, when freehold ownership is not permitted.

International real estate, as it involves the purchase and sale of international residential real estate, is often limited to the "luxury" sector of the real estate market, usually defined as the top 10% of sales prices in a given market. This is because international home purchases are usually buyers' second homes, although marketshare exists in "affordable luxury" holiday homes. Within the international residential real estate sector, great emphasis is placed on property marketing.

International real estate may have been aided by modern media such as internet or international media, as it catalysed globalization and aided in the communications necessary for transactions to take place. It is not true that international real estate did not exist before the World Wide Web, but it is certainly true that it was not as effective and accessible as it is nowadays.

International real estate is one of the most dynamic branches of real estate encompassing experts from many different fields, including law, civil engineering and construction planning. Its main aims include infrastructural development and augmentation of the tourist industry.

The recent construction of international real estate directories and forums in which the interested parties can communicate and exchange information has been a major breakthrough resulting in major development in the field.