From a resort community in St. Maarten to a new tower in Las Vegas, take a look at a handful of forthcoming residences around world

The latest condo developments, many designed by famed architects and interior designers and appointed with high-end finishes and custom furnishings, are placing a priority on creating extraordinary and even exotic all-encompassing experiences that rival those of the world’s top resorts and vacation spots.

Boutique projects offer the exclusivity and privacy of gated communities while still being in the center of their respective cities. Tall towers and large complexes become vibrant, attraction-laden self-sufficient pseudo neighborhoods in and of themselves.

Prompted by purchasers, developers keep upping the ante on amenities, equipping their projects, which tout tons of natural light and outdoor spaces, with everything from pet spas to resort-style services that run the gamut from health coaches to concierges.

Here are five condo developments around the world that are launching sales in 2024 that go far beyond book-matched veneers, rare marbles and high-end appliances.

Cello Tower, Las Vegas

Designed by the award-winning architectural firm Perkins Eastman, the 32-story Cello Tower is the latest addition to the Vegas skyline.

Cello Tower anchors Las Vegas’s new Origin at Symphony Park development, a 6-acre retail, office and residential destination. Cello bills itself as the first residential tower/high-rise since the Waldorf Astoria in 2009 and Veer Towers at City Center in 2010, which were built during the so-called Manhattanization of Vegas.

Cello Tower has 240 over-the-top luxury residences, including eight penthouses on its top two floors.

From great rooms with soaring ceilings to expansive windows that frame views of the city and surrounding mountains, Cello Tower is designed for pampered living in Sin City.

“We sought to create a true orchestration of art, architecture and urban living,” Michael Friebele, associate principal at Perkins Eastman and Origin’s lead designer, said in a statement. “From its faceted silhouette interacting with the desert sky to the spectacular views that showcase the city and the expansive horizon, the tower’s design is meant to celebrate the spirit of Las Vegas and the transformation of Symphony Park into an energetic urban district.”

The 900- to 2,500-square-foot units, which are priced at $700,000 to more than $4.5 million, feature great rooms with 10-foot ceilings that showcase the skyline. The chef’s kitchens have oversize waterfall islands, custom millwork and designer appliances and the spacious primary suites have walk-in closets and spa-like bathrooms that are clad in marble.

The penthouse have far-reaching views with corner exposures and 12-foot to 14-foot ceilings

Cello Tower itself offers more than 40,000 square feet of amenities that span three floors. The seventh floor has 25,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor spaces that include a residents’ lounge with a kitchen and private dining room, a TV media wall, a hyper-oxygenated resort-style pool with panoramic views of the city, a pet spa and park, barbecue areas and an entertainment kitchen.

The 7,000-square-foot wellness floor has a health club that includes a training area, personal training, a cold-plunge pool, massage and treatment rooms, and sauna and steam rooms.

Other Cello Tower amenities include private workspaces, conference rooms, a golf simulator, a games room with a poker table and pool table, an outdoor cigar lounge with views of the mountains, a concierge, a valet, private entry and private parking, and 24-hour security.

Cello Tower is close to a variety of attractions, ranging from the Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Arts & Brewery District to the Vegas Strip.

Patrick Brennan, CEO of Red Ridge Development, the group behind Origin at Symphony Park, said in a statement that Cello Tower introduces “an unprecedented era of luxury residential living” for the city and “is a testament to Las Vegas’s evolution into a hub of urban luxury and sophisticated living.”

Menlyn Maine Residences, Pretoria, South Africa

Set amid five-star hotels, a casino, malls, restaurants and office buildings, Menlyn Maine Residences, which gets its name from the business park it’s in, is billed as an entertainment and lifestyle oasis.

The phased development, which is surrounded by a nearly 1-acre park, has 583 exclusive apartments that are priced at R1.2 million to R17 million (US$650,000 to US$930,000).

Other amenities of the development include an infinity-edge swimming pool, a garden terrace, a sunset bar, restaurants, a rooftop swimming pool, recreational facilities, concierge reception, a porte cochere, secure parking, private meeting rooms, staff quarters and storerooms.

“Menlyn Maine Residences have impacted tremendously on the development of the surrounding suburbs,” said Ilma Brink, regional development manager for Pam Golding Properties in Pretoria. “It attracted and still attracts residential and commercial developers who visualize an exciting new face of large-scale luxury living in Pretoria with Menlyn Maine being the focal point.”

Constructed in three phases, the development will have a total of 1,200 units ranging from one bedrooms to penthouses. Phase one was completed in December 2019, and phase two rolls out in December 2024.

Vie L’Ven, St. Maarten

The cultural-rich luxury of this Eastern Caribbean resort and residences development starts with the name.

Vie L’Ven is a combination of the French noun “life” and the Dutch verb “to live”— a homage to the two countries represented on the island.

Set on the pristine beach of Indigo Bay on the Dutch side, the development, whose 280 suites are priced from $800,000 to more than $2 million, comes with all the amenities required for living the good life in a tropical paradise: a five-star hotel, three world-class restaurants, a thermal spa, boat access, beachfront water sports, three swimming pools, a fitness center and a 24-hour concierge. (Purchasers have the option of adding a plunge pool to their units.)

The one-, two- and three-bedroom units, which are 600 to 6,000 square feet and surrounded by organic gardens, are imbued with French and Dutch design influences to reflect the dual cultures of the island, which features organic gardens.

The 74, New York City

On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the 74 is a modern reinterpretation of the classic New York City skyscraper.

Developed by Elad Group and designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, the 32-story terracotta tower at 74th Street and Third Avenue conjures monumental city icons such as the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center and the Waldorf Astoria.

The building, which has 42 units, is designed in a traditional tripartite skyscraper composition: The six-story podium that contains the lobby is topped by 31 cantilevered floors that are crowned by the third component, a penthouse. The development also includes one townhouse whose owners will have access to the building’s luxury amenities and services.

This distinctive zig-zag shape of the 74 creates views and light for the condo units, whose interiors were designed by Rafael de Cárdenas.

Two-bedroom units are $2.975 million, three bedrooms are $4.8 million and full-floor residences are $12.5 million. Pricing for the townhouse and penthouse are by request.

The 74 comes with a slew of top-notch amenities. In addition to the six-story-high main lobby and side-street entrance, the development has a lobby lounge overlooking the building’s private garden, and some of the residences have views of Central Park. There also is an entertainment suite with a catering kitchen and video conferencing, a playroom, a fitness center and a Pilates studio.

“We brought on Pelli Clarke & Partners and Rafael de Cárdenas to design a building for the buyers craving a modern version of Upper East Side living,” said Orly Daniell, president of Elad Group, whose projects have included the conversion of such New York City landmarks as the Plaza Hotel and the ground-up construction of landmark projects like 22 Central Park South.

Daniell referred to the the 74 as a boutique building with “residences and amenities that are more light-filled and more exciting from a design perspective and yet still provide the feeling of intimacy and quiet sophistication always sought on the Upper East Side.”

The Penthouses at Goldwynn Resort & Residences, Nassau, the Bahamas

This 81-room beachfront Bahamian development, which combines all the amenities of resort living with penthouse ownership, sets the bar for luxury living at new heights.

In its latest phase, the towering complex is offering 39 exclusive beachfront penthouse suites in a separate building that have expansive landscaped balconies and panoramic sea views at pre-construction prices from $2.7 million to $7 million.

Residents have access to the resort’s amenities, which include an infinity-edge pool, a state-of-the-art gym, a waterfront restaurant and yoga classes on the sand.

The Penthouses at Goldwynn Resort & Residences, a sanctuary on Castle Beach, puts itself front and center: It’s within walking distance of Baha Mar Resorts, golf courses, restaurants, bars and night-life entertainment.