This week I toured a couple of our town’s newest luxury residences. The first was the new Hotel Ivy. Or is it Ivy Residences + Hotel? Either way, when it comes to the ubiquitous claim of “luxury living,” within the new walls surrounding and affixed to the historic the Ivy Tower, they got it right with this one. The hotel, after all, is the newest of Starwood’s Luxury Hotel Collection.
Impressive in lavish finishes were the massive hotel lobby, restaurant Porter & Frye (complete with a local celebrity chef), and the Spa Ivy Club (everyone received a complimentary bottle of Spa Ivy lotion!).
We toured a couple of the unfinished residences as well. The floor plans seem spacious, the windows are big, and the bathrooms should have an impressive wow factor. We’ll see how the amenities of the hotel work with the residents (like that mint on your pillow after a long day at the office).
This week I was also at an event at The Carlyle, and toured one of the six penthouses. Views from the 38th floor are long and left many lingering in awe. Complete with a fifth-floor roof-top pool, health club, business center, library and climate-controlled wine-tasting room, the Carlyle was the first of three luxury high-rises.
Phoenix on the River is the third, currently under construction and scheduled to be finished later this year. If the finished product looks anything like the renderings, it should be something special.
It all makes me wonder, however, what makes something luxury? For me, it’s the emotion that makes one feel special – whether it’s lush furniture in a wood-paneled library, an amazing view only a select few can afford, attentive and ready staff, or a mint on my pillow every night.
The other luxury buildings in Minneapolis can be found along the Mississippi in the Mill District. Adjacent to the Guthrie, I call it our Gold Coast. The finishes and views are beautiful in Humboldt Lofts, Washburn Lofts, Stone Arch Lofts and Northstar Lofts.
For just under a million bucks (to about $4 million), you too can live in Minneapolis luxury.
February 25, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Free lotion? Wow.
It does sound like an impressive development. A nice counter to The Carlyle. The $1 million+ market in downtown is fascinating.
February 26, 2008 at 8:53 am
Agreed, fascinating is a good word for it. Another good word – competitive.
Since January 1, 2006, 20 homes have sold for over $1 million (average price per square foot @ 455); currently there are 25 homes actively for sale with a seven-figure list price.
The following lists homes in buildings not mentioned above.
Bookmen Stacks #801, 1,030,000 – SOLD
Bridgewater #736, 1,250,000
The Cobalt #1003, 1,900,000
The Groveland #700, 1,177,997 – SOLD
International Market Square #1000, $1,299,900
La Riv, 1,350,000 – SOLD
The Landings, 1,450,000
Rock Island Lofts #709, 1,368,000 – SOLD
Rock Island Lofts #703, 1,399,000
Village Brownstone #3, 1,999,000
Village Brownstone #6, 1,695,000
Village Brownstone #9, 1,175,000 – SOLD
Village Brownstone #12, 1,099,500 – SOLD
The Whitney #500, 1,995,000
The Whitney #801, 2,800,000
The Whitney #601, 1,499,632 – SOLD
The Whitney #702, 1,150,000
The Whitney #301, 1,181,080 – SOLD
The Whitney #501, 1,408,900 – SOLD
Zenith #903, 1,070,000
March 6, 2008 at 8:30 am
[...] According to Minneapolis Guy / downtown Minneapolis condo Realtor, Matt Loskota, there are currently 25 units (condos and townhomes) in 7-figures on the market downtown. [...]