LONDON, May 30, 2016
Auriens launches “later life lux”, a £200m development to appeal to high-net worth perennials
Challenging the conventions of the traditional care home category, Auriens is launching a luxury lifestyle concept that promises an exclusive brand of vintage vitality to those that can afford it.
Whilst commentators bemoan the lack of good accommodation for the young to get on the property ladder, Auriens has identified another significant gap in the market – the scarcity of high quality accommodation for the elderly. “The world is obsessed with millennials,” said Auriens co-founder Johnny Sandelson, “but we see a huge opportunity at the other end of the market, amongst a group we have dubbed ‘perennials.'”
Despite the obvious market need for a premium product in this category, Auriens has taken a considered approach to creating the perfect offer. “In truth, it was a time-consuming process to get to launch”, said Sandelson. “We held out for the right site to develop a world-class environment for living, and ageing, in a place our clients lived.”
Having been outbid on several Central London locations by developers piggy-backing the super-prime property gold rush, Auriens finally secured its first site in March 2016, a gem on the King’s Road in the heart of Chelsea.
The company is currently working with Tenhurst on its planning application and expects the doors to open at Auriens Chelsea by 2019. John Hunter, responsible for some of the Royal Borough’s most high-profile developments, said he was delighted to be working with such an innovative and considerate team. “Auriens is really going the extra mile to create something very special. The attention-to-detail is phenomenal,” said Mr Hunter.
But the property is only half the story. Karen Mulville, Sandelson’s business partner and co-founder, is driving the operational side of the business. “Whilst Johnny was scouting sites, I embarked on a lengthy search to create the best-possible residential experience. It was quite clear to both of us that, without the highest quality care, people wouldn’t feel comfortable moving from their homes”.
As part of their proposition, Auriens have acquired a care provider with a twenty-year pedigree catering to the capital’s most discerning and demanding clientele.
The Auriens team also includes Richmond Interiors, recently responsible for the styling of Mayfair’s award-winning Beaumont Hotel. “Auriens Chelsea really will be somewhere where style meets substance, a place where growing old will be such a wonderful and considered experience,” said Mulville.
Auriens has big plans to launch in more locations, in key cities both at home and abroad. Auriens Chelsea is just the beginning. It seems that the humble old folks’ home is finally coming of age.