What was once considered an escape is becoming an everyday setting.

Today, more homeowners are choosing homes in destinations that offer space and nature. The undeniable appeal of fresh air, open surroundings, and slower pace of living is no longer tied only to travel, but also to where and how one chooses to live. Increasingly, the goal is not simply to visit beautiful places, but to be able to live in them as well.

This is the thinking behind Brittany’s leisure collection — residences in some of the country’s most established tourist destinations, designed for people who want the experience of being away to feel familiar and accessible.

Living where you would rather be

Across the Philippines’ highlands and coastlines, Brittany has been developing upscale communities that reflect changing lifestyle priorities.

Post-pandemic living has placed greater value on environments that support health and well-being. Leisure estates, once viewed mainly as seasonal investments, are now being considered as viable extensions of everyday life.

Highland calm at Bern Baguio

In Baguio City for example, the renewed appeal of cooler climates has driven interest in residences that offer retreat and accessibility.

Bern Baguio, located along Outlook Drive, presents a vertical take on leisure living, shaped by organic architecture and expansive mountain views.

Designed in collaboration with the Singapore-based WOW Architects, Bern’s pine cone inspired form and cantilevered balconies respond naturally to its rich, surrounding landscape. Sliding doors ensure natural ventilation, while elevated amenity spaces — including fitness and yoga studios, wellness areas, lounges, and viewing decks — are positioned to make everyday routines more convenient.

Such a setting balances privacy with convenience. Heritage cafés, cultural landmarks, and dining destinations remain within easy reach, while improved expressways have reduced travel time from Metro Manila. This combination continues to appeal to homeowners seeking a place to slow down, as well as investors drawn to the area’s long-term potential.

Wellness-led living at Pievana

In Sto. Tomas, Batangas, Pievana approaches leisure through its focus on well-being.

Set within a 25-ha landscape framed by Mt. Makiling and Mt. Malarayat, the estate follows biophilic planning principles that allow the terrain to guide development.

Residential lots are integrated with shared gardens, lifestyle centers, and wellness-oriented amenities designed to encourage a more measured pace of living. Spa facilities, open green spaces, pocket parks, and other communal areas are designed to support individual reflection and social interaction, creating a residential environment shaped by balance.

Coastal refinement at Escana Boracay

On Boracay’s quieter Station Zero, Escana offers another perspective in leisure living: a premium coastal lifestyle that emphasizes privacy and spatial openness.

Hillside homes with expansive balconies overlooking the famed sunset and crystal clear waters of Boracay; sky gardens; infinity pools; and beachfront lounges are designed to bring the outdoors in, as though natural extensions of your home in this paradise.

Working again with WOW Architects, Escana Boracay adopts a contemporary tropical aesthetic informed by sustainability and site sensitivity. Landscaped pathways and curated outdoor spaces offer residents the luxury and convenience of engaging with their natural surroundings.

A European holiday year-round at Crosswinds

In Tagaytay, Crosswinds presents a premier mountain setting shaped by Alpine influences.

Spread across 124 hectares and surrounded by 35,000 towering pine trees, Crosswinds draws inspiration from Swiss village architecture, evident in its rows of chalet-style homes, themed residential enclaves like Deux Maison and Lausanne, and curated dining concepts.

Nature trails, open fields, unique dining destinations, and other future community features contribute to a lifestyle that feels relaxed and connected. Residents are able to step away from urban pressures while maintaining access to modern conveniences.

Essentially, all these holiday-turned-residential destinations under Brittany’s leisure collection reflect a significant shift in how people define quality of life. These communities aptly offer settings where architecture responds to the natural landscape, where views, natural lighting, fresh air, and open space are treated as essential elements of everyday living.

Holiday destinations, no doubt, will always hold their sense of escape. Increasingly, however, they are also now becoming places people would want to call their own.

For more information on Brittany’s collection of luxury properties, visit www.brittany.com.ph and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.