With more than 900 homes across 51 destinations, Cape Town-based In Residence has earned its reputation as South Africa’s leading luxury villa rental and concierge company. The brand is now extending its world-class services beyond the Mother City. Following the launch of dedicated In Residence by Pieter Brundyn teams in Marbella, Spain, and Bodrum, Turkey, the company is bringing its unique brand of Cape Town hospitality to two of Europe’s most in-demand summer destinations.
But South Africa, Turkey, and Spain are only the beginning of founder Pieter Brundyn’s ambitious plans. “I’m in the advanced stages of setting up Lake Como as a destination for us,” he told YourLuxury Africa, adding, “We’ll have a physical presence and open an office there. And then, for me, the outlook is towards the States and Singapore.”
These are, of course, decadent, world-class villas. Interestingly, however, Pieter believes the term “villa” has been weakened by the industry. “A lot of people are using ‘home services’ or ‘private stays’, but the word ‘villa’ for me has been diluted to the point that it has lost all meaning. In the simplest terms, a villa is an exceptional house, perhaps overlooking a valley or lake, or set against a mountain, but today it’s used so much it feels like everybody owns a villa. We would be better off if the word disappeared,” he joked.
What makes In Residence’s villa experience truly exceptional, and certainly worthy of the term “villa”, is its fundamentally personalised operating model. The team individually manages each guest journey, interpreting and delivering preferences through personal interactions rather than systems. The result is service shaped entirely around individual guests, from food and wellness to local access.
Now, along the coastlines of Spain and Turkey, In Residence’s new collection of private homes offers a luxuriously private way to experience the Mediterranean way of life, where local In Residence teams handle travel logistics, security, and itinerary planning before guests even touch down.
For a brand so deeply rooted in South African hospitality, the choice of Marbella and Bodrum as the first European chapters was no accident. According to Pieter, success in new markets hinges on one critical factor: “It’s about finding the right partner,” he says. “By that, I mean, someone who understands the dynamics of the local market, who understands the local laws, and who can open doors that would normally be closed. In Spain and Turkey, we have amazing owner companies and local partners, but we also have amazing staff who can execute the hospitality side of the business. That is what made those two destinations feel right.”
And while the destinations may change, the core philosophy remains firmly intact. Pieter has built In Residence on what he calls “Cape Town hospitality” – a warmth and attentiveness that he refuses to compromise, no matter where the brand expands. “The service is the one thing that has to remain the same, no matter where we operate,” he said. “You can walk into a house that is worth one million euros or a house that is worth 50 million euros, but what the guest actually experiences is the staff, the warmth, and the level of service around them. Even if a house is extraordinary, it will not work if the service does not meet the same standard.”
Back home, however, Africa remains very much at the heart of the business. Pieter has observed a significant shift in how the continent’s wealthy view their own backyard. “What’s interesting is that, for probably the last 50 years, everybody in Africa who wanted to go to Europe wanted to own houses there, and the primary holiday base would be Europe,” he reflects. “What has changed over the last 50 years is that people have become Africa-proud.
“The most amazing properties are being built across the continent, from Kigali to Cape Town. You are finding truly beautiful homes in the range of 10 to 50 million euros. More and more, you don’t have to visit Europe to experience a stay on the highest level.”
As In Residence takes its signature Cape Town hospitality to new corners of the globe, one thing is clear: the expansion may be global, but the brand’s soul and service remain unmistakably South African.
