March 3, 2021
Welcome home Greek Islands
Ever since its inception in 2015, In Residence by Pieter Brundyn has been singularly committed to creating, refining, and ultimately delivering the ultimate luxury experience to our discerning clientele. Through our world-class villas—in themselves veritable masterpieces of architecture and interior design—our discrete, bespoke concierge service, and our ceaseless dedication to innovation in the luxury industry, we have always done our utmost to ensure that our guests enjoy the highest quality of experience possible when it comes to the truly unique lifestyle offerings available in Cape Town and South Africa at large. We consider ourselves to be leaders in the luxury hospitality industry—with a responsibility to discover, curate, and then deliver the very best in experiences of culture, food, and living out there.
That is why we at In Residence by Pieter Brundyn are delighted to announce an ambitious expansion of our hospitality services into the Mediterranean.
Beginning with immediate effect, we are offering rentals of 39 of the most iconic and luxurious villas in the Greek islands of Crete, Paros, Mykonos, and Santorini—among the most renowned and coveted tourist destinations in the world. As with our South African venture, in Greece, you can rest assured that you will be experiencing the absolute pinnacles of what this beautiful country—the birthplace of Western civilization—has to offer through our personalized concierge service, wide array of astonishingly beautiful villas, and tailor-made selection of the islands’ best cultural and culinary delights.
Indeed, we see this extension of the In Residence by Pieter Brundyn experience to one of Europe’s oldest and most-visited regions as a natural next step for ourselves and our clientele. One would be hard-pressed to miss the parallels between the Mediterranean climate of Greece’s islands and Cape Town’s similarly warm year-round temperatures, or the similarities between the “wine blue” waters of the Aegean Sea—evoked by Homer in his epic The Iliad—and the blue, inviting waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the Cape of Good Hope… Both Greece and South Africa are also renowned for their wine heritage and cultures of happiness—where enjoying life is a way of life. And of course, while the cultural ecosystems of Greece and South Africa may well be different in terms of their focus, history, and outlook, both are nevertheless rich and vibrant in their own regards—and are similar sources of attraction to visitors from around the world. We firmly believe that the fundamental similarities between the core luxury lifestyle attractions offered by both the South African Cape and the Greek islands will allow us to seamlessly deliver the quintessential In Residence by Pieter Brundyn experience within these new surroundings.
It also bears repeating that while the In Residence by Pieter Brundyn experience has until now been tied to the local specificities and geographical backdrop of Southern Africa, its core tenets and our fundamental purpose as a company—delivering refined, discrete experiences of luxury by top experts in the hospitality industry—are very much transferrable to the Greek context. For all the similarities between these two beautiful countries, we are sensitive to their differences too, and are of course, in the true spirit of our mission, committed to ensuring that the specific local qualities distinct to every island and every villa are celebrated and brought to the fore for our guests.
We hope that you share our enthusiasm about this exciting news, and that, with the European summer around the corner, the prospect of an In Residence by Pieter Brundyn experience in Greece will entice you—our wonderful clientele from around the world—to explore these uncharted (but idyllic) waters with us by your side. Let us embark on this new journey in the same spirit of joie-de-vivre and sophistication that has driven In Residence by Pieter Brundyn from the beginning, and to our Greek Odyssey, we say from here in South Africa: Wamkelekile!
Featured Luxury Villa in Mykonos, Greece - Villa Skyrock
Built into the ageless mountains of Mykonos, Villa Skyrock is a cutting-edge subterranean modernist villa in Agios Stefanos. With its elevated position and infinity pool ensuring breathtaking views of the sea and sunset, this villa is perfect for those seeking privacy and comfort while still being in close proximity with both nature and the famous nightlife of Mykonos Town. Meanwhile, the villa’s understated, soft-tone interior and large windows contribute to a calm but welcoming atmosphere; equipped with five bedrooms—each of which boasts its own patio—a gym, and an outdoor home theatre, this villa will ensure that your summer is as comfortable and exciting as can be.
Featured Luxury Villa in Mykonos, Greece - Villa Avant Garde
Located in Oia—one of the most photographed places in the world—Villa Avant Garde is an astonishing modern villa that is truly worthy of its picturesque surrounds. With this modern architectural behemoth’s white exterior blending seamlessly into the traditional, thousand-years-old Cycladic style of Santorini, Villa Avant Garde boasts two private pools, an unparalleled uninterrupted view of the Aegean, a gym, and a massage room; the villa can accommodate up to 12 guests in utmost comfort, making it ideal for larger families seeking an extended, discrete, and comfortable stay in one of the hottest tourist locations in the world.
Featured Restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa - Jan Innovation Studio
Shifting from the Greek to the South African context, here is our traditional local restaurant feature celebrating Cape Town’s inimitable, forward-looking culinary scene!
After becoming in 2016 the first South African chef to ever receive a Michelin star for his Nice-based restaurant JAN, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen has in recent years expanded his efforts from the south of France to Southern Africa. In 2019, van der Westhuizen inaugurated his ambitious Innovation Studio in Cape Town—an experimental, multi-disciplinary culinary collaboration featuring some of the Cape’s finest chefs and tucked away at the bottom of Table Mountain. Part restaurant, part training space for young chefs seeking to tap into the full potential of South Africa’s progressive culinary scene, the Innovation Studio emblematizes and pushes the latter’s inherently innovative spirit. Featuring a menu based heavily on the South African flavor palette and an ethos of sustainability, the Innovation Studio is currently offering a multi-course light summer lunch paired with the finest local wines. Serving as this ambitious chef’s Southern African base, the Innovation Studio is one of the hidden gems of the Cape Town food scene—but simultaneously, one of its most important forces.