Page 9 - May 2022

“We live in a small town so it’s very hard to get anywhere direct and quick on an airline,” Giles said. “From Destin, you have to fly to Atlanta or Dallas and change planes. With the King Air, we can get to Auburn in 45 minutes and to Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas in one hour and 45 minutes.”
These aren’t your average vacation rentals, these are 6,000- to 8,000-square-foot homes that sleep as many as 30. In Florida, for example, the Giles’ builds are large beachfront homes with gourmet kitchens, large dining rooms to accommodate everyone, multiple master suites, grand family rooms with pool tables and bars, and incredible outdoor living areas featuring pools alongside cooking and dining spaces.
“The vacation rental market has grown not just in Destin but all over,” Giles said. “And we fill a niche that doesn’t typically have as much inventory. We build the high-end, large homes that are harder to find. These are perfect for large families to have a reunion, friend groups with three or four couples and multi-generational vacations.”
The business came to a standstill during the height of the pandemic when Florida beaches and vacation rentals were closed for about 90 days. Since then, demand hasn’t slowed. Vacationers who might have traveled out of the country are staying closer to home, travelers wanting more control over their environments are opting for whole house rentals versus hotel stays, and Giles said he even had families renting his homes as places to quarantine.
They are among the owners in Echelon Luxury Properties (echelonluxuryproperties.com), a boutique property management company. Several of the top properties in the Echelon portfolio – which includes homes in beach towns stretching from Destin to Panama City along the Scenic Highway 30-A – were built by the Giles’.
“We comprehensively manage properties for our owners, renting to high-end travelers and taking care of the asset as a whole,” said Sam Cobb, Echelon founder and CEO. “One area we are different is that Echelon is focused on offering personalized concierge services to our guests and owners alike. Our team meets each guest in person and arranges for all of the extras during their stay. From putting a Peloton in a property to scheduling an in-home massage to hiring a private chef for family dinners – service is at the heart of everything we do. The houses that Ben and Christel create are purpose-built for this type of high-end experience. Their thoughtful approach and attention to detail make them the best in the business when it comes to this type of product.”
Creating a unique bird
Giles received his private pilot’s license in the 1980s while in the Air Force. He enjoys sitting in the right seat in the King Air but has no plans to pursue a multiengine rating.
But he’s glad to be back in the air regularly after a few decades away. Adding projects in Colorado and the Bahamas wouldn’t be possible without the King Air, he said.
MAY 2022
“Adding projects in Colorado and the Bahamas wouldn’t be possible without the King Air ... ”
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