houston

Four Seasons Houston Awarded AAA Five Diamond Status

On the heels of a three-year, $25 million renovation project that introduced re-styled guest rooms, a new resort-style swimming pool area and a fresh, modern lobby, the Four Seasons Houston has been named the the city's only AAA Five Diamond Hotel. The travel authority's highest and most exclusive rating was awarded to the hotel for an unparalleled experience of luxury and sophistication in an artfully designed setting, complemented by service that goes above and beyond. A destination in its own right, the new $4 million pool (above) at the Four Seasons Houston is downtown's only outdoor, resort-style pool.

The pool, which glows with artful lighting at night, meshes dramatic cityscape views with exotic materials such as Turkish travertine tile, environmentally-friendly Ipe wood decking, and lush tropical plants. The pool renovation included the creation of cabana-style patios, a trellis-covered event space, soothing water wall, hot tub, fire pit and poolside bar. Acclaimed San Francisco-based design firm BAMO also created custom-designed furniture and one-of-a-kind abstract artwork designed for the hotel's luxe new guest rooms.

Gallery: The Four Seasons Houston

Tags: AAA, AAA Five Diamond, awards, Four Seasons, Four Seasons Houston, hotels, Houston, luxury hotels, swimming pool, Texas

Robbins Brothers Brings Jewelry Stores Back To Houston

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

In 2009, we reported that engagement ring specialist Robbins Brothers was selling off its Houston stores to Spence Diamonds. But after Spence Diamonds pulled out of Houston, Robbins Brothers is back in with plans to open its original freestanding locations in Houston, Texas. "We are grateful for a second chance," commented Andy Heyneman, president and CEO for Robbins Brothers. "Houston has been a very important market to us; to have the opportunity to return so quickly is a testament to the hard work of everyone in the company."

Robbins Brothers will welcome past and future customers at the opening of its Houston Loop store near the Galleria in late January. The Baybrook location will open mid-year and Robbins Brothers is hosting a kickoff "Spa Open House" to entail complimentary diamond ring cleaning plus mini-manicures, massages, appetizers and gift bags. All customers who maintained their service policies with other jewelers can now return to the Houston store for Lifetime Diamond Warranty benefits. The response from former customers has been strong with many expressing delight that the chain is back in the area.

Tags: diamond rings, houston, jewelry store, robbins brothers

NYC Named America's Richest City With Over 650,000 Millionaires

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

New York has been named America's richest city with a record 667,000 high-net worth individuals, or people with $1 million or more in investible assets, recorded as living there in 2009. The figure, 18.7% higher than in 2008, comes from the new Metro Wealth Index created by consulting firm Capgemini, the Wall St. Journal reports. New York not only topped the list but demolished the competition, with a sum greater than the total of the next three runners up combined – Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington. The number of millionaires in New York City – some of whom are of course billionaires – is now greater than the entire population of Boston. While growth is up across the board over 2008, only New York, D.C. (#4), Houston (#9) and San Jose (#10) are now above their 2007 or pre-recession levels, with the rest still languishing behind.

Tags: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, millionaires, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Washington, wealth

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Houston Area Condos Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Some of the Houston area's most expensive luxury condos are set to go up for auction next month. Wonmore Ltd. will sell all 35 of its remaining Endeavour Clear Lake residences on August 21, 2010 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston. Units that have been listed from $450,000 to $3,500,000 will be priced at auction from $200,000 to $1,500,000.

The 30-story condominium tower was designed by Houston-based EDI Architects and completed in 2007. It was created with a unique lighting system that can make it look like it is glowing from inside. The LED light system is capable of producing many different color combinations. The lights on the building went out in 2008 when the original developer went in bankruptcy but Wonmore brought the lighting back and held a special light show last month to celebrate the relaunch of the building. Wonmore bought the remaining 44 condos in the building last year and spent $2 million on renovations and upgrades.

The building has a total of 80 units ranging between 1,278 and 7,533 square feet. The development has views over Clear Lake and the Gulf of Mexico and amenities include an infinity-edge pool and private boat slips. Inside the building there is a fitness center, private movie theater, indoor resistance pool, sauna, library, a residents' business center and indoor parking. Units have tall 12-foot ceilings, walk-in closets and balconies and terraces.

Tags: condo project, condo projects, endeavour clear lake, houston, texas real estate

Enron Founder Ken Lay's Condo Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The luxury Houston condo that once belonged to Ken and Linda Lay has finally been put up for sale. Ken Lay, who was the founder of Enron, died in 2006. The condo takes up the 33rd floor of The Huntingdon in the River Oaks area of Houston. The unit has four bedroom suites, four balconies, three fireplaces, a wine cellar and more in over 12,800 square feet. It is being quietly shopped around at $12.8 million.

It's not clear how the proceeds of the sale will be divided up. The Houston Chronicle posits that Linda Lay and government lawyers may have struck some sort of deal that might result in some of the money going to creditors. In 2002 the couple owned a wide variety of properties in Texas and Colorado but all of those properties have been sold. Linda Lay is said to be looking for a smaller home. The condo sale is being handled privately by Beau Herrold, Linda Lay's son from her first marriage and tours are by invitation only.

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Tags: enron, houston, huntingdon, ken lay, KenLay, linda lay, LindaLay

Mary Lou Retton In Houston, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Perennially perky retired Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton has moved back to her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia and is eager to sell her Houston home. The Wall Street Journal's Private Properties reports that she has cut the price of her 9,000-square-foot Houston home by 10 percent after three months on the market. The medal-winner-turned-motivational-speaker built the home in 2002 with her husband, real-estate investor Shannon Kelley.

The six-bedroom, home is on two wooded acres in Houston's Memorial Villages area. It has indulgent outdoor space that includes a raised terrace, grotto pool, dining loggia with fireplace and a park-like backyard. The sprawling master bath has a sitting area and there is also a media room and children's playroom. The home is now listed at $4.7 million.

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

Gallery: Mary Lou Retton In Houston

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Tags: celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, estate of day, EstateOfDay, houston, mary lou retton, MaryLouRetton, texas

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500 Classic Cars up for Auction in Houston

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

How many cars is too many for one collection? 50? 100? How about 500? Evidently one collector thinks so, because he's selling off his entire stock of five hundred classic automobiles. Among those, 200 will be auctioned off with no reserve price whatsoever, making this the largest no-reserve auction in American history.

If you're wondering which long-established auction house will be handling such an enormous consignment, it's not Barrett-Jackson. It's not RM. It's not Gooding or Bonhams, either. It's Coys. The British auction house with offices in Italy, Germany and Monaco has never in its hundred-year history dabbled in the American market, but this strikes us as a good place to start. The 500-strong collection includes classics from both Europe and the United States, and will take place in Houston on September 19.

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Tags: automobile auction, AutomobileAuction, car auction, CarAuction, classic cars, ClassicCars, coys, coys auction, coys houston, CoysAuction, CoysHouston, houston

Sleep Like A Tycoon At Hotel ZaZa

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Those looking to stay in some celebrity digs in Houston, Texas might want to hit up Hotel ZaZa's Tycoon Suite. The Houston Chronicle reports that the luxury suite at the boutique hotel has hosted comedian Ron White, Sharon Osbourne and Kid Rock among others. The 2,200-square-foot, $2,500-a-night suite has two bedrooms, a kitchen and an extra-large balcony. The refrigerator is stocked with Veuve Cliquot, Cakebread Chardonnay and a selection of designer waters and guests can request certain items to be waiting for them on arrival.

The suite is just one of the Magnificent Seven Suites at Hotel ZaZa Houston. Others include the velvet-clad Rock Star suite and the sleekly modern Black Label suite which, like the Tycoon, features a hot tub out on the balcony. The For Your Eyes Only Suite has a more delicate style that includes a crystal chandelier while the Fatal Charms suite ramps up the sex appeal with a black velvet bed. The Bella Vita was inspired by Italy's grand hotels and the It Happened One Night Suite has a cosmopolitan flair. For those really in need of major celebration room the entire 11th floor can be rented out for $15,000 to $20,000 a night plus food and beverage minimums.

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Tags: hotel suites, hotel zaza, HotelSuites, HotelZaza, houston, luxury suites, LuxurySuites

Another Year of Avo, Another New Release

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Why do we love it when Avo Uvezian adds another year to his life? Of course, we celebrate the continued life of this cigar industry's living legend. But, few miss the fact that every new year brings with it another limited edition. I'm still excited about the Avo 80 that came out a few years back – well, three, to be exact. Now that the odometer's hitting 83, Avo and Davidoff are bringing a new cigar to market: the Avo Compañero.

The cigar's namesake calls it "the best blend ever released under my name from the Occidental Kelner Cigars factory in the Dominican Republic." And, let's face it: he's never lied to us before! So, I'm pretty excited about this new stick, and I suspect I'm not alone.

To fête this new cigar, a nine-city tour is planned, each with a cigar dinner featuring the Avo Compañero.

• March 16 - New York, NY – Davidoff of Geneva
• March 18 – Salem, NH – Two Guys Smoke Shop
• March 21 - Lake Mary, FL – Corona Cigar Co.
• March 26 – Houston, TX – Jeffrey Stone Ltd.
• March 27 – Austin, TX – Heroes & Legacies
• March 30 - West Chester, PA – G&G Cigar
• April 1 - Norfolk, VA – Emerson's Cigars
• April 4 – Raleigh, NC – Empire Cigars
• April 6 – Southport, NC – Havana Rays Fine Cigars

Put it on your calendar. I went to an Avo limited edition dinner back in 2006, and I can still remember the evening vividly.

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Tags: austin, cigar, cigarette smoking, CigaretteSmoking, cigars, davidoff, dominican republic, DominicanRepublic, florida, houston, manhattan, new york, NewYork, texas, tobacco

Houston Building Projects Suffer In Credit Crunch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Just about every city is facing a building challenge these days. The Houston Chronicle recently rounded up a bunch of commercial real estate projects that have either been delayed or put on hold in the past six months. Part of the problem is finding financing. Banks are no longer willing to make big construction loans in this uncertain market, consumers are less likely to buy condos that they see are being riskier investments and it is harder for many to get mortgage approval. For Houston part of the problem is also the falling oil prices. Several of the developments that have been scrapped or delayed are luxury residential buildings as shown in the gallery below.

Gallery: Houston Building Projects

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Tags: building, condominiums, condos, houston, real estate development, RealEstateDevelopment

Tanglewood Texas, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Usually I'm not a fan of recent homes in developments but this one in the Tanglewood area of Houston is rather charming, perhaps because of the current owner's use of modern art. The Tanglewood community is perhaps best known for being home to George H. W. Bush and has seen a boom in which many of the original homes in the neighborhoods have been replaced by newer modern homes like this one. This one was built in 2001 and has four bedrooms. It won me over with the elegant exterior, slate floors in some rooms, a brick wine room, plenty of built in shelfs and a lot that includes a tranquil pool area. It is listed at $4.8 million.

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

Gallery: Tanglewood, Texas

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, houston, tanglewood, texas real estate, TexasRealEstate

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DD Peden House, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home in the Shadyside area of Houston, Texas is the type of place I would love to be invited to for a cocktail party. Not only is it a beautiful classic home, a vintage Harrie Lindeberg and John Staub design built in the early 1920s (and on the National Register of Historic Places), but the current owners have created an inviting abode full of a variety of art to ogle and shelves of books to browse through. This eight-bedroom home is on 1.7 beautifully landscaped acres with formal gardens and a greenhouse. The home includes a dramatic entrance hall with a floating staircase,large living room, library, garden/media room, dining room, gourmet kitchen w/morning room and wine cellar. A new pool and pool house were constructed in 2002. There is also a carriage house with staff quarters. This home is listed at $11.3 million. The AOL home value tool estimates it at just $2,307,393.

Gallery: DD Peden House

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Tags: dd peden, DdPeden, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, houston, luxury real estate, LuxuryRealEstate, shadyside, texas

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The Bargain Neighborhoods, River Oaks, TX, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

NeighborhoodScout.com has used their matching function to find neighborhoods that are "discount equivalents" of some of the hot and pricey communities we recently covered in our Most Expensive Zip Codes estates.

Their choice to mimic Beverly Hills, California is River Oaks, Texas. Beverly Hills has a median price of $3.1 million but in River Oaks the median price is $1.6 million. River Oaks is part of Central West Houston. Residents love it because it has easy access to the freeways but is a charming neighborhood with manicured lawns and large homes. The area is home to many expensive properties but not as pricey as the homes we saw in Beverly Hills, CA. Consider today's example, a beautiful four-bedroom home on a wooded acre on Buffalo Bayou. The home has a kitchen with Viking, Thermador and Sub-Zero appliances. The master bedroom is on the first floor. The walnut-paneled library/den includes a large granite-topped wet bar area. The formal dining room has built-ins with lighted glass shelves. The property includes a pool, fountain, landscaped grounds, a separate entertaining deck and a large motor court in the front. It's not as lavish as the $23.5 million Beverly Hills estate we covered but at $6.9 million, it's a quite a bit cheaper.

Gallery: River Oaks

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Tags: estate of the day, houston, river oaks, RiverOaks, texas

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2727 Kirby at River Oaks

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

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]

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Tags: condo, condominium, development, houston, texas

Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Lovers of fine jewelry may want to make a pilgrimage to Houston between Nov. 16, 2007 to Feb. 17, 2008 to catch the exhibit of Verdura jewels at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Verdura jewels dating from the 1930s with original design sketches will be on public display in Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler in The Lester and Sue Smith Gem Vault. Duke Fulco di Verdura (1898–1978) a Sicilian Duke, began his career with the one and only Coco Chanel. She hired him as a textile designer and he went on to become the head designer for her private and boutique jewelry collection. His designs were worn by iconic women of taste including Joan Crawford; Princess Diana; Doris Duke; Katharine Hepburn; Nan Kempner and Greta Garbo. Still not convinced you should go yet? Take a browse through the gallery of the Verdura pieces that will be on display below.

Gallery: Verdura Exhibit At The Houston Museum of Natural Science