After decades of hard work, your retirement is the time to kick back. So, where better to see out your senior years than in the lap of luxury? These prestigious residences are more like high-end hotels than anything else – plus, they come with some pretty amazing added extras, from state-of-the-art fitness centres to fine dining restaurants.

Click or scroll on to discover the incredible homes for the over 55s that might just encourage you to retire early...

This recently refurbished Victorian Gothic hall in Royal Leamington Spa, UK, forms the beating heart of the Audley Binswood offering and is as palatial as retirement communities get.

This kind of lavish living will cost you, though. Its 90 apartments vary in price from $298,000 (£225k) for a cosy one-bed cottage to $680,000 (£513k) for a two-bed apartment. There's also an annual ground rent of $662 (£500) on top of this. 

Ideal for the more discerning retiree, the community has its very own exclusive private members' club on site that offers a bistro, bar, library and lounge, as well as a blissful spa in which to relax and unwind.

The well-appointed apartments – which are only available to people aged 55 or over – are spacious and light, boasting tasteful period features and high-end furnishings, along with state-of-the-art kitchens and sleek bathrooms.

The community at Binswood Hall isn't only about relaxation. The rather grand gym is packed with the latest exercise equipment and residents have the services of a personal trainer at their disposal.

There's also a heated indoor swimming pool in the complex that offers aqua aerobics classes.

Talk about living in the lap of luxury! The palatial property also has a well-appointed library for those who prefer their pastimes to be a little more cerebral.

Who wouldn't want to read under that amazing candelabra? ​

You'll need very deep pockets if you decide to spend your retirement years at the Sarasota Bay Club in Florida, arguably one of the best retirement villages in America.

Apartments at this ultra-exclusive senior community range from between $440,000 (£332k) for a one-bedroom, 983-square-foot abode, to $2 million (£1.5m) for a lavish 2,326-square-foot, three-bedroom pad.

Yet this costly retirement community can justify its sky-high pricing by providing its occupants with an impressively high staff-to-resident ratio, superior care and incredible five-star amenities.

Every apartment is kitted out with the finest furnishings and equipment, so residents can enjoy a laid-back lifestyle while soaking up unobstructed coastal views.

The elegant dining room specialises in Mediterranean-style dishes, serving organic meat, vegetables and wild fish, in order to keep its diners at the peak of health.

The club's renowned chefs can also cook to order, so residents can request whatever they fancy, wherever they want to eat it!

Residents can stay in shape by hitting the in-house gym and working out with a personal trainer. The club also boasts an indoor pool, a beauty salon, a spa and a home theatre, as well as 24-hour valet and concierge services.

But who needs to stay indoors when you have the beaches and sights of Sarasota on your doorstep? Now, that's what we call the good life!

Monte da Palhagueira is nestled in the tranquil hills of Gorjôes, Portugal. Offering 33 unique properties in a development stretching 22 acres, this retirement complex will even allow you to try before you buy, with trial villas on offer.

Love the idea of living in the mountains but need some extra support? This deluxe retirement community offers independent living apartments, with one-bedroom townhouses costing from $225,000 (£169,500) for lifetime residency.

There's also the added reassurance of medical assistance, available 24-hours a day.  

The on-site nursing home offers full-time care and also respite and day care services, with ensuite rooms ranging from $1,306 (£984) to $1,613 (£1,216) a week for long-term occupants.

Couples sharing can stay for $1,920 (£1,447) a week, while those wanting to visit for the day can pay $237 (£178) to enjoy the resort's facilities.

The landscaped grounds also contain a church, restaurant, tennis court, two swimming pools and an ornamental lake, which are all set within the traditional-style village, scattered with idyllic stone-walled lanes and terracotta tiled buildings. 

Australia isn't short of super-premium retirement homes and this beauty, on the gorgeous Gold Coast, is a prime example. Residents can lease one of the home's 120 suites, paying from $33 (£24.85) a day for the privilege, with additional services offered as costly extras.

As for property purchases, a one-bedroom apartment for single occupancy begins at $292,00 (£220K), while a premium, extra-spacious suite will cost you $548,000 (£413k).

The complex's neutral décor features notes of Art Deco style, with suites boasting amenities such as air conditioning, high-speed internet and direct access to a balcony or courtyard.

A cut above the typical retirement home, Arcare Hope Island includes an alfresco café offering delicious treats, a fine dining restaurant and a stylish piano bar, which looks like the perfect spot for an after-dinner cocktail or two.

While some facilities – such as the movie theatre with a large projector screen and ultra-comfy chairs – may be restricted for social distancing, the elegant individual living spaces are more than comfortable enough to while away the hours and watch your favourite films.

Located in London's Chelsea neighbourhood, this refine later living community offers 56 private apartments for over-65s who want to enjoy an independent and active lifestyle through the 'third act' of their life, with help and support available should they come to need it.

As we'll see, Auriens Chelsea caters to style-conscious seniors who expect the very best when it comes to cuisine, services and design...

25 of Aureins' exclusive apartments are available to rent and 31 are available to buy. A one-bedroom residence starts from £2.75 million ($3.7m), while two-bedroom apartments start at £3.95 million ($5.3m), as of October 2024.

As this stylish living room shows, each apartment offers a chic interior, made from high-end materials like Italian marble and smoked oak floors. The residences are designed to be future-proof, with non-slip shower tiles, accessible dishwashers and motorised kitchen cabinets to make like that little bit easier.

Blending the luxury of a five-star hotel with the exclusive aura of a private members' club, Auriens Chelsea boasts a fine dining restaurant serving Michelin-level dishes, atmospheric lounge areas, a library, a swimming pool and spa, a luxurious salon and barber and a fully-equipped gym.

On and off-site activities are available too, including live music and film showings in this plush private cinema.

Other bonuses include a courtesy chauffeur-driven house car, full-time concierge team and valet parking. Pets are also welcome at Auriens, which means residents don't have to choose between their best friend and later life comforts. Together they can enjoy this serene garden, designed by Andy Sturgeon, a multiple Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner.

Healthcare is of high priority here too. Auriens has a personal trainer and nutritionist, and it has partnered with Draycott Nursing & Care, a highly rated private provider of nursing care, to offer each well-heeled resident tailored care when necessary, for an additonal charge.

Located in Arizona's sun-drenched San Tan Valley, Encanterra is an upscale all-ages community featuring neighbourhoods exclusively for the over 55s.

Its Spanish-style homes begin at $292,000 (£220k) and can go up to $462,000 (£348k). There's also a quarterly service charge of around $1,000 (£753), which residents must pay.

Homes tend to be on the large side, so there's plenty of space to entertain friends and family. All properties come with a state-of-the-art kitchen but if cooking is a chore residents can dine in one of the community's four gourmet eateries.

Love a few rounds of golf? The 18-hole private course is the focal point of the community but there are also three huge swimming pools, a tennis centre and even an amphitheatre for plays and concerts.

Amenity-wise, residents pretty much want for nothing here. The award-winning Alvea Spa provides indulgent wellbeing treatments and the gym is top notch, while an around-the-clock concierge service takes care of everything else. Where do we sign up?

Nestled away on a 27-acre (11ha) estate, among meadows and a bluebell wood lies a Grade I Listed Elizabethan manor house once owned by King Charles I. Today, it's Grove Place Retirement Village, a high-end independent living community.

The medieval market town of Romsey is just five miles away. Stuffed with traditional pubs, restaurants and tea rooms, its historic streets contain more than enough to keep a retiree entertained – but you'd have to lure them away from the charms of Grove Place first...

Each Grove Place's 115 modern residences are fully self-contained with concierge, housekeeping and laundry services as well as a 24-hour emergency call system. Prices range from £210,000 ($276k) for a one bedroom apartment to £525,000 ($689k) for a two bedroom residence, as of October 2024.

Residents desiring an active retirement can take a dip in the pool, relax in the spa or play a game of billiards in this historic room, before perusing the library or meeting friends at the coffee lounge, bar or oak-pannelled restaurant.

In winter, residents enjoy a programme of talks, as well as activities and events that run throughout the year like fitness classes, a craft club, charity events, monthly themed buffets and musical performances.

Regular day trips are laid on to the museums and galleries of nearby Southampton and other local towns – and there's an onsite salon and beauty treatment room to ensure residents can look and feel their very best.

One of the main attractions of Grove Place is of course these beautiful grounds. There's a putting green, croquet lawn and pétanque court for those with a competative spirit. A barbeque area is put to good use in the summer for family and friends events, with entertainment and music laid on as well as a bouncy castle for grandchildren.

Of course, family and friends are welcome any time. Guests can stay in a resident's home for up to 30 days at a time or they can make use of the on-site guest suite. 

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