Regarded as the St Tropez of the Garden Route; Plettenberg Bay, the family holiday-polo-and-shopping Mecca proudly boasts The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre; a new adventure and concept in luxury penthouse living as part of a stylish mixed residential, shopping and dining development right in the heart of the town.

'The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre', a multi million Rand property development in the heart of Plettenberg Bay opened in 2006. It boasts eight penthouse suites, two art galleries, three unique eateries, tourist destination booking offices and several chic retail shops. The first of its kind in the area - The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre- supports local Government's vision to uplift the central business district and to reflect the town's civic identity.

"A destination of choice for tourists, as well as South African and international development investors, Plettenberg Bay has seen a significant growth in tourism numbers. The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre has been created to meet the market need for superior quality penthouse style living which with the exception of a few buildings, built approximately 15-20 years ago, was almost non-existent," says renowned developer Ara Manuelian and partner Noelle Bolton.

Executive Mayor Lulama Mvimbi, of the Bitou Municipal region, which includes Plettenberg Bay, describes the region as a vigorous municipal area and has a desire to see unity amongst the people to help achieve this regeneration process. "What we see here is the realisation of the municipality's dream to take Plettenberg Bay to the next level through its C.B.D renewal program and to give it the recognition it deserves as one of the country's premier destinations. It is about time that both residents and visitors alike see this important transformation which will eventually lead to reinforce our tourism and economic potential," says Mvimbi.

"The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre was a natural cornerstone to the upliftment of central Plettenberg Bay and the Main Street. Its timing worked perfectly with the commencement of the upgrading of the Main Street corridor, which was long awaited from the municipality. Plans had been made public for comment almost 24 months ago," comments Manuelian.

"The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre has also contributed towards the upgrading of the southern end of Main Street, which would only have been possible in another 2-3 years' time mainly due to municipal budget constraints. In addition, Plettenberg Street's upgrading and the section of Marine Drive in front of The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre has been widened to accommodate dual traffic lanes, thus improving the overall Urban Rejuvenation Program of Bitou municipality," he adds.

Local architect Paul Oosthuizen - known for projects such as Giraffe House in Johannesburg, various luxury lodges in Botswana and private Villas in the south of France, states, "Each project comes with its own inspiration - my art is the sculpting of spaces and volumes and now The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre has come true."

With its eight über-stylish penthouses, offering two, three or four bedrooms, The Upper Deck Lifestyle centre has tapped into the growing number of visitors to Plettenberg Bay which is considered the growing Mecca of the polo fraternity. All of the penthouses, which ranged in price from R2, 5 to R4, 9 million, were sold within the first month of advertising.

Each apartment has a private lift which opens onto a secluded patio while most master bedrooms enjoy a full scenic view of the ocean. Travertine floors and subtle maritime architectural references such as quirky boxed porthole windows and curved timber ceilings provide a serene look and feel to the penthouses.

Another revolutionary aspect to this development is the fact that commercial units were actually sold as opposed to being rented out, thus providing local small business entrepreneurs a rare opportunity of owning their business premises.