The new Granduca Luxury Hotel in uptown park is fabulous! Italian-born, Houston-based developer, Giorgio Borlenghi, re-created the privilege and ambience of an Italian palace with Uptown Houston’s newest luxury residential hotel, Granduca or “Grand Duke.” Ranging in size up to three bedroom suites, and offered by the day, week, month, or year, all residences come fully-furnished and include separate living and dining areas, full-service kitchens, spacious baths, and walk-in closets. Along with the upscale touches of home come the amenities of a five-star hotel, including a pool, library, lounge, and fitness center. Granduca is a premier residential condominium-style home with many features of a five-star hotel, furnished and totally equipped, that can be leased by the day, week, or month.

Experience the finest hotel accommodations and the unparalleled hotel services of Granduca Luxury Residential Hotel in Houston, Texas. Ideally situated on Houston’s upscale Uptown Park Boulevard at Post Oak Boulevard in the Galleria area, Granduca Hotel has six stories and features 130 luxurious guest rooms and suites, all with exquisite European décor and the most distinctive atmosphere for an unforgettable experience. As a newly-constructed hotel with modern amenities, discover Granduca’s intimate and elegant world in the heart of Uptown Houston.

• Ambience of an upscale Italian Villa
• Located across from the Uptown Park – Houston’s European-style shopping center
• Minutes from the well-known Houston Galleria
• Conveniently located near Houston’s Theater District, The Texas Medical Center, Houston’s Museum District
• Multilingual staff
• Concierge, valet and housekeeping services available 24 hours
• Twice-daily housekeeping services provided
• Complimentary valet parking for all guests
• Complimentary transportation within a 3 mile radius
• Additional chauffeured transportation available upon request
• Complimentary wireless internet access throughout the hotel as well as hard-wire connection in guest rooms
• Health club with state-of-the-art fitness equipment; personal trainer available
• Event and meeting rooms available for hotel guests
• Complimentary continental breakfast served daily
• Hors d’oevres and refreshments served in Granduca’s “Club Malatesta”
• Catered in-room dining available
• Same-day laundry and dry-cleaning services available
• Complimentary shoeshine service
• Granduca Boutique and retail shop
• Heated outdoor pool and spa
• Billiard Room/Library
• Interior design by Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield

Granduca is located at 1080 Uptown Park Blvd., Houston, TX 77056; 713-GRANDUCA or 1-888-GRANDUCA. Click here to download Granduca’s brochure.

7 Riverway has the most luxurious apartment living you can get in Houston.  It’s the kind of luxury high-rise living that’s more common in cities like New York.  It’s the most exclusive, high-end rental community in the city. The developer is Hanover Company.  Residents are expected to include high-net-worth families waiting for a new home to be built, corporate executives in town on a temporary assignment and area homeowners who want to simplify their lifestyles. The swanky structure is a cross between an apartment tower and luxury boutique hotel.
The high-rise has a bell captain, personal fitness trainer, events planner, 24-hour concierge service and round-the-clock valet service. Also available is 24-hour room service provided by the Omni Hotel, 7 Riverway’s nearby neighbor. Menu items from Noé, the Omni Hotel’s restaurant, are also available by delivery during restaurant hours. In addition, fine-dining establishment Cafe Annie will deliver lunch and dinner items to 7 Riverway residents.

Residents also have access to all-you-can-drink Starbucks coffee. And Hanover made a deal to bring in a collection of specialty chocolates from Dylan’s Candy Bar, a gourmet candy store owned by Dylan Lauren, daughter of famed fashion designer Ralph Lauren.
A home theater room that has space for 20 people goes beyond the typical stadium-seating arrangement. The two-level room features couches and chairs that are designed to emulate a living-room setting.

Residents also have access to a high-end conference room, large banquet room, private dining room that seats 12, catering kitchen, wine room, fitness area and indoor lounge by the sixth-floor pool.

The residential units have top-notch finishes in addition to 10-foot ceilings, walls of windows, custom lighting, accent walls and spa-style master bathrooms. The gourmet kitchens feature a large island, granite counters, dark-wood cabinets and tile backsplashes. Each unit also comes with a full-sized washer and dryer.

Apartments in 7 Riverway range in size from 1,088 square feet to 2,302 square feet, and rent for $1,900 to $5,100 per month.  There will be 175 units.

Clients began moving into the upscale property — located in the Riverway office complex — on Nov. 1. The complete build-out will not be finished until early 2007.

If you would like a detail report with floorplans along with pricing and availability contact us and we can email you a brochure and plans.

Click here to schedule an appointment or call Margie Kaplan at (281) 463-6365.

Tom Fatjo, developer of the Houstonian Resort, Spa and Fitness Center in Houston, TX, is developing (and soon to break ground) a destination resort in Hunt, TX west of San Antonio, on prime Texas Hill Country land along the Guadalupe River. The Resort will consist of 60 luxury villas and 11 estate homes built on 100 acres of the 550 acre ranch. The villas all highlight spectacular views of the Hill Country by incorporating the indoor/outdoor space with an Old World meets Old West by using massive walls, stone, heavy timber, tile roofs, standing seam roofs, paseos (open breezeways), huge verandas with fireplaces and much more.

It will have be one of the first environmentally friendly, all “green” resorts. This will be possible by using an advanced adobe construction technique in combination with many environmentally friendly materials. These materials will compliment the new floor plans and make wonderful use of space while maximizing the sensational views from some of the highest points in the Hill Country. The resort will also feature a lodge, restaurant and bar, spa, infinity edge pool complex, meeting and event facilities and an assortment of recreational activities including full river access, tennis and golf access at one of the top 50 private courses in Texas. Villas can either be used as a primary residence, or as a vacation property including the opportunity to have villas managed for rental.

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$125 million world and $70 million US home sale records still unbroken

 (1/7/06 Houston, Texas)   From New York City to Malibu and Palm Beach, the 2006 US real estate market boasted at least ten buyers willing to pay $28 million or more for high-end residences. 

Topping the year’s list of  most expensive homes sold in the US was a 63-acre estate with a 10,000 sq. ft. mansion just five miles from Manhattan in Alpine, NJ.  Advanced Photonix CEO Richard Kurtz bought the English-style residence with guest cottages, pool and tennis courts from Henry Clay Frick II for $58 million, a price substantially below last year’s record-setting $70 million sale of financier Ron Perelman’s Palm Beach Oceanfront estate. 

Neither sale comes close to the standing world record, a $125 million London mansion sold in 2004 to steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who ranked number five on this year’s Forbes list of billionaires, with an estimated net worth of $23.5 billion.  .

“Strong corporate profits, good news on Wall Street, and a global commodities boom helped grow fortunes and sparked a surge of demand for trophy homes in 2006,” said Margie Kaplan, Broker of MK Luxury Homes & Condos. “Final numbers aren’t in, but estimates are that the US’s 2006 sales of home priced at $5 million and above were up about 11% over 2005. 

“Record Wall Street bonuses will jump-start 2007 luxury sales in New York,” predicted Kaplan, “and, we’ll see spillover into other markets as well.”

Fortunes did grow in 2006 as demonstrated by the 18% growth in the number of the world’s billionaires, a list which now includes 793 names.  At least five current sellers of luxury homes are hoping these super-rich billionaires will step up to pay $100 million or more for homes in 2007. The priciest home for sale in the world –  Updown Court in Windlesham, England (near Windsor Castle) — has a whopping price tag of $139 million.  This spec-built home has 103 rooms, five pools, and a heated marble driveway.

Rounding out the list of $100 million dollar plus homes currently on the market, a Saudi Prince’s Aspen, Colorado retreat is listed at $135 million.  Donald Trump is offering a “decorator-ready” Palm Beach, Florida property for $125 million.  Those fancying a waterfront home in Istanbul, Turkey on the Bosporus Sea will find a $100 million home available there.   Another waterfront option is a $100 million estate with lovely views of Lake Tahoe.

“Fabulous homes are just one example of the luxury goods and services which are in demand,” said Kaplan, who specializes in the  Houston Texas Luxury Home Market. “This fall, Willem Kooning’s painting; ‘Woman III’ sold for a record $142.5 million, auction houses set art sales records, and yachts and private jet makers have waiting lists.  Around the world, from Russia to Great Britain, there is a super rich group with wants, needs and the wealth to satisfy those desires.”

Margie Kaplan of MK Luxury Homes & Condos, services the Texas luxury market focusing on Houston & Dallas markets.

Copper Lakes offers some really luxurious homes for under $600,000.00. The exclusive gated section has homes up to 1 million. The asking price for the home above is $589K.

To see more information on this home click here

Current inventory for sale in Copper Lakes

Waterfront Community!
In the heart of Northwest Houston lies a natural oasis for those who enjoy the serenity of open air and the song of rippling waters.

The sparkling swimming pools, invigorating hiking and biking trails, and pristine lakes await you in Copper Lakes. You’ll find life takes on a more relaxing feel in this master-planned community just off of Highway 6.

Taylor Woodrow homes in Copper Lakes

Trendmaker Homes in Copper Lakes