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Cheryl Arcibal

Fancy living in a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs-themed neighbourhood? How about an opulent flat influenced by the luxury fashion house Versace? If that is not your thing, what about a luxury abode with a layout approved by tennis legend Rafael Nadal?
Branded residential property – projects affiliated with well-known international marques and built in partnership with a developer – continue to be dominated by hotel brands, as homebuyers prefer to obtain the same amenities or services from those establishments in their place of residence.
Non-hotel branded residences, however, have also become major players in this segment of the property market, as their developers target buyers who identify with and have a strong connection to a particular name brand, according to Riyan Itani, founder and director of the UK-based consulting firm Global Branded Residences.
“So the attraction is – and this flows to almost all brands in the sector – that people are fanatic about brands,” Itani said.
“It’s like the ultimate collector’s piece,” he said. “If you’re a collector of Porsches or you’re a fanatic of Porsches, then having a Porsche-branded flat or villa would be the ultimate status symbol of your affiliation with that brand.”
That brand affinity has spurred luxury fashion houses Versace, Fendi and Maison Margiela; carmakers Mercedes-Benz and Bentley; and even the Japanese dining marque Nobu – founded by celebrity chef and entrepreneur Nobuyuki Matsuhisa – to lend their prestige to residential projects.

“The number of [branded] schemes worldwide has grown from 169 in 2011 to more than 600 today, and is forecast to surpass 1,000 by 2030, encompassing over 162,000 units,” said Liam Bailey, partner and global head of research at Knight Frank.
“Annual growth in delivery has returned to double digits since 2023, and while expansion is expected to moderate after 2028, momentum remains robust, fuelled by increasing geographic diversity and the entry of new non-hotel brands.”
Arguably one of the most prominent branded residential projects in the world, the Golden Oak Community – built within the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida – has created a neighbourhood called Marceline that features a park with sculptures of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
For luxury fashion house Versace, it has several branded residential projects around the globe, including London’s Damac Tower, where Versace Home was responsible for interior design.
Meanwhile, Spanish tennis superstar Nadal, who won a record 14 French Open titles during his career, co-founded a company that builds luxury branded flats and villas at Costa del Sol, a region in the autonomous community of Andalusia.
In March, Nobu Hospitality announced its first project in Asia, the Nobu Residences in Da Nang. The 43-storey, 264-unit tower is set to be the tallest building in the city located in central Vietnam.
US President Donald Trump, under his family’s real estate business, was already active for many years in developing branded residential projects, such as the Trump Tower in New York. The Trump Organization has a planned residential project in Saudi Arabia.

“Automotive, wellness, fashion, watch and food-and-drink brands are all entering this field, leveraging their heritage, design credentials and emotional connection with buyers,” Knight Frank’s Bailey said. “Purpose-led developments, such as those centred on sustainability, intergenerational living or wellness, are also gaining traction.”
Several examples of successful non-hotel branded residences included the Porsche Design Tower and Bentley Residences in Miami, both of which achieved rapid sales by offering unique automotive-inspired features such as private car lifts, he said.
Other examples include the Sha Residences in Dubai, which embeds wellness and longevity features at the core of residents’ experience, and Major Food Group’s Villa Miami, which combines VIP restaurant access with a curated social calendar, according to Bailey.
“Automotive marques such as Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz, watchmakers like Jacob & Co, and lifestyle-driven developments like The Embassies are further proof of the diversification of this space,” he said.
Overall, the growth of the branded residences segment will be particularly strong in Asia-Pacific, according to Itani of Global Branded Residences.
The region accounted for a quarter of all completed branded residences and 19 per cent of those in the pipeline, representing 21 per cent of the global market, he said.

Mainland China has 34 completed branded residences and another 12 in the pipeline. Shangri-La is the dominant brand with 13 of the 34 completed branded residential projects, he added.
In spite of that growth, Hong Kong is not likely to see the development of more branded residences in the city, whether for hotel or non-hotel brands, according to both Itani and Bailey.
Hong Kong currently has three branded residential projects including those of Rosewood and Yoo Residences.
“The city, along with Singapore, remains relatively untouched by the branded residences model,” Knight Frank’s Bailey said. “This is largely due to the strength of established domestic developers – such as Sun Hung Kai and New World – whose reputation and product quality obviate the need for international brand partnerships.”
“These firms have successfully built their own names into trusted badges of excellence, serving a market dominated by local buyers,” Bailey said. “Where branded residences exist, such as Rosewood, they are typically offered for lease rather than for sale.”


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Hong Kong remains relatively untouched by the branded residences model, largely because of the strength of established local developers


Hong Kong remains relatively untouched by the branded residences model, largely because of the strength of established local developers.


Disney, Versace and Nadal: the rise of branded residences and why Hong Kong is an outlier

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hong Kong remains relatively untouched by the branded residences model, largely because of the strength of established local developers

Hong Kong remains relatively untouched by the branded residences model, largely because of the strength of established local developers