Dellis Cay Private Island Marks Official Groundbreaking with Ceremony and Weekend-Long...

Dellis Cay Private Island Marks Official Groundbreaking with Ceremony and Weekend-Long Celebration

DELLIS CAY, Turks and Caicos--(Business Wire)--
On Friday June 20, 2008, Dr. Cem Kinay, Chairman and CEO of O
Property Collection (OPC) hosted the groundbreaking ceremony and
weekend-long celebration for Dellis Cay, a private island located in
the Turks & Caicos, British West Indies. Festivities on the exclusive
island began with a traditional blessing of the land, and the first
shovels being dug into the ground by Dr. Kinay himself. The evening
was highlighted by sunset cocktails, barefoot island tours, a
fireworks display and regional musical entertainment.

In an emotional speech given by Dr. Kinay, he spoke "I was a
medical doctor so I know about the heart and how it beats, and when I
first walked onto Dellis Cay my heart skipped a beat." He concluded
his welcoming statement with a surprise announcement promising that he
would not only create a masterpiece of an island, but that he would
contribute to the social and economical development of TCI as a whole
by creating a new school in North Caicos. Memorable speeches by the
Premier Honorable Dr. Michael Misick of TCI and Jorge Gonzales,
Executive Vice President of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Southern &
Caribbean, followed.

The remainder of the weekend included in-depth boating tours,
sailing lessons, snorkeling excursions and samplings of local cuisine.
The international guests were flown in via private plane from various
countries around the world, and included Dellis Cay buyers, art
collectors, Dellis Cay supporters, other essential TCI developers and
the local community. Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta Jones, Ed Razek
of Limited Brands and Nasir & Nargis Kassamali of Luminaire were
amongst the island's first purchasers.

This groundbreaking marks the official start of construction for
Phase IA of the island, designed by architect Piero Lissoni, which
will open in early 2010. This first phase includes the Mandarin
Oriental Hotel Dellis Cay, The Residences at Mandarin Oriental,
Lissoni Beach House Residences, Lissoni Beach Villas and Lissoni Ocean
Villas, all of which have sold. The comprehensive Spa at Mandarin
Oriental Dellis Cay, designed by Kengo Kuma, will span 30,000-square
feet and feature 15 individual rooms and 2 VIP couples suites and
state-of-the-art heat and water treatments.

The next residences to be offered for public purchase will be
Villas by Shigeru Ban. Debuted at Art Basel 39 in Basel, Switzerland
in earlier this month, these villas remain true Ban's signature
elegant style, but he explains that each also "aims for the closest
possible relationship between the interior space the predominant
presence of the ocean." Each villa includes its own over-water
pavilion, which is a complete self-contained house in itself, and
links to each main villa by private bridge.

Also previously unveiled in January 2008 was Zaha Hadid's singular
D villa, a one-of-a-kind residence which is spatially radical and
contrasting, distinctive to Hadid's design platform and currently
available for purchase. She has been commissioned to oversee the
Dellis Cay Master Plan and design a futuristic lifestyle zone which
includes luxury residences, beachfront villas, a commercial building
with restaurants and boutiques, a marina and lighthouse.

Dellis Cay is a 560-acre private island that is focused on
unparalleled service and innovative design. The exclusive island will
provide one of the most comprehensive luxury living experiences
anywhere on earth and unparalleled opportunities for exceptional home
ownership.

The world-renowned architects who have been commissioned to design
various residences and facilities on the island are Zaha Hadid
(London); David Chipperfield (London); Kengo Kuma (Tokyo); Shigeru Ban
(Paris/Tokyo); Piero Lissoni (Milan); Carl Ettensperger (Singapore)
and Chad Oppenheim (USA). "It is under truly rare circumstances that
the most recognized architects, designers, and hoteliers from around
the world will collaborate together, creating a cohesive architectural
vision to bring O Property Collection to life," said Dr. Kinay. "Our
ability to unite this array of unique talent is what enables OPC to
create the most innovative, design-driven luxury destinations in the
world."

The Turks and Caicos Islands are located 575 miles south of Miami,
Florida, and comprise eight major islands and numerous uninhabited and
protected cays. Featuring the third-largest coral reef system in the
world, the surrounding pristine waters are the playground of humpback
whales, dolphins, turtles and manta rays, and are a haven for diving
and snorkeling enthusiasts. Dellis Cay, adjacent to Parrot Cay, is
accessible by private boat from the international airport on
Providenciales on the main island of Turks and Caicos. Direct flights
are available from Miami, New York, Boston, Charlotte, Philadelphia,
Atlanta, Toronto and London.

The O Property Collection (OPC), founded in 2005 by Dr. Cem Kinay
and Oguz Serim, is an international property development company that
invests in, develops, and manages premium real estate properties. This
group seeks to establish an unprecedented level of design and service
excellence across a variety of geographic territories. Dr. Kinay has
previously launched Magic Life Group and was awarded Austria's Man of
the Year in 1997. He was honored with the State Medal of Austria in
December 2006.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and
operator of some of the world's most prestigious hotels and resorts,
currently operating 21 luxury hotels with a further 18 under
development. In total, Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under
development, almost 10,000 rooms in 23 countries with 16 hotels in
Asia, 14 in the Americas and nine in Europe and North Africa. For
further information visit www.mandarinoriental.com

For images of the groundbreaking please visit www.WireImage.com.

For More Information on Dellis Cay
or O Property Collection:
Nadine Johnson, 212-228-5555
DellisCay@NadineJohnson.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008