del mar

Many sports figures tend to get into the restaurant business. For some this can be a great investment but it doesn't always have a happy ending. Baseball player Steve Finley has filed bankruptcy on behalf of BRG Restaurant Group, the company that owned his upscale, San Diego area Flight Restaurant. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that last year, Finley ran into trouble, handing out paychecks that bounced. Finley has said he still wants to pay his former employees but that the business ran out of money because of the economy and management problems which left him as the restaurant manager at one point.

In January, Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation papers were filed but this week Finley canceled the bankruptcy because he is close to a deal to have someone else take over the restaurant and pay back wages. Finley is a World Series champion and five-time Gold Glove Award winner who opened the restaurant with a team of investors. It overlooks the polo fields at El Camino Real and Via de la Valle in Del Mar. The restaurant served pricey Italian fare but also had a bar with a nightclub atmosphere. It once featured dancing girls dressed as angels, a nod to one of Finley's former teams (he played a brief season for the Angels in 2005).

UPDATE: A picture of Chuck Finley was mistakenly used in an earlier version of this story, we regret the error.

Baseball player Steve Finley and his wife, interior designer Amy Finley are looking for a big profit from their house in Del Mar, California. The Wall Street Journal's Private Properties column reports that the Finlays played a mere $1.54 million back in 1995. The 2.500 square-foot home is located on a small lot directly on the beach and has some very stunning views.

The couple have a development firm and already have made a good real estate profit earlier this year selling a home they bought around seven years ago for $1.7 million for a neat $12.5 million. Will lightning strike twice for these savvy investors? Tempting details in this home include limestone floors, bright white spaces and lots of glass to showcase those amazing views. The home has six bedrooms total including a private upper master site. A separate lot across the street offers a two car garage. This home is listed at $21.5 million and is listed through Barry Estates. Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Last week L'Auberge Del Mar re-opened in Del Mar, California with a new design that's more like a high end private estate than a typical luxury resort. The renovation cost about $25 million dollars, or $200,000 per room, and the result is a combination of both upgraded appearance and upgraded services and amenities. There's too much detail to talk about it all here but some of the new features that caught my attention are the Waterfall Terrace (which includes a 14-foot illuminated waterfall) and the 4500 sq ft luxury spa. The rooms all have walk-in showers, marble-topped vanities, the best in technologically advanced amenities (i.e. 42" plasma TVs and iPod docking clock radios), and many have fireplaces. Where do I sign up?

Another lavish new resort is set to open in the San Diego area. The Grand Del Mar plans to open on October 6, 2007. The 249-room resort located on a coastal canyon preserve near Del Mar and the design was inspired by the design style of 1920's architectural visionary Addison Mizner, (perhaps best known for his work in Boca Raton, Florida). The resort has the look of an old-world Mediterranean estate and is on 380 acres amid The Grand Golf Club, an 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed course. There are four swimming pools of varying sizes including an adults-only spa pool, a children's pool and one for toddlers. Other features include tennis courts, a fitness center and a 21,000-aquare-foot spa. The resort includes six restaurants, the Addison, a stand-alone fine dining restaurant, the Clubhouse Grill, Amaya, an all-day restaurant with the hotel, a poolside venue with lighter fare, a gourmet shop with coffees, pastries and sandwiches to go and the Lobby Lounge which will offer cocktails and aperitifs, as well as afternoon tea. The resort is located 20 minutes from San Diego.

The resort also has eight two-story villas that are fractional ownership property. The large three-bedroom villas are 1/10 ownership which entitles owners to five vacation weeks each year, with additional nights based on availability. Details include a 1,500-square-foot master suite with his and her baths, covered terraces, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor Jacuzzis, two-car garages, luxury golf carts, media rooms, elevators and even a baby grand piano. Each villa also has ten plasma TVs and home offices that includes computers with printers. Prices for each share start at $400,000.