Japanese development firm A2A Town Cambodia will invest about $2 million into a membership resort, located on top of Kirirom mountain.

Takeshi Izuka, president of the development firm, said the resort requires customers to register in order to buy the resort units at an upfront price of $20,000 for a membership status of 45 years. On top of this, a $400 per annum maintenance fee is required, amounting to a grand maintenance sum of $18,000 over the 45-year period.

According to Izuka, exclusive membership-based services are not available in Cambodia, but are rampant and very popular in Japan and the United States.

Izuka said the resort will resemble a five-star hotel, equipped with modern facilities. The location will be a unique selling point, given its quiet and prime setting on the highest point of Preah Kosomak Kirirom National Park.

“I see some well-off Cambodians who don’t want to live in a crowded place or a place that combines the upper-class and the lower-class together in the same compound,” Izuka said.

“Hence, I invested in the resort in response to those who would like to relax and get private services. My vision for this project is for everyone who comes here to feel joy and consider this their second home.”

Sales and purchasing of memberships for the project will begin at the end of this year, with construction tipped to start in early 2017.

The first phase will include 18 rooms, with each building being three storeys high.

The project is scheduled to finish a rapid one year after construction begins, and members will be able to move in shortly after.

“If the project gets support from many Cambodians, I will expand it and construct a more expensive project in the next phase,” Izuka said.

He added, “We will first build model houses for the customers. If they are unhappy, the company will create more designs according to their preference.”

While the resort is geared mostly towards Cambodians, Izuka said expats are also able to register for a unit.

“They can transfer the ownership of the unit to other people or back to the company when they return to their country,” he said.

Ho Vandy, secretary-general of the Cambodian National Tourism Alliance, said this is a new service where members can stay at the place at a special price, albeit he could not confirm how many local and international customers the developers are aiming to attract.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the project had qualities of being an eco-friendly development, which he believes is opportune because ecotourism is gaining traction among a lot of international tourists.

“I fully support this project. I think it’s fantastic because this developer is protecting the environment, and he’s doing what it takes to not cut down trees,” Khon said.

A2A Town Cambodia has already established a number of property developments in Cambodia, including the vKirirom Pine Resort in Kirirom National Park.