Berkeley Suites: Solid investment choice in the South

Sipping a cup of coffee while catching a chilling breeze and basking in spectacular views. What you may see as wishful thinking is within reach with Cathay Land launching Berkeley Suites in its scenic South Forbes Golf City.

Berkeley Suites is veteran builder Cathay Land’s “affordable luxury” home option located within the 250-ha mixed-use township located in the Silang-Santa Rosa growth corridor—now just an hour’s drive from Metro Manila thanks to the Cavite-Laguna Expressway.

The project, the sixth luxe vertical development to rise in South Forbes Golf City, primarily takes inspiration from the world-renowned University of California, Berkeley, and heeds the aesthetic and vibe of the Golden State.

Cathay Land president Jeffrey Ng described the project as a “California laidback, Spanish, Mediterranean modern architecture” in an exclusive interview with Inquirer. Berkeley Suites is a mid-rise boutique condominium with 356 studio and one-bedroom suites, with sizes ranging from 18 to 27 sqm. Each unit is pillarless so “you get the entire space you paid for,” Ng explained. Units can also be combined.

A U-shape design allows all the residents of the eight-story building to benefit from the fresh air coming from highland Cavite and the nice views of surrounding provinces, especially when hanging out at the shared pocket gardens on each floor.

Ng promised that Berkeley Suites was “a further improvement on the previous five buildings,” successful offerings Scandia 1 and 2, and Stanford 1 through 3. To find out where exactly the developer amped up, you must zoom into the features.

Compared to just one level in the past projects, Berkeley Suites has two floors of commercial space so that “everything that they need—laundromat, restaurant, convenience stores—will all be located at the commercial area,” Ng said.

He also teased about an “Aquatrium” with an Olympic-size pool and a lounge area that can accommodate parties, if dwellers don’t want to host them at the function room. The study lounge looks like a plush coworking space where one can read books, meet up, play chess and more.

Beyond Berkeley Suites, many things happen in and around South Forbes Golf City. Churches, supermarkets, gyms, hotels, hospitals, cafes and restaurants are nearby. The township has its own 18-hole signature golf course—and Berkeley Suites residents have free membership to the golf club.

“They have no need to drive a car. They can walk… Everything is 15 minutes away so people like the accessibility and the convenience,” said Ng. Cathay Land works with Professor Carlos Moreno’s concept of “la ville du quart d’heure,” which ensures necessities are 15 minutes away.

“We want to put up our integrated townships, cities, where people can work, play, live, study, shop all within the same area,” added Ng. “You really have a very laidback lifestyle in keeping with the campus-like feel.”

Berkeley Suites will be a sure hit with students from De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo Graduate School of Business and other campuses around it. A diverse market can also capitalize on the units: startup families, company executives and professionals, retirees and the well-heeled.

“We want them to take advantage of the convenience of condo living. Some buyers don’t want to maintain their own single detached unit, their townhouse. At the same time … we want them to feel that they’re not really cooped up in their own unit,” said Ng. “It’s not really an ordinary condo that in each floor, all you see are the hallways, no it’s not that.”

Berkeley Suites will be a solid financial investment. With various infrastructure projects improving access to South Forbes Golf City, and a more discerning market asking for bigger spaces and more healthful living conditions, Ng believes “you can expect a lot of appreciation value every year, definitely, for years and decades to come” by investing with Cathay Land.

While the price points are already a fraction of those in Metro Manila, this trusted developer is giving away the homes at Berkeley Suites for as low as P10,000 per month.

Ng said it succinctly: “Everything is within reach both physically and financially.”