Vietnam's Plans For A $4.2 Billion Resort

Posted Jun 4th 2008 12:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys, Real Estate Developments

Vietnam wants your tourism dollars and is going after them with a bit of Vegas-style. Las Vegas architectural firm, Steelman Partners is behind the plans for the $4.2 billion Ho Tram Strip, which will be Vietnam's largest single tourism venture. The resort will be built on the white sand beaches of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, in southern Vietnam. Phase 1 of the project calls for a five-star hotel resort with 1,100 rooms, a championship golf course designed by Greg Norman, and Vietnam's first Las Vegas-style casino. The second phase will include an additional resort, another casino and more restaurants and nightclubs. When the Ho Tram Strip is complete there will be five resorts and a conference center. The first phase is scheduled to open in late 2010 and the entire complex is scheduled to be completed in under 10 years.

Gallery: Ho Tram Strip, Phase I

Palmetto Bay Resort Planned For Belize

Posted May 9th 2008 8:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Another new resort is planned for Belize, an area that has been experiencing a major development boom over the past few years. The Palmetto Bay Resort at Maya Beach will be located on Belize's Placencia Peninsula in an area situated on 16 miles of white sand beaches and backed by the scenery of the Maya Mountains. Palmetto Bay will offer beachfront real estate and four star amenities and will be the first development in the Caribbean designed 'green' from inception.

The first phase of the gated resort, which is currently under construction, will be comprised of 36 whole ownership, luxury beachfront condominiums ranging from approximately 1,100 to 4,500 square feet, each with open views of the Caribbean. Prices will start in the high $200,000s. The turnkey one- two- and three-bedroom residences are spread through two low-rise buildings. Designer Julieanne Dobson who also worked on Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn in Belize will create the interiors using warm woods and natural stone, vibrant contemporary textiles, and niche lit Mayan and African inspired art.

Ownership at Palmetto Bay Resort will include access to fitness facilities, conference rooms with wireless internet; 24-hour reception and security; fully equipped luxury kitchens with gourmet utensils and stainless steel appliances; balcony barbecues; and lush, mature landscaping with use of indigenous fruit trees and plants. The property will feature a 300-foot oceanfront infinity pool, a 400' private beach, beach boardwalk, and private dock.

Green factors include geothermal, solar, and water filtration technologies, which alone is estimated to conserve 1,000 gallons of water per day at full occupancy. Sales have begun on the property.

The Ambitious Plan For Baghdad Development

Posted May 6th 2008 8:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

Will Baghdad be reborn as a tourist destination? That's the dream of some developers who plan to create an international village inside the U.S. embassy complex in the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq. ABC News reports that the U.S. military is pushing a five-year, $5 billion development plan to turn Baghdad's Green Zone into an area with a shopping center, condos and a soccer stadium. Navy Capt. Thomas Karnowski says a deal already has been completed for Marriott to build a hotel in the Green Zone.

Obviously a lot needs to be done, Baghdad's infrastructure is in serious disrepair. There are also some significant questions as to land ownership as well as worries over who decides what businesses in are allowed to come in to the area. And as you might imagine, the issue of security is a huge concern. Certainly there is so much work to do that a five year trajectory doesn't seem like nearly enough time.

Calgary Condo Market Still Growing

Posted Apr 30th 2008 8:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Real Estate Developments

The Canadian luxury condo market continues to surge. According to the National Post, Concord Pacific Inc. is planning a new luxury development in the hot Calgary market. The project will be located in the Eau Claire area and Terry Hui, Concord Pacific's president and chief executive, says that the project will be the most high-end building the city has ever seen. The 14-floor condominium will contain 185 grand luxury suites ranging between 1,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet. The project will be designed by Canadian architects Arthur Erickson and Peter Busby. Can Calgary support a project with units of a $1-million to $5-million selling price? Local condo watchers say yes. Check out this recent article by Richard White in the Calgary Herald. He got his hands on a copy of independent condo market research firm MPC Intelligence's newly released Calgary Condominium Market Report which shows that Calgary is still going strong, although it's not as hot as it was in 2005/2006 when projects would sell out in a couple of days.

The Lakes by Yoo

Posted Apr 17th 2008 8:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Philippe Starck's modern Yoo designs are ending up in a rather traditional place, England's Cotswolds lakes. the popular countryside vacation destination. The Lakes by Yoo homes have Jade Jagger-designed interiors and modern angular glass and wood exteriors. Plans call for a series of 48 four-bedroom houses to be built on six lakes near Lechlande, in the Cotswolds. Homes will have lakeside views, outdoor kitchen barbeque areas, saunas, hot tubs, and exterior fireplaces. The homes are designed to be second homes and so there will be a an onsite concierge and hotel-service housekeeping. The long-range plan calls ofr 160 second homes and a hotel and spa. Houses start at £725,000.

Yoo projects dot the globe, for a small sample, check out the gallery below.

[via Country Life]

Gallery: The World of Yoo

Dubai Promises Eco-Friendly Gardens in the Desert

Posted Apr 15th 2008 4:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Green

One question that continues to be asked by people around the world is just how big a project can be before it's absolutely laughable to call it green. The latest mega-project from Dubai stretches the bounds of eco-believability. It's a $54.4 billion environmentally friendly real estate project stretching over 20,000 acres. The Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens has four main clusters themed around wisdom, humanity, nature and commerce. The plan is to have 73% of the total area covered in greenery. Yes, in Dubai, a country that is pretty much a desert. The design as shown in the model above calls for plenty of large lakes and canals.

The House of Nature will have parks, flower gardens, recreational clubs, a zoo, hotels, environmental labs and alternative medicine and herbal healing clinics; the House of Wisdom will be home to a library, international universities, history and science colleges and a mosque; the House of Humanity will include the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, the Museum of Light, the Human Civilization Museum and other room for other charities such as Unicef; and the House of Commerce will include banks, financial services firms and insurance companies and colleges that will specialize in banking and finance.

Internet rumors have pegged the location of the project, which will be overseen by Dubai Holdings, to be between Al Khail Road and Emirates Road in an area that borders Downtown Burj Dubai to the north and Dubailand to the south. This hasn't been confirmed and no date has been given for the start of construction.

Luxury Condo Projects Bloom In Downtown Pittsburgh

Posted Feb 21st 2008 8:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Big construction is going on in downtown Pittsburgh. The downtown area which has long been in a state of slow decline is looking to be revitalized thanks to a couple of major projects especially the Piatt Place project. Piatt Place will be a redesign of the Lazarus department store building. Two upscale chain restaurants, McCormick and Schmick's and the Capital Grille will anchor the building and the rest of the building will be turned into offices and condos. The residential units are new construction, built on a new slab on top of the roof. The condos start $330,000 to $1.5 million each and in an article on KDKA it has been reported that 40% of the units are under contract.

But in a nationwide market that is not, for the most part, favoring condos, there may be trouble ahead. For example at another high-end project in Pittsburgh, 151 First Side, owners have closed on more than half of the 83 units but a handful are already up for resale. At the Carlyle, a project that has currently a 6,000-square-foot penthouse listed at $2.195 million, half of the 60 units are under contract but many of those buyers are investors and the second phase of the project is on hold. It seems that the problem in Pittsburgh isn't so much a condo glut of the type that has affected so many other cities, but instead is a question of changing people's perceptions of life downtown and whether or not people are willing to pay these types of prices when for the same amount of money they could get a fairly large home in the suburbs.

Big Sales at London's One Hyde Park Development

Posted Feb 18th 2008 8:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Estates

High-end real estate in London is alive and well. Last March I mentioned that Sheikh Hamad, the foreign minister of the Gulf State of Qatar had picked up an apartment for a rumored £100 million (around $196 million) in One Hyde Park and now the Sunday Times reports that he is not alone. They report that half of the 80 apartments at the luxury complex designed by Richard Rogers have been contracted to be sold. The super rich from around the world have been spending prices of around almost £6000 per square foot with an average apartment price of £20 million ($39.23 million). Most of the buyers are from elsewhere with 39% coming from Russia and 25% from the Middle East while just 14% of the buyers are from Britain. The property will have an underground passage to the nearby Mandarin Oriental hotel and access to all hotel amenities. The project is expected to be completed in 2010.

SilkWind at West Shore

Posted Dec 15th 2007 2:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Estates

Some of the most architecturally interesting projects are coming out of Canada. SilkWind is a tower located in Victoria. So far Victoria hasn't attracted a lot of international interest from condo buyers, but this tower's cosmopolitan appeal may change that. Its 23 stories will be home to 150 condominiums. The building is triangular which matches the site shape, and the shape is also meant to mimic the prow of a ship. The suites' interiors have cherry or maple cabinetry, plasma fireplaces, marble and granite countertops and hardwood floors. Amenities include an exercise facility, infinity pool and resident lounge. There is also a 24-hour concierge service and a 152-stall bike storage area. The units range from 1,071 sq. ft. to 2,104 sq. ft. and will sell from the mid-$500,000's to $1.8-million.

[via Globe and Mail]

2727 Kirby at River Oaks

Posted Dec 12th 2007 8:04AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Estates

The latest high-rise in the Houston area is in the Upper Kirby/River Oaks area of Houston. The 30-story tower is crafted in glass, stainless steel and stone and sits on a narrow lot that is less than an acre in size. 2727 Kirby will have 96 units which will be one-, two- and three-bedroom condos ranging in size from 1,250 square feet to 6,100 square feet. Units are divided into residences and "estates" which have an elevator that drops them off into their unit. The residences have fireplaces and a private terrace equipped with an outdoor kitchen.

The building, designed by "Ziegler Cooper Architects, includes a six-level garage topped by the Aqua Level which includes fitness, pool and spa facilities. The west side of the Aqua Level will be home to the Sunset Lounge, a formal entertaining area for dinner parties of up to 50 that has a catering kitchen and a wine storage room. The Aqua Lounge faces east and is a more casual venue with billiard tables and a bar. The infinity pool is surrounded by private cabanas and palm tree and there is also an outdoor fireplace and hot tub. The south side of the Aqua level will include a library, media room, and a putting green. The building will offer private gardens for residents with a green thumb. The lobby will include a large contemporary glass sculpture. Units are priced from $500,000 to $7 million.

[via Multi-Housing News]

Beach Villas at El Banco

Posted Dec 11th 2007 8:01AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

We are back for another look at El Banco, former Yahoo CEO Tim Koogle's luxury community between Puerto Vallarta and Punta de Mita. The first phase of the beach villas at the development recently went on sale. El Banco is located on over 100 acres on the Punta de Mita Peninsula and the Beach Villas are located in the southeast corner of the development. Each custom-designed home has views of the Bay of Banderas and El Banco's long stretch of white-sand beach. The villas have a Spanish Colonial look and each has a minimum of four bedrooms. The property does have some eco-friendly features including using local materials and plants, a planned desalinization facility and a low-density master plan. The homes are listed between $5.5-$8.5 million.

One Ski Place, Breckenridge's New Condo Complex

Posted Dec 5th 2007 8:03AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Estates

Breckenridge, Colorado is starting to rival Aspen and Vail when it comes to luxury condos. One Ski Hill Place, is a new 90-unit development at the base of Peak 8. The new property is part of RockResorts and will feature amenities that include an aquatics center with two swimming pools and both indoor and outdoor hot tubs. Owners will also have access to a game room, two movies lounges and lockers. There will even be a bowling alley which will be designed to resemble a mine shaft. The property will be home to three restaurants, a conference center, a sports massage center and ski and snowboard rental services. Units range from studios to four bedrooms. The development also has a green angle: the lodge will include recycled materials, low-energy windows, Energy-Star appliances and water-saving devices.

The first 15 of 90 units will be released Dec. 8 and the asking price for the first of four penthouses will be $2.67 million, which will set a record as the highest asking price for a non-single family residence in Summit County. The previous record was held by a unit at Crystal Peak Lodge which cost $2.4 million. Construction is set to begin in May and due for completion for the 2009-10 ski season.

[via The Summit Daily News]

Trump's Scottish Golf Course Gets The Thumbs Down

Posted Dec 1st 2007 8:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

It's a bad week for Donald Trump, a Scottish council has rejected a plan from the Trumpster to build a $1 billion golf course and resort complex in idyllic seaside area north of Aberdeen. Trump's losing out to the birds, rare birds which make their home in the sandy dunes of the coastal area. Opponents of the development said that the development would damage the habitat of the Lapwings, Redshanks and Skylarks. Proponents of the plans said that the new development would be a big boost to the local economy. The Aberdeenshire Council's Infrastructure Committee battled for hours over Trump's plans before finally rejecting them. This news was particularly shocking to Trump since the council's Formartine area committee approved the golf course in a 7-4 vote last week. This latest vote (pardon the pun) trumps the first one. It is not known yet whether Trump will appeal the vote or if he will simply move on to create his golfing dream in another European country. The project was to have two 18-hole courses, a 450-bedroom hotel, 950 vacation homes, 36 golf villas and 500 larger homes.

Revel Entertainment's Atlantic City Resort

Posted Nov 10th 2007 8:03AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

A few weeks ago I mentioned the MGM Grand's big plans for Atlantic City, NJ. Their multibillion dollar resort is far from the only game in town. Another huge project, this one from Revel Entertainment just got preliminary site plan approval from the city planning board. The project includes two towers with almost 2,000 rooms each and a large casino exceeding 168,000 square feet. The project is estimated to cost in the $2 to $2.5 billion range and will welcome visitors with Revel Beach, a sandy area at the far corner of the complex next to the boardwalk that will feature a nightclub, retail space and dining options. The project also includes a 5,000-seat event center and another 600-seat theater as well as a spa and fitness center with indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The first phase is expected to open in 2010.

Gallery: Revel Resort

Shopping For Condos At A Retail Store

Posted Oct 30th 2007 8:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Estates

Usually when you are interested in a condo the process is pretty simple, you check it out online and then visit the site or marketing office to see a sample for yourself. But what if the condo is in a faraway location? Canadian Cliff Bowman has a new idea for selling condos, a condo retail store that offers a variety of condominium developments under one roof. His Urban and Resort Condo Centers are the offshoot of his Global Condo Center website. The stores are located in downtown storefront locations and a variety of developers provide scale models, floor plans, virtual tours and interactive visuals. The centers are currently up and running in Vancouver and Calgary and more are planned for Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Baltimore and Boston. The stores rent out space to condo developers for their projects.

[via HeraldNet]

Categories

Apparel (596)

Art (185)

Auctions (439)

Big Givers (22)

Books (24)

Celebrity Shopping (609)

Charity (213)

Charity of the Day (137)

Children (26)

Cigars (200)

Cosmetics and Fragrance (166)

Decor (1778)

Dining (709)

Estates (2121)

Events (218)

Gadgets (948)

Garden (36)

Green (134)

Handbags (1143)

Holiday Guides (34)

Jewelry (855)

Journeys (1458)

Men's Style (36)

Pets (136)

Preferred (13)

Real Estate Developments (70)

Services (270)

Shoes (191)

Spas (232)

Spirits (483)

Sports (86)

The Classicist (12)

Timepieces (698)

Water (618)

Wheels (937)

Wine (861)

Wings (490)

Writing Instruments (149)

RESOURCES

• Send us news tips
• Contact Us
• Advertise
• Corrections?
• Problems?

RSS NEWSFEEDS

• 
• Feeds by category

Sponsored Links

Advertise on Luxist

Most Commented On (60 days)

• Win A John Ferdinand Bracelet (47)
• The World of Abu Dhabi's Luxury License Plates (12)
• Hard Times For Hummer (6)
• Malvern, Pennsylvania, Estate of the Day (5)
• Money Really Can't Buy Happiness (4)
• 2009 BMW 7 Series Revealed (4)
• Pharrell Opts For Expensive Tattoo Removal (3)
• Bang & Olfusen Forecast Turns Dim (3)
• Wikiosco, Estate of the Day (3)
• Net-A-Porter's 'Emergency Wardrobe' Service (2)

Recent Comments

• Julie Kenyon on Win A John Ferdinand Bracelet
• Alan on Win A John Ferdinand Bracelet
• Patricia Hill on Win A John Ferdinand Bracelet
• Laurence on Win A John Ferdinand Bracelet
• willysson on Durian, the $200 Fruit that Smells Like Gas
• john on Bang & Olfusen Forecast Turns Dim
• john on Win A John Ferdinand Bracelet
• Bindu on Scottish Millionaire To Give Fortune to Charity
• User on De Beers Plans More Retail Stores
• Clay on Win A John Ferdinand Bracelet

More from AOL Money & Finance

• Money
• Auto Loan
• Credit Cards
• Debt Management
• Loans
• Mortgages
• Refinancing
• Credit Report
• DJIA
• Identity Theft
• Banking
• Checking Account
• Insurance
• Savings Account
• Small Business
• Tax Advice
• Taxes
• Retirement
• Stock Charts
• Stock Quotes
• Tech News
• Earnings
• Stock Screener
• AMT
• Car Insurance
• Dow Jones Industrial Average
• Foreclosures
• GOOG
• Health Insurance
• Home Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Real Estate
• Recession
• Stock Ticker

Weblogs, Inc. Network

• Autos
  • Autoblog
  • AutoblogGreen
  • Autoblog Spanish
  • Autoblog Chinese
  • Autoblog Simplified Chinese
• Technology
  • Download Squad
  • Engadget
  • Engadget HD
  • Engadget Mobile
  • Engadget Chinese
  • Engadget Simplified Chinese
  • Engadget Japanese
  • Engadget Spanish
  • Engadget Polska
  • Switched
  • TUAW (Apple)
• Lifestyle
  • AisleDash
  • DIY Life
  • Gadling
  • Green Daily
  • Luxist
  • ParentDish
  • Slashfood
  • Styledash
  • That's Fit
• Gaming
  • Joystiq
  • DS Fanboy
  • Massively
  • Nintendo Wii Fanboy
  • PS3 Fanboy
  • PSP Fanboy
  • WoW Insider
  • Xbox 360 Fanboy
  • Big Download
• Entertainment
  • Cinematical
  • TV Squad
• Finance
  • BloggingBuyouts
  • BloggingStocks
  • WalletPop
• Sports
  • FanHouse Main
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NCAA Football
  • NCAA Basketball
  • NASCAR
  • NHL
  • Golf
  • Fantasy Football
• Also on AOL
  • African-American Culture
  • Cars
  • Games
  • Maps
  • Money
  • Movies
  • Music
  • News
  • Radio
  • Sports
  • Television
  Travel

More on AOL: Money, Investing, Bonds, Broker Center, Currency, ETF Center, Futures, International Markets, Mutual Fund Center, Stock Charts, Stock Quotes, Stock Screener, Portfolios, Personal Finance, Personal Loans, Finance Calculators, Money Basics, Retirement, Taxes, Market News, Small Business

All contents copyright © 2003-2008, Weblogs, Inc. All rights reserved

Luxist is a member of the Weblogs, Inc. Network. Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Notify AOL