Hidden Retreats: Unveiling the Secret Sanctuaries of Simon Nixon's SimonEscapes
Simon Nixon, the founder of the popular price comparison website moneysupermarket, has ventured into a new realm with SimonEscapes - a collection of private homes designed for exclusivity and comfort. These luxury retreats, located in various destinations such as Porto Zante in Zakynthos and Torre Sponda in Positano, offer a unique blend of privacy, thoughtful design, and bespoke luxury.
Unlike traditional hotel chains, SimonEscapes is a collection of ultra-discreet, private homes. Each property, whether in Cape Town, the Cotswolds, Barbados, Malibu, or the Lake District, showcases a highly personalised experience that avoids uniform decor or brand tropes. The focus is on comfort, inspiration, and cultural engagement, creating spaces that feel lived-in and welcoming rather than ostentatious.
Porto Zante, located in Zakynthos, offers nine beachfront villas with private pools, sunken daybeds, shaded dining terraces, and drop-down privacy blinds. The villas are meticulously designed with high-end amenities like MASA Italian linens and Christofle cutlery, ensuring a refined experience. The retreat is targeted at high-performing executives seeking a genuine reset in a low-key yet highly luxurious environment.
Torre Sponda, a luxury retreat on Italy's Amalfi coast, features five private villas, including a former watchtower converted into a two-bedroom guest house. The design, shaped by local designer Fauster Gaetani, reflects a unique atmosphere that combines history and creativity. Each villa offers stunning cliffside views, Mediterranean charm, and a blend of historic and modern luxury, catering to luxury travellers seeking charm and privacy.
While specific details about Torre Sponda were not found, it is known that Simon Nixon, an avid art collector, often commissions emerging British artists to create site-specific work for his properties. This adds a personal touch to each retreat, making them more than just investment shells or developer flips.
Simon Nixon personally uses the homes in SimonEscapes throughout the year, ensuring that each property is more than just a rental property. In fact, the concept of SimonEscapes started with one house developed by Nixon for personal use in Mallorca's artist-favored village of Deia.
The design of SimonEscapes properties features pared-back design, natural materials, and a commitment to contemporary art. This approach, coupled with the exclusivity and personalised service, makes each stay at a SimonEscapes property a unique and immersive experience.
Harry Owen, the CEO of a company, described his stay at Porto Zante as "like walking into an episode of The Night Manager." This sentiment echoes the experience that SimonEscapes aims to provide - a retreat from the ordinary, offering a sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation.
- Simon Nixon's luxury retreat at Porto Zante in Zakynthos, offering nine private villas with high-end amenities, could be the perfect venue for a high-performing executive looking to combine a sports-filled vacation with a property embracing lifestyle, home-and-garden, and travel elements.
- For those seeking a unique blend of history, creativity, and standout design while traveling, Torre Sponda, a SimonEscapes property on Italy's Amalfi coast, could offer an ideal home-and-garden escape, especially for those interested in art and lifestyle, with its former watchtower guest house and site-specific art installations by emerging British artists.
