Another hotel and condo complex is in foreclosure. The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Denver, Colorado is in foreclosure and condo units will be liquidated in a trustee sale next month according to Globe St. Goldman Sachs was the lender on the project which had sold only one of the 25 residential units.

The project's 25 residential condominiums and two ground-floor commercial condominiums will be sold as one property in a sealed-bid auction next month. The hotel and the condominium are located in what was once an Embassy Suites hotel. The condominium units are on floors 15-19 of the 38-story building with apartments above. The condos share a private owners' lobby with direct elevators, an owners' lounge and board room, and a dedicated concierge. The Globe St. article says that the location across from the Greyhound Bus station and the lack of balconies made the units a hard sell. They were once priced at as much as $800,000 to $4 million but more recently were priced from $500,000 to $3 million.

The Denver Business Journal reports that Chicago lender Transwestern Mezzanine Realty Partners III's lawsuit against individual owners of downtown Denver's Ritz-Carlton Hotel will go to trial next July. Transwestern is suing Ritz owners Steve Roitman and Jim Cobb of Denver-based energy and real estate company BWAB Inc. and hotel developer Charlie Biederman for $9 million in defaulted debt on the hotel. According to the article The Ritz's Forza athletic club building and condominium component have been in foreclosure since June for nonpayment of the $28.8 million balance due on a $95 million mortgage loan.

Today's house is a lavish spreadin the Cherry Hills Village area near Denver, Colorado. The home was owned by ex-Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. Shanahan, who was the coach of the football team for 14 seasons, sold the house in January 2007 for $16 million but reportedly lived there until late last year. The home was built for him in 2000. He may be on his way to Washington D.C. to coach for the Redskins but is said to be building an even larger home in Cherry Hills Village.

The six-bedroom home is on nearly 2.5 acres of land. The home has just about every amenity in over 20,000 square feet of space. There is a large indoor Jacuzzi, a steam room, gym, wine cellar, sunroom, indoor golf area and a gourmet kitchen with a big 'S' over the range. This home is listed at $17 million.

[Thanks, Anthony]

It's not even Halloween yet but one hotel is hoping that you are already casting your eye toward New Year's Eve. The Curtis Hotel in Denver, Colorado has set up a special website, Won Night Only, to tempt bidders to take part in an eBay auction for take over the 330-room hotel for New Year's Eve 2010. The winning bidder gets food and drinks for everyone (up to 600 guests) including a cocktail reception, dinner, open bar, a late night munchie bar and a champagne brunch. A photographer will be available to document the event and the evening will include live music and a DJ. The hotel's design team will decorate the hotel for the event. Bidding on eBay is over $50,000 so far and the auction ends on Sunday.

[via The Globe and Mail]

The Chicago Spire project may be floundering but Denver's Spire is nearing completion. The 42-story Spire condo tower in downtown Denver has seen many people put down deposits for the units. The developers are offering a $35,000 credit that can be put toward the purchase price or used to buy appliance upgrades, parking or extra storage. Prices start in the low $200,000s and go up to $1 million-plus for premium residences. The more expensive units are located in the SkyClub area on the top 10 floors as well as on the ninth floor where the exercise facility, pools, hot tubs, media room and sports bar are located. Most units have outdoor decks. The $175 million project should be ready for move in by the end of next month. The project is pursuing LEED certification and will get 100 percent of its energy from wind. A sustainable dry cleaner and a Hertz rental car facility with hybrid cars such as Toyota Priuses will be onsite.

You know I have a soft spot for this issue ... I will do everything I can to put cigars between the fingers of soldiers who want them. So, when I saw this latest announcement, I was hooked.

"Cigars to the Troops" is hosting its First Annual Poker Run and Fundraiser. On Saturday, May 23, 2009, participants will stop at various locations in the Denver, Colorado area that celebrate those who have served: Fort Logan, American Legion, VFW and Armed Forces Tribute Garden (among others). The event will also include raffles, a sidewalk barbequeue and other entertainment ... including the Palma Posse Cigar Girls.

And, as you may have guessed, there will be some poker played. The best and worst hands will score a stay in Vail.

If you enter solo, the cost is $25, with couples paying $35. In addition to participating and eating, you'll get a t-shirt, cigar and raffle ticket. It's a small price to pay to have a bit of fun and support Cigars to the Troops.

Any soldier knows the importance of the small comforts that make a difficult situation easier. If you haven't served, just trust me on this one. Every cigar that winds up in the hand of a soldier who wants one will definitely appreciate it.

Real estate may be in trouble all over the U.S. but it seems like Denver is having a mini-boom when it comes to luxury condos. Last month I wrote about One Lincoln Park in the area, now 9News in Colorado reports that the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences is also going up and selling well even though condos sell for $800,000 and more. The 45-story building will include 18 floors given over to Denver's first Four Seasons Hotel. The rest of the floors will house one, two, three and four bedroom condominiums, ranging from 1,000 to 7,000 square feet. The hotel and residences are expected to be finished by spring 2010.

During the Democratic National Convention, nationwide attention focused on the growing city of Denver. I recently covered a converted loft in the city as an estate of the day. The city also has its first luxury condo tower built in the central business district in more than 25 years. The 32-story One Lincoln Park will open to residents on September 22. All residences have terraces, kitchens with slab stone countertops, hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Amenities in the building include valet services, a guest suite and the Owner's Club which includes a gourmet kitchen, boardroom, terrace, infinity pool, fitness center and Pilates studio on the seventh floor.

In this time of condo dismay that has gripped the entire country and especially cities of moderate size, this one has sold pretty briskly. The Rocky Mountain News says that 144 of the 180 units in the $140 million project have sold. The remaining units range in size from 882 square feet to 4,330 square feet and are priced from $375,000 to $2.574 million.

In honor of the Democratic National Convention I thought it might be fun to check out a little Denver real estate. Today's penthouse loft is a full floor unit in the Flour Mill lofts which has views of Coors field. This has to be one of the most interesting loft conversions I've ever seen. The space features a circular kitchen with a drop ceiling, oversized brass hood and a pizza oven. The loft has over 5,300 square feet of space. The architect echoed the circular shape and dimensions of the Flour Mill's storage silos to create a series of circular spaces, Angled walls feature floor lighting and the home features exposed ceilings and brick. The loft is wired with a Denon THX surround sound system and a Lutron lighting system. The north side of the loft is currently used as office space and has three round silo rooms that could be repurposed as a mother-in-law apartment, nanny suite or guest quarters. This side also features a 300 sq. ft. balcony. The south side of the 6th Floor penthouse is given over to the owner's private quarters. It is listed at $3.25 million. Check out more pictures at the loft's property website.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

With the Democratic National Convention set to hit Denver in late August, this town which usually isn't a summer destination might just be the hottest spot around. Local hotels are getting ready for the onslaught. One of the most unique is The Curtis, a hotel that blends the traditional comforts of a hotel stay with a side order of goofiness. The Curtis is a 336-room property that offers non-standard features such as in-room board game menus, interactive video art by Denver artist Gary Emrich and a 5 & Dime Store selling Orange Crush, Etch-A-Sketch and Lemonheads. The hotel has a contemporary style and each floor has a theme including the Big Hair Floor (on 9), the TV Mania Floor (14) and Dun Dun Dunnnnn! (the ominous 13th floor), where images of Jack Nicholson in The Shining and a vintage vacancy notice from the Bates Motel cast a chilling scene. The usual amenities are here too including flat-screen TVs, wireless internet access and iPod and MP3 speaker systems in the rooms. The hotel has a business center, fitness center, and the hotel's signature restaurant, The Corner Office, offers "global comfort food" in a funky retro setting. It looks like they are already booked for the convention but otherwise rates start around $160 per night.

Denver is set to get a new luxury residences tower that will make a big impact on the skyline. The recent groundbreaking of 1111 Tower marks the start of a building that will stand approximately 600 feet high and will be a new residential building in downtown Denver. The building will include 240 rooms of luxury hotel accommodations and 102 private residences that range from 1,000 square feet to 6,100 square feet. The new Four Seasons Hotel Denver will take up the first 16 floors of the building and will include a restaurant, lobby lounge and bar, spa, fitness center, meeting space and a rooftop pool and dining area. The private residences start on the 18th floor and extend up to the 45th floor offering gorgeous Rocky Mountain views. The tower is scheduled for completion by Spring 2010.

I've mentioned the Cherry Creek area of Denver in terms of luxury homes before but there are also new condominium developments rising in the area. 150 S. Madison seeks to combine old-world charm with all the latest luxury conveniences and offers a chance to buy into the prestigious Cherry Creek neighborhood at a lower price. There will be 29 units designed in a a style that features an old-fashioned stone exterior and a light-filled more modern interior. The developer recently partnered with Bang & Olufsen to wire up the units for audio, video, home theater, and home automation, and Bang & Olufsen offers a variety of different upgrade packages for audio, video, automation and home theater systems. There are two floor plans, smaller units that measure 1300-1400 sq. ft. and are located on the first and second floors and larger Penthouse units that measure between 2500-2700 sq. ft. and are on the third floor. According to real estate listings, the smaller homes are in the $500,000 to $600,000 range with the penthouses going for over $1 million.

The Denver Real Estate Bubble blog has some interesting stats on Denver real estate, particularly the resale price of some lower-priced Cherry Creek condos.

1401 Lawrence, a condominium complex planned for Denver, has announced a collaboration with glass artist Dale Chihuly. Chihuly, whose glass configurations often decorate expensive condos, will collaborate on the design and contribute original installations that will appear in the public spaces including even the elevators. This is the first time he has worked with a developer to work on a project like this. The building is a $165 million project that will be, at 51 stories, the tallest residential tower planned for the Denver area. The building will have 145 residences ranging in size from 1200 to 7400 square feet. The building will include a pool and garden on the sixth floor, a private dining room and multiple lounges.

Hotel Teatro, a luxury boutique hotel in Denver, has just created a new in-room spa program. For smaller hotels where there is often not room for a separate spa, this is one way to offer clients the spa experience. Hotel Teatro is in what was once the Denver Tramway Building.  building created in 1911, has a Renaissance Revival style of brick and terra cotta with wainscoting and marble details inside. The hotel is now offering a Holistic Package which includes a guest room, 60 minute in-room massage, aromatherapy bath turndown service and two energy bars starting at $405. The hotel can also arrange for a variety of treatments including manicures, pedicures, acupressure, acupuncture and more. Travel Leisure named it the best hotel in Denver and it was also named one of the the top 30 business hotels in the world. The announcement of this program definitely speaks to the trend that most luxury hotels, no matter small or elegant need to have some sort of spa option in order to stay current in today's hotel game.

A new six-story, $60 million luxury condominium development is coming to Denver. The new 75-unit building will have a contemporary design and will be located in an area known as the Alameda Triangle. According to the Rocky Mountain News, the project is the brainchild of the Rifkin brothers, sons of cable-TV pioneer Monroe "Monty" Rifkin, and will be named Monroe Pointe. The condos will range from the $400,00s to over $2 million for a penthouse and the sizes will range from 860 to 5,500 square feet. The tower is being designed by the Davis Partnership and will have mountain views. The existing building is being torn down and it is expected that the new condos will be ready in summer 2007.