The Country Club Goes Underground: How London’s Super-Prime Developments Are Building Private Communities

London’s super-prime property scene has undergone a quiet transformation. A decade ago, a luxury apartment meant air conditioning, a porter and underground parking. Today, those details barely register.

“Ten years ago, if a flat had air conditioning, a porter and parking, it was considered the height of luxury,” says Yasmin Ulhaq, Founder and Director of Glenfield Property Management. “Now, my clients wouldn’t even step through the door unless there’s a spa, a cinema, and somewhere to park the Bentley, ideally with someone to wash it too.”

Across Mayfair, Belgravia and Chelsea, developments are being designed as self-contained sanctuaries. At Twenty Grosvenor Square, for instance, residents enjoy the full service of the Four Seasons, from laundry and grocery deliveries to dog walking.

“One of my tenants described it perfectly,” Yasmin recalls. “She laughed and said, ‘It’s like being wrapped in cashmere.’ For my clients, that’s what true luxury means, the freedom to live effortlessly.”

For these tenants, often global executives or creatives constantly in transit, time is their greatest commodity. “They want to come home and have every inconvenience removed,” says Yasmin. “They want the feeling that everything is taken care of, that whatever they might need, from a detox drip to a dinner party, is just a WhatsApp away.”

At Chelsea Barracks, this philosophy is on full display. Between the spa, tennis courts, lounges and gardens, residents can live a full life without ever stepping outside. “One applicant turned to me mid-viewing and asked, ‘So I never have to leave?’ and he wasn’t exaggerating,” Yasmin says. “It’s a lifestyle campus, a private world where fitness, family and leisure coexist.”

Wellness, once considered a luxury, is now an expectation. Yasmin has seen tenants choose one development over another purely for access to padel courts, IV therapy, or Bodyism-led training. “Wellness isn’t an add-on anymore, it’s non-negotiable,” she says. “Developers aren’t just selling homes; they’re selling experiences.”

Interestingly, many tenants don’t use every amenity every day. “The cinema might stay empty midweek, the pool untouched, the spa pristine,” Yasmin says. “But they love knowing it’s there. It’s the possibility that matters, the idea that they can swim, stretch or socialise whenever they want. And it’s in those shared spaces that communities quietly form. I’ve seen neighbours become friends after a yoga class or a padel match. It’s the country club, reimagined beneath the streets of Belgravia.”

Even beyond London’s most exclusive postcodes, the ripple effect is clear. Developments such as Chelsea Creek may not command Mayfair’s rents, but the expectations are just as ambitious. “A gym or pool used to be a selling point,” Yasmin explains. “Now they’re the bare minimum. What matters is how the space makes you feel — spa lighting, cold-pressed juices, landscaped rooftops, concierge teams who remember your dog’s name. That’s what people buy into now.”

At the very top of the market, privacy is the ultimate luxury. “Developments like One Mayfair, with just 29 residences, are designed so residents never have to share a pool lane or a steam room,” says Yasmin. “For clients paying £25,000 a week, exclusivity isn’t a bonus — it’s essential.”

After nearly a decade managing some of London’s most prestigious homes, Yasmin has witnessed the shift in what truly defines luxury. “The ultra-wealthy today are health-focused but pressed for time. They want connection, but on their own terms. They’ll pay for aesthetics, but they value service,” she says. “Every amenity, from chauffeur-driven Bentleys to pet spas, tells you how this group defines ease, wellbeing and success.”

And while the specifics change, “today it’s padel and IV drips; tomorrow it might be cryotherapy or concierge Botox”, the underlying desire remains the same.

“The true evolution of luxury isn’t about how much you own,” Yasmin reflects. “It’s about how effortlessly you live. For my tenants, that’s the greatest privilege of all.”

For more information about Glenfield Property Management, visit www.glenfieldpm.co.uk.