The Fractional Life: Spas, Golf, Wine and More

Granite countertops and high thread count sheets are luxury touches, but it’s not the finishes in a kitchen or bedroom that will sell you on a fractional property. Instead it’s those extra amenities and service perks, the offerings that feed your interests and hobbies, not to mention a property’s location, that can truly make a fractional residence home stand-out. Here’s a look at some resort-style services that are sure to appeal, no matter what your interests.

You: Fanatic Golfer

Ideal property: If you want to own a fractional home at Sonoma County’s exclusive Mayacama, a love of golf is a must, since purchasing a golf membership is required. Mayacama’s fractional villas, available in one-fifth interests for $650,000, overlook an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed course. Quarter shares of Mayacama’s new Hillside homes go for $1.5 million. The community has a professional caddie program and a 40,000-square-foot clubhouse complete with a spa, golf shop and bar. And you won’t see golf carts buzzing over the greens. Mayacama is for the golfing purist and is a walking-only course. The best perk? No tee times required.

You: Spa Treatment Junkie

Ideal property: The Carneros region of wine country churns out stellar chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, and the Orchard at the Carneros Inn takes these local agricultural gems and infuses them into their spa treatments. Owners at the Orchard fractional residence, which is selling fractional shares for $275,000, can get in-room massages or venture to the resort’s spa for a chardonnay grape seed oil rub down. The 14 treatment rooms include five outdoor rooms (ideal for gazing out on the rolling, vineyard-lined landscape) and owners can also partake in yoga classes and vineyards runs, or simply hop on one of complimentary bikes for a ride around the property.

You: Celebrity Chef Follower

Ideal property: The Bay Area, bustling with cutting edge restaurants and chefs, can easily satisfy any foodie. In San Francisco, the Fairmont Ghirardelli Square, selling fractionals starting at $250,000, is raising its gastronomic rating by snagging beloved celebrity chef, Gary Danko. His North Beach outpost has long been a favorite for the special occasion meal, but later this year, Danko is planning on opening up a more casual brasserie at the Fairmont’s new fractional property. We expect Gary Danko room service can’t be far behind.

You: Cult Wine Collector

Ideal property: Wine tasting in Napa Valley inevitably leads to wine buying, but owners at the Lodges at Calistoga Ranch don’t have to worry about shipping their prized bottles home or downing that young cabernet before the weekend is over. Owners at Calistoga Ranch, where one-tenth shares of two-bedroom residences go for $435,000, have on-site personal wine storage vaults in a grand, temperature controlled wine cave, artfully carved into the side of a mountain. The resort also invites local wineries to pour their latest vintages at owner receptions every Friday evening.

You: Extreme Shopper

Ideal property: Downtown living means easy access to dining, museum crawling and of course that other weekend sport, shopping. Ritz-Carlton's new San Francisco property, with both whole ownership condos and fractional residences starting at $230,000, is right on Market Street, a major thoroughfare dotted with big name department stores. Union Square, the city's shop 'til you drop hub, is home to high-end retailers like Barneys New York and a slew of designer stores from Louis Vuitton to Gucci. Nearby Hayes Valley has funky boutiques that give off an East Village of New York vibe, while Sacramento Street in the city’s Presidio Heights neighborhood is lined with stately home décor shops.

» Learn More, Get the Guide