Private Residence Clubs

Good News At Calistoga Ranch: Sales Volume Greater Than In Past Two Years Combined.

Filed under: Real Estate Developments, By Design

Usually, even in dark economic times when sales volume for many fractional developments have dropped substantially, there are some steady projects that buck the trend. Last week, good news emerged from Calistoga Ranch, a high end Private Residence Club tucked away in a private canyon in Napa Valley, when it was announced that more sales were closed in 2010 than in the past two years combined. "The stats are great!," said Josh Dempsey, Director of Real Estate, " the purchase price is $475K for a 1/10 interest, our sales volume in 2010 was15 sales at $475K each, equaling $7,125,000 sales total. This is a wonderful sign for Calistoga Ranch, and also for the Private Residence Club industry in general."

I have written about Calistoga Ranch in Luxist early last year, and had noted then its unusual qualities of sanctuary. Some qualities are aesthetic, some practical, but all have to do with the sense of peace derived from being there. I traveled there two years ago, at my own expense, because I had written about Calistoga Ranch before, and wanted to experience the wooded environment, the modular architecture, the Wine Cave, and the Spa -- famous for its mud baths, thermal waters, and peace. And indeed, there were attributes about Calistoga Ranch that I have found nowhere else, so it does not seem surprising that the sales improved, as the economy improved. From my writings about luxury trends in Luxist, high end buyers are attracted by unique properties in elite locations, whose land holds value no matter how the economy turns.

Located in a private canyon on 157 acres just outside the town of Calistoga in Napa Valley, Calistoga Ranch encompasses 48 guest lodges and 23 owner lodges offering overnight accommodations, spa services, and the Lakehouse Restaurant on Lake Lommel. It also features an on-site vineyard and mountain wine cave, where owners and guests can share in the process of winemaking and immerse themselves in the wine culture, so prevalent in the area.

Each guest lodge feels like it is its own camp, modular in design, made from clusters of spaces centering around an outdoor living area and fireplace, just like a campsite. In addition, there are many 100 year old Heritage Oak trees integrated into the terraces and porches of the Lodges, as they are built around the trees. The architect, Scott Lee, designed and placed the over 200 living structures -- the residences, lodges, and other buildings, at Calistoga Ranch -- around the trees so as not to disturb the eco-system already in place..

Tags: Calistoga Ranch, Calistoga Ranch Napa Valley, Private residence Clubs, Private residence Clubs Napa Valley, Sales statistics Calistoga Ranch

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The Architecture of Sanctuary: Calistoga Ranch

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, By Design

To anyone who lives in Napa Valley, or in San Francisco or even on the Western edge of the United States, Calistoga Ranch is significant resort. Located in a secluded canyon in upper Napa Valley, The property is part of Auberge, one of the world's premiere resort companies. It has won multiple awards, most recently from Travel & Leisure and from Andrew Harper both in 2009. Calistoga Ranch is also a Luxist Awards nominee for Best Green Spa.

Being a guest there for a day or two, allows you to see how different the resort design is, and how the well the design fits with the needs of the guests or of the owners who own part of the fractional residences on the property. Located on 157 acres just outside the town of Calistoga in Napa Valley, California, Calistoga Ranch is one of the few seasoned hotels and Private Residence Clubs in California wine country, encompassing 47 guest lodges and 27 owners lodges.

The property's contemporary architecture is inspired by its natural surroundings, and was created to fit the landscape, with a focus on an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. In keeping with the rich wine producing heritage of Napa Valley, Calistoga Ranch has an on-site vineyard and mountain wine cave, where owners and guests can share in the process of winemaking and viticulture. They can also store their own wine in the wine cave store facilities where the temperature always is cool, and dry.

Tags: Alain de Bouton, AlainDeBouton, Architect, Auberge resorts, AubergeResorts, Calistoga Ranch, camground legacy style, CamgroundLegacyStyle, Napa Valley, Private Residence Clubs, PrivateResidenceClubs, SB Architects, SbArchitects, Scott Lee, ScottLee, The Architecture Of Happiness, TheArchitectureOfHappiness, town of calistoga

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The Residences at Vallarta Gardens: Mexico's Newest Private Club

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments, By Design

If lives are fueled by searches for sanctuary, contentment, and adventure, then arguably, few activities reveal as much about those dynamics as do our travels -- and the destinations and domiciles we choose. Such choices say much about lifestyle-investing preferences and it is perhaps this desire to invest – not in high yielding stocks, but in high yielding personal and family attunement time, that the private residence club concept has remained popular, even in this capricious economy. The most successful ones provide exceptional amenities (private chefs, town car services, yacht usage, dedicated concierges, maid service, pre-arrival and daily grocery shopping, etc.) as well as a deeded part ownership in the residence itself. The most successful ones also have a balanced design template where the destination combines sanctuary and adventure, and where the architectural and interior designs reflect the uniqueness of the area.

One of the newest Residence Clubs that does all this is Vallarta Gardens, near Puerto Vallarta. The Private Residence Club is part of the mixed-use resort idea, that combines fractional, and full ownership villas. There are two designs for their Club Villas: first, the Sea Breeze with 5,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space, four bedrooms, four and one-half baths, large outdoor and rooftop terraces, a private plunge pool, media room, living area with a fully-equipped kitchen. The second is the Coral residence, with 3,500 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, three and one-half baths, rooftop and ground level terraces, open living and dining area with a fully-equipped kitchen. Fractional prices, as of this writing, start for 1/13th (3 weeks guaranteed plus unlimited usage, space available) from $100,000 for the Coral and $150,000 for the Sea Star. Whole ownership villas start from $1,550,000.