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A Boston restaurateur who banked on the allure of Donald Trump’s name in deciding to buy a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., condominium-hotel unit alleges in a lawsuit that he is the victim of misleading marketing.

In the lawsuit filed Monday in Broward Circuit Court, John Taglieri also contends the developer of the project violated state securities and condo laws.

SB Hotel Associates LLC failed to register Taglieri’s unit at the beachfront Trump International Hotel & Tower as a security, though it was marketed as an investment opportunity, and wrongly promoted the project as a Trump development, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims marketing material indicated the units would be worth 36 percent more with the Trump name.

Trump is not the developer and does not have any agreement to indicate the project will operate under the Trump name when it is completed, according to the suit.

Taglieri put down $146,000 in December 2005 for a $730,000 unit in the 298-unit tower under construction at 551 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. (A1A). He was told the 24-story development would be complete in 2007.

“The impetus for the lawsuit is frustration with purchasing a product he thought he was getting that was heavily promoted in a certain way by the developer and realizing that’s not the project that will be delivered,” said Taglieri’s attorney, Jared Beck of Beck & Lee in Miami.

“In this market, misrepresentation and failure to deliver what’s promised are things a developer cannot afford to get away with,” he said.  Continued…

Source: Law.com

More Blogs on:  Condo-Hotel | Trump

Rarely available unit at The Carlton House at 2 Commonwealth Ave. Stunning front facing corner unit on Arlington St and Comm Ave with incredible views of the Public Garden and Comm Ave Mall. The unit was 2 units which were combined and completely gutted and now ready for build-out. Two valet parking spots are included. This is an unique opportunity for someone who has been waiting for a home in this location in the Carlton House, and re-design the unit to their taste and lifestyle.

While we were at it showing this very rare unit right next to the Old Ritz Carlton Boston Common…now The Taj Hotel….we thought we should show off our new mapping also!  Check out our Google Street View implementation into our site.  Man…we are loving innovation in this industry!

Price: $5,000,000

Refund:  $120,000 when you buy with CondoDomain.com

2 Commonwealth Ave
Unit # 8C/D
Boston, MA 02116

MLS # 70731061

Status: Active
Type: Condominium
Beds: 3 Bedroom
Bath: 3 (Baths)

Sq/Ft: 2810
Price per Sq/Ft: $1,779.36
Condo Fee: $2,851 (monthly)
Taxes: $33,090 (annual)

Estimated Payment: $25,609

Listing Courtesoy of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Boston - Commonwealth Ave.
Florence Mackie

Search more Back Bay Condos

$2000 per square foot and you can’t even live in it year round!  Gotta love NY!

Now that the long-awaited plans for Trump SoHo have finally been approved by the city, the next question is: How much are these suckers going to cost? Although the sales office has yet to open (the offering plan will be ready “imminently,” we’re told) and our requests for specific pricing information have been unsuccessful, the parties involved predict the numbers will be unprecedented below 14th Street.

“The demand is going to create a price point that will set the benchmark for pricing downtown,” says Shaun Osher of Core Group Marketing, which will be selling the hotel-condo units. “It will be well in excess of $2,000 a square foot.”

Though Donald Trump Jr. notes that “$2,000 a square foot doesn’t have the shock factor it used to” (especially to foreign buyers taking advantage of the weak dollar), that price point is still high compared to the new Hudson Square buildings a stone’s throw west of Trump SoHo.  Continued…

Source: New York Post

For the same money of one of their high-end units, you could visit our SOHO fav - 25 Bond (with only one unit left).  Also, visit other NY Condos and condo-hotels here.

Rumor has it that one of the buyers of one of the $50 million-plus condo at The Plaza is Italian real-estate tycoon Luigi Zunino, the CEO of Milan-based Risanamento S.p.A., one of Italy’s largest real-estate development companies.

The Plaza Residences Website

The Math:  9100 sq/ft X $6100 per sq/ft = $56,120,000 (bonus = free 500 sq.ft terrace)

Sources: The Real Estate Bloggers, Observer, NYTimes

The Department of Buildings on Tuesday approved the plans and the application for a building permit for Donald Trump’s proposed 42-story condo-hotel on Spring St. in a manufacturing district in Hudson Square, a project that has roused intense opposition from preservation advocates.
The approval of the application for 242 Spring St. at Varick St. did not yet include the actual permit to continue construction on the site, where the foundation is nearly completed, according to a department spokesperson.
The developer, actually Bayrock/Sapir Organization, with the participation of Trump and his grown children, still had to submit nearly 20 technical documents before a permit could be issued, according to a Department of Buildings statement.

Continued….

or visit the DEV WEBSITE:  www.TRUMPSOHO.com 

Source: The Villager

Robert Falor, whose acquisition of the Royal Palm hotel three years ago cemented his status as the leader in South Florida’s condo-hotel conversion trend, has surrendered management of the property.

Falor said his departure from the South Beach hotel signals the beginning of the end of his stormy tenure in South Florida real estate. His other South Beach project, the Breakwater and Edison hotels, are in bankruptcy. Falor said both hotels, along with a South Florida property where he owns a small stake, Islamorada’s Cheeca Lodge, are for sale.

”For me, it made sense to move on,” the Chicago developer said.

Falor’s departure from the Royal Palm was first announced in a court hearing Friday for a lawsuit developer R. Donahue Peebles filed against Royal Palm owners claiming gross mismanagement by Falor. Majority owner Guy Mitchell said Falor was removed as manager in March. Continued…

Source: Miami Herald

Nicky went a little crazy lastnight and thought he would upload our video’s to YouTube.com. Our server has been maxed out the past few months mainly due to the thousands of video downloads we have been handling. So for now we are going to try out YouTube, Brightcove and a few other video sources like Real Estate Video source WellcomeMat.

Check out Condo Movies here.

or watch this one right here:  The Residences at the Westin in Providence, RI

Donald Trump is using his assistant-grooming reality show to sell units in his second Las Vegas condominium tower.

For a one-hour episode of “The Apprentice” scheduled to air Sunday, contestants were tasked with devising a marketing plan for Trump Tower II, which like its predecessor will be 64 stories of gold glass just off the Las Vegas Strip, developers said.

The challenge is formidable. Las Vegas’ once-hot condo market has cooled in the past year, leaving dozens of projects stalled in blueprint stages and many condo buyers wanting out.

Trump’s Las Vegas projects are partnerships with casino owner Philip Ruffin, owner of the New Frontier hotel-casino next door.

Both towers include about 1,300 luxury condominium units, with a hotel rental option, at prices ranging from $700,000 to $7 million.

Tower I is expected to cost $600 million and be completed in early 2008. Tower II, targeted for completion two years later, is estimated to cost $700 million. Gross sales on the towers are projected to reach $2.5 billion, making it Trump’s largest project to date, said Jack Wishna, a dealmaker involved in the project.

Shop all Las Vegas Condos

Source:  Hollywood Reporter

Latest news from my Lindsay Lohan Condo Post yesterday…is that she was actually given the Condo, and she did not purchase it.

As noted in the article, many high-end developers will do this to attract more PR around the development.  If you think about it, it costs just about the same to kick off a killer PR campaign with print advertising and its NOT as cool as having a celeb in your condo building!

Condo Developers of these luxury lifestyle buildings are using everything from world renown artists like Philippe Starck, Designers like Armani Casa in 20 Pine downtown NYC and Ian Schrager world renown hotelier in 40 Bond Street in NOHO and even Jade Jagger, Mick Jagger’s daughter designing the Jade in Chelsea (as you can see NYC is taking the lead in branded condominium buildings!)…. and its the buyers are eating it up. 

These aren’t sales tactics, they are positioned marketing & designer goods that last.  They have staying power and tell a story.  This is what actually attracts me to the urban condominium marketplace.  I believe we are just scratching the surface of creativity, luxury & lifestyle aspects of “Branded Buildings”.

Your thoughts on branded condo buildings?

Manny Ramirez is still having a hard time selling his Penthouse at the Ritz Carlton overlooking Boston Common which is listed at $6.9M by Boston Reatly Advisors. (check out the photos here).

Manny Quotes, “Hi, I`m Manny Ramirez. I bought this AMAZING grill for about $4,000 and I used it once… But I never have the time to use it because I am always on the road. I would love to sell it and you will get an autographed ball signed by me =] Enjoy it, Manny Ramirez.”

So maybe he thought he could make some extra cash (or save some anticipating a monster commission check to his broker) by auctioning off his outdoor Grill?  Check it out here on Ebay,  looks like the current bid of $4650 is already $650 more than what he paid for it…oh and by the way, he will autograph a free MLB baseball for ya!  Interested in Bidding…the Ebay Auction Here

Source

Paramount Worldwide, RPC Holdings’ luxury real estate brand based in Boca Raton, has introduced this month its ultra-exclusive Passport Program, which provides residents with superior services and access to a wide array of upgrades and amenities across the country and the world.

This program will be offered at Paramount Worldwide’s anticipated real estate developments in South Florida and Las Vegas, under construction or in planning stages. These projects include Paramount Bay (pictured), a 360-unit, 46-story luxury condominium tower along the Biscayne Bay in the Arts District north of downtown Miami.   Read about their partners here….

The Paramount Passport Program is under the direction of experienced operatives called Lifestyle Agents, who offer a proactive range of services and experiences based on on-going product and service reviews as well as their specially chosen partnerships worldwide.

Services include ground transportation in luxury automobiles and custom limousines; four- and five-star hotel accommodations; and priority reservations for concerts, sporting events, spas and fitness facilities. In addition, they have negotiated special privileges for residents such as automatic room upgrades and preferred seating at restaurants. The agents can be utilized as a first resource to find or recommend any desired product or service and Paramount owners can reportedly expect to be treated like VIPs.   Continue reading here…

Ok, I am not going to lie.  Its 8:00 a.m. EST and I am blogging from the Bahamas.  It looks to be about 83 degrees outside and the clearest day of the year!  We flew in lastnight for the weekend…and got a chance to go check out The Residences at Atlantis yesterday.  It a Turnberry development and it looks like the cement is up about 50% already!  This may be truly the ultimate in condo-hotel ownership.  All the amenities of this mega resort, not to mention this humungo hotel is sold out almot every day of the year!   Check out their website for more details….and remember to tell them condoDomain was there..

A hundred angry SoHo residents yesterday called on the city to block the construction of Donald Trump’s planned condo-hotel, saying it violated zoning laws and would de-stroy the character of the neighborhood.

Holding up placards and chanting, “Trump’s got to go!” the protesters were joined by community activists and politicians in protesting the development on Spring and Varick streets.   Check out Trump Soho Here.

Yikes…pretty scary news for the big man!  Curious to see the reaction….lets hope for the neighbors its not similar to the Rosie snapback.

It would seem that Nicky Hilton has not inherited the successful hotel gene from her family after all. Her first venture, the Nicky O Condo Hotel in South Beach, below, scheduled to open last November (the hotel even advertised a $1,000-a-night Super Bowl package on its now-disabled Web site), looks stalled, along with her second hotel project, the Nicky O Chicago. Now both are the subjects of a lawsuit.

On Feb. 12, Robert Falor Investments and Grand USA Hotel Supply & Restaurant, the Chicago development group behind both projects, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Chicago, claiming that Ms. Hilton did not promote the two projects and instead used Falor “to underwrite a lavish lifestyle.�

Her agent, Paul Fisher, is also named in the lawsuit, which claims that Ms. Hilton, who was meant to be the interior designer on the Chicago hotel, hired a design company and attempted to charge Falor for the cost.   Continued…

Source:  NYTimes & Zilbert Realty Group

Ever seen 20 condo developments marketed to you in less than 5 minutes…and for a good cause - to help the homeless!  Well watch the Condo Run…because its exactly what we did. 

Many of you have already seen the Condo Run…but for those of you who have not…check it out today on Inman Stories!

The Condo Run was a 10 miles run through downtown Boston highlighting 20 of the newest luxury condominium developments. The Run was organized to raise awareness and money for the two most influential homeless shelters in downtown Boston; St. Francis House and The Pine Street Inn.

 

WATCH THE CONDO RUN

Has the “WOW” Factor finally come to Boston?  New York developer, Extell Development, may have brought a piece of the Big Apple to Boston!  The new model homes have opened up at the Residences at the InterContinental.  Fine design stylized by The Orpin Group - Susan Orpin & Celeste Cooper.  The brand new luxury condominium & hotel residences are now open for first hand viewing from the gleaming glass tower in downtown Boston.  A taste of the Residences 2bed & 3bed + library model home below.  One word to describe them…”Stunning!”

Want more information - click here.

 

 

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WATCH THE MOVIE

One of the most fun film shoots we have been on and one of the most luxurious properties we have ever seen exists here…in Providence Rhode Island.  The Residences at the Westin Hotel are GORGEOUS!

Imagine a space tailored to your dreams. A home in the center of a bustling downtown with gorgeous views of the city around you. A haven for your mind, body and soul. Imagine lavish surroundings with all the services and comforts of a Four Star hotel including around-the-clock security, wellness spa, concierge, valet, room service, 24-hour chauffeur and housekeeping. This is high-rise luxury living. Imagine yourself at The Residences at The Westin Providence.

WATCH THE MOVIE

or

Click Here for More Info on the Residences

Visit here for more info on Providence Condos

A Chicago development group is suing heiress Nicky Hilton for breach of contract over a delayed hotel renovation project just south of the city’s downtown.In a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court, Robert Falor Investments and Grand USA Hotel Supply & Restaurant allege Hilton hasn’t kept up her end of an April 2006 agreement in which she promised to promote the redevelopment project known as Nicky O’s Chicago, a Nicky Hilton Hotel.

Hilton also allegedly contracted out interior design work she was supposed to perform and tried to charge it back to the developer, the lawsuit alleges. The development group also claims Hilton misrepresented that she and her associates had experience in hotel design.

Paul Fisher, Hilton’s agent, also is named in the lawsuit.

Elliot Mintz, a Los Angeles-based media consultant for Hilton, said neither Hilton nor Fisher had not seen the lawsuit as of late Monday night.

“Things are not always as they appear,” he said. “When the facts surrounding this matter are known to the public I think you will find out that the person who has been most impacted by this action will be Nicky Hilton. … In the meantime, I don’t think anybody should draw any conclusions based on the simple filing of a lawsuit.”

The Nicky O hotel was set to replace the Blake Hotel in Printer’s Row, located in the historic Morton Salt building. The project, along with a similar renovation along Miami’s swank South Beach, were to serve as Hilton’s foray into the family’s signature business, although neither Nicky O hotel would be affiliated with Hilton Hotels.

Both proposed hotels have been plagued by delays, and neither has opened yet.

Messages left for the plaintiff’s attorneys weren’t immediately returned Monday evening.

Hilton, 23, is the granddaughter of William Barron Hilton and the great granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotel Corp. in 1946. Her sister is Paris Hilton.

Source:  Fox25

Past Posts:

[ Nicky O Condo Hotel ]

C’mon we all know Nikki Beach … and many of us got a sneak peak after night one of Inman Connect HighNet a few months back….but did you know Nikki Beach was open in 12 other locations around the world…and better yet, now you can own a piece of Nikki Beach!

(Not familiar with Nikki Beach..check out some VIDEOS here!)

NIKKI BEACH, one of the world’s leading lifestyle and entertainment brands, has announced its plans for expansion into the luxury hotel and resort industry. Following the success of its international brand of luxury beach clubs and restaurants in seven countries, the company soon introduced a series of additional lifestyle and multi-media divisions including Nikki News, Nikki Clothing, Nikki Music, Nikki Furniture, Nikki VIP and Nikki Style magazine.

Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts is a unique hotel concept that combines five- star hotel service, design and accommodations with exclusive entertainment in a resort-style environment. Joint venture hotel and resort projects, worth an estimated value of more than $500 million, are currently in development in eight locations including: Reno (Nevada); Sal (Cape Verde, Africa); Sao Vicente (Cape Verde, Africa); Playa del Carmen (Mexico); Panama City (Panama); Playa Blanca (Panama) and Portimao (Portugal). Continue reading the Press Release Here

More information on Nikki Beach Hotels
More information on where to party and at which Nikki Beach.

and make sure to check out the all new http://www.nikkibeachatsea.com/

The developer building Nicky Hilton’s South Beach hotel said he might part ways with the celebrity, citing an online video. It’s the latest hurdle for the Nicky-O.

The developer behind Nicky Hilton’s planned South Beach hotel said Friday he is considering scuttling the project because she allegedly filmed a private videotape with older sister Paris making racist remarks.

”I’m very concerned about it. I’m shocked actually that she would participate in something like that,” developer Robert Falor said. The video is making the rounds on the Internet and is the subject of a lawsuit by Paris Hilton.

Falor’s comments offer the first signs of strain in a partnership between a developer known for sparring with associates and the 23-year-old celebrity heiress, who has become one of South Beach’s most high-profile hoteliers. Though still under construction, the 95-room ”Nicky-O” condo-hotel has won favorable mentions by Vanity Fair, People and even David Letterman.

Nicky Hilton’s representatives did not return phone calls on Friday. A failed partnership with Hilton could prove a highly public setback for Falor, who briefly enacted bankruptcy proceedings for the Ocean Drive site before signing a deal to make it Hilton’s first hotel venture.

Falor announced a second Nicky-O in Chicago and touted the fashion designer’s style and celebrity cachet as a developer’s dream…Continued…

Video Link Here.

Latest Post on Nicky and Paris Hilton

Source:  Miami Herald

——————————————–

Mr. Zilbert…can we have a comment please?

Past Nicky-O Condo News

Nicky Hilton Does South Beach!

Falor approves of NICKY O chain (Miami & Chicago)

Nicky O Live on the set her new Condo Hotel in Miami

Nicky O and Falor pull out of Chicago

Nicky O Condo Hotel Gives to Charity

Casino operator MGM Mirage Inc. said last week it has received 1,200 offers of interest in condominiums at its under-construction CityCenter mega-resort.Sales of 2,700 of the luxury residences — ranging from $500,000 studios to the $12 million super penthouse — are expected to cover up to $3 billion of the $7 billion price tag for the colossal seven-tower project on the Las Vegas Strip.

Construction began in June and is expected to be finished by late 2009.

All units come with a 24-hour valet, front-of-the-line access to MGM shows and restaurants in Las Vegas and “anticipatory service,” said Tony Dennis, residential division executive vice president.

“Our clientele travels the world, they know value, and they’re prepared to pay a super premium for great location, great amenities, great service,” he said.

“We’re delivering an experience that takes away having to think about thinking about lifestyle,” he said.  Continued…  or visit Las Vegas Condos

well…both kinda but…

The proposed condominium units may not be used for residential occupancy. They may only be used for transient occupancy and for no other purpose.

and Trumps daughter is part of the package (the marketing package that is).

What is The Condo Run?
The Condo Run was a 10 miles run through downtown Boston highlighting the newest luxury condominium developments. The Run was organized to raise awareness and money for the two most influential homeless shelters in downtown Boston; St. Francis House and The Pine Street Inn.

The route was run and hosted by Tony Longo, Founder & Blogger of condoDomain.com - The Condo Blog and John A. Keith, The Boston Real Estate Blogger. The route is approximately 10 miles through almost every neighborhood in downtown Boston starting in the Back Bay, cruising through the South End, Midtown, Ladder District, Leather District, Seaport, Waterfront, North End and finally ending up the Charlestown Navy Yard. The run will highlight 20 of the top real estate condominium developments in downtown Boston.
Through a joint production between condoDomain’s Virtuale Films & Turn Here, Inc. we have produced a 5 minute video highlighting the run, the benefit and 20 of the most exciting lifestyle condominium developments in-town. Watch The Run

To-date we have raised over $10,000 to support both of these shelters. Help us raise the bar to $25,000!

Creative Marketing? Viral Video? Maybe, but we did have a ton of fun and got to meet some great people at the shelters! We hope you enjoy our film and thank you for visiting!

Watch The Run

Support the Cause!

….. and let us know how we did below!!!

Watch the movie on YOUTUBE too!!!

Our trust Google Alerts provided us with some great condo articles for today.

1. Manhattan is still an Island (New York Observer) Comparing this condo market to ultra markets like Tokyo & Paris and not to brethren Americana like Chicago Condos or Boston Condos.

2. Manhattan Apartment Prices Rise 3.2%, Sidestep U.S. Declines (Bloomberg) Manhattan apartment prices rose 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, the smallest annual gain in a decade, as the country’s most expensive urban real estate market sidestepped declines in the rest of the U.S.

3. Webcam provides view of project’s progress (Orlando Sentential) With investor-owners located worldwide, from Ireland to South America, The Point Orlando Resort near the Orange County Convention Center faced a challenge in keeping buyers updated on progress of the two condo-hotel towers now rising near Wet ‘n Wild.

4. Developming a Condo Hotel (Condo Hotel Center)Why the sudden proliferation of condo hotels? The main reason is that they make good financial sense for the developer in a variety of ways. Construction loans for condo hotels are often cheaper and easier to obtain than hotel construction loans. Condo hotels allow the risks inherent in property development to be spread to the individual condo unit owners.

5. Ownit Mortgage Files Bankruptcy (Chron)Ownit Mortgage Solutions Inc., a subprime mortgage lender, filed for bankruptcy last Thursday, just a few weeks after it stopped making new loans. — NO SURPIRSE HERE…maybe Wells is next

6. Connecting Home Buyers Dot Com (Website) Looks pretty serious…its either going to be a killer website or a blockbuster hit…either way its coming in 2007!!! (and it will be at Inman next week)

Luxury Market by way of Chicago Tribune.

This has been a good year to buy a mansion.

Fortune magazine, in its annual tally of the nation’s priciest home sales, declared 2006 to be “a banner year” for such properties, pegging the average price on its Top 10 list at $40 million, compared to $35 million last year.  Continued…

W South Beach Hotel & Residences Closes $370 Million Construction Loan to Build in the Heart of The Magic City by Way of Yahoo Finance

RFR Holding and Tristar Capital announced the closing of $370 million in construction financing to build the new W South Beach Hotel & Residences in the cultural heart of Miami Beach. Hypo Real Estate Capital Corporation is providing financing for construction of the 750,000 square foot, 20-story luxury condo-hotel. The financing of the building is the third loan that RFR Holding has received from Hypo Real Estate Capital and is the single-largest project loan in the Company’s history.  Continued…

Developer Unveils $3.6B Project Concept (Philadelphia) by way of GlobeSt.
A partnership between locally based World Acquisition Partners and Patriot Parking Corp. has closed on the acquisition of an 8.5-acre L-shape parcel along JFK Boulevard between 20th Street and the Schuylkill River. The JV has unveiled plans for Philadelphia River City, a mixed-use complex that would encompass 12 million sf of residential, office and retail at an estimated cost of $3.6 billion.  Continued…