Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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HAUTE PROPERTY be our guest YOU WON'T HAVE TO LIFT A FINGER WITH THESE FULL-SERVICE CONCIERGES. BY JESSICA LANIEWSKI At Your Service ABOVE: Portico offers high-end rentals with great concierge services. LEFT: The company's Nantucket properties boast full kitchens and modern décor. continued from page 107 What makes these properties stand out besides their services and contemporary, posh design is the ability to rent them out when you're not there. Conway and his partners believe that most travelers don't have the luxury of being able to spend an entire summer away from their businesses, and many also own homes in other resort locations, so this allows owners to have an income, if they choose, for those vacant weeks. Wear, tear, and maintenance is taken care of by the resort, included in an annual fee. On the other side of the transaction, hotel guests looking for premium space and privacy benefit from enjoying the comforts of a temporary home and the amenities of a top island resort. Nightly rental rates range from $1,200 to $2,800 in season. As home rentals have become more popular through house swapping and sites like Airbnb.com, a new high-end model has emerged through Portico (866-864-3518; porticoclub.com), owned by AOL cofounder Steve Case. For a $2,500 annual fee, members have access to hundreds of luxury homes in the world's top vacation spots, now including Nantucket. This year, several homes ranging in size from one bedroom to three are available for rent at Harborview Place between the wharf and town pier. These homes have gorgeous, full kitchens and are beautifully appointed. Portico's concierge service will happily stock them for you, can arrange for a private chef, and will even procure the owner of neighboring homedécor boutique Trillium to style your table for a dinner party. Kayaks are available for use in the harbor, and you'll have the secluded beach nearly to yourself. The company arranges for long-term leases of these vetted homes, so the standard remains high and guests know what to expect. An on-site concierge can arrange excursions, dinner plans, spa appointments, and croquet matches on the grand lawn. BC Visitors and residents will have an easier time this summer with the launch of Your Nantucket Concierge. Launched in 2010 by Nantucket native Henry Sanford, the service covers everything from short- and long-term house rentals on Nantucket to deliveries, grocery shopping, arranging reservations, and organizing day trips. "My deep knowledge of Nantucket gives my clients confidence when making decisions about the island, whether it's what new restaurant [to go to], which beach is best, or which real estate markets are most desirable," says Sanford, a real estate agent at Great Point Properties. Sanford realized that he could turn his intimate island knowledge into a concierge service when he noticed that he was "constantly helping friends and colleagues arrange their vacations to Nantucket, which was me basically using my personal network to enhance a first-timer's experience." Clients can have the service on retainer or be billed per service. 5 Catherine Lane, Nantucket, 508-257-1070; yournantucketconcierge.com As home rentals have become more popular, a new high-end model has emerged. 108 1075 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. 1075 Massachusetts Avenue is the new go-to rental for Harvard Business School students. The recently completed building at the corner of Mount Auburn Street and Mass Avenue contains 20 residential rental units and four commercial spaces, and offers an underground parking garage and a second-floor rooftop garden. Residents can use the outdoor space to host parties for up to 30 people. Rents range from $2,900 for a studio to $6,600 for a three-bedroom apartment. 1075massave.info An Urban Oasis in Boston HGTV has chosen a 1,000-square-foot apartment at The Residences at W Boston as its Urban Oasis 2013. The fully furnished condo was created by interior designer Lindsay Pumpa and has one bedroom, one and a half baths, a chef's kitchen, and sweeping views of the Charles River. One lucky viewer (or reader) will win the apartment and have access to 24-hour concierge, valet parking, and fitness center. Enter the contest starting August 26 on HGTV's website. 100 Stuart St., 617-261-8700; hgtv.com/urbanoasis PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PORTICO (KITCHEN, CROW'S NEST) The New Harvard Yard BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 107-108_BC_HP_Opener_SUM13.indd 108 6/7/13 5:55 PM