Anantara Desaru Coast Residences, a boutique collection of 20 luxury seaside villas facing the South China Sea in Johor, will welcome the first owners into its exclusive residential community this year.

Micah Tamthai, Minor International's chief operating officer for lifestyle and real estate, said that with the majority of beachfront units now sold or reserved, he is optimistic about the future of luxury real estate on the Desaru Coast.

Anantara Desaru Coast Residences offers ownership starting at RM7.5 million.

The three- and four-bedroom villas are designed as a luxurious family-friendly sanctuary, with the focal point being a serene private infinity-edged pool.

Tamthai said that in addition to investment returns, a home on the Desaru Coast provides the opportunity to live, work, and play in one of the region's last remaining pristine landscapes.

Anantara Desaru Coast Residences, as a branded residential development, combines the comfort and permanence of home with world-class management, maintenance, and services provided by the five-star Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas.

Owners and residents also have full access to the resort's multi-award-winning dining, spa, and leisure facilities, as well as private, on-demand services from the resort's chefs, butlers, sommeliers, and wellness practitioners.

Tamthai said that, while domestic demand remained resilient during the pandemic period, the reopening of the Malaysia-Singapore border has reawakened Singapore market interest.

"Significant public- and private-sector investment has raised Desaru Coast's profile as an international tourism and investment destination, and we are proud to be pioneering luxury hospitality and real estate in this integrated development," he said in a statement.

Desaru Coast is home to world-class hotels and resorts, championship golf courses, a family-friendly waterpark, and a convention centre, with additional leisure and wellness amenities in the master plan for the future.

Tamthai said that the opening of the Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal and the start of direct ferry service from and to Singapore is a timely milestone that heralds the next stage of growth for Desaru Coast.

The terminal can handle 300 passengers at once, and a new-generation e-gate makes immigration screening more efficient during peak hours.

There are round-trip direct ferry services from Thursday to Sunday connecting Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal, with an estimated travel time of 90 minutes each way.

The terminal complements the existing highway network and Johor Bahru's Senai International Airport, which connect Desaru Coast to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and other major cities by road and air.