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Montreal hotel tops Expedia list in Canada based on customer reviews.
un sujet a posté bxlmontreal dans L'actualité
Montreal hotel tops Expedia list in Canada based on customer reviews. MONTREAL - A Old Montreal hotel boasting an art collection featuring works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Marc Chagall has topped Expedia's annual list of the best Canadian hotels. LHotel, on St. Jacques St. near the Palais des congrès, scored highest in 2011 in Expedia customer reviews, the online travel agency says. The hotel, which opened in 2001, occupies an 1870 building that first served as the head office of the Montreal City and District Savings Bank. Artworks are displayed in public areas and guest rooms of the property. Other top-rated Canadian hotels on the Expedia.ca list: Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre, Whistler-Blackcomb, B.C.; Four Seasons Vancouver; Prince George Hotel, Halifax; and Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier, North Vancouver, B.C. The No. 1 hotel in the world, according to Expedia, was Marrol's Boutique Hotel in Bratislava, Slovakia. In the world ranking, LHotel placed 59th. The global list identifies the top hotels available on Expedia based on quality and value scores. http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Montreal+hotel+tops+Expedia+list+Canada+based+customer/6887262/story.html -
20 millions investis dans l'hôtel Omni Mont-Royal Publié le 05 avril 2012 à 08h26 | Mis à jour le 05 avril 2012 à 08h26 https://content.invisioncic.com/d324915/imageproxy/488084.jpg.d486af818733fb12ee78db26daaf4500.jpg Photo fournie par Omni Maxime Bergeron La Presse (Montréal) L'hôtel Omni Mont-Royal subira sa première rénovation majeure depuis son ouverture en 1976, a appris La Presse Affaires. Le propriétaire de l'établissement du centre-ville de Montréal - la chaîne Omni Hotel & Resorts - investira 20 millions de dollars pour rénover de fond en comble les 299 chambres, de même que le hall. Un bar sera aussi aménagé, et un rideau de fenêtres sera construit en façade, rue Sherbrooke. «Quand on regarde le marché de Montréal, toute notre concurrence a rénové: il était grand temps qu'on rénove nous aussi», a fait valoir Dominique Lapointe, directrice générale. L'hôtel quatre étoiles a été bâti il y a près de 40 ans par la chaîne Four Seasons, et de nombreux éléments, dont le mobilier, dataient encore des années 70. Le groupe Omni a quelque peu rafraîchi le décor lorsqu'il a racheté l'établissement en 1999, mais il s'agira de la première transformation de fond en comble. Mme Lapointe promet un environnement luxueux, où le marbre sera utilisé en abondance. Les travaux ont commencé en janvier et devraient se terminer à la fin de mai.
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Même si notre hôtel de ville actuel est très beau, l'ancien était splendide. Construction on the building began in 1872 and was completed in 1878. The building was gutted by fire in March 1922, leaving only the outer wall and destroying much of the city's historic records. Source : http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/archives/democratie/democratie_en/expo/reformistes-populistes/construction/piece1/index.shtm Source et texte entier : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_City_Hall Après l'incendie : http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/archives/democratie/democratie_en/expo/reformistes-populistes/construction/piece12/index.shtm
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Relance du Mont Orford: un hôtel et des lofts verts Publié le 09 mai 2011 à 05h00 | Mis à jour le 09 mai 2011 à 08h59 * Hélène Baril La Presse (Montréal) Des lofts aux murs de verre, complètement autonomes en énergie, équipés de lits et de baignoires sur rails qui peuvent sortir dehors par beau temps. De drôles d'habitations apparaîtront au pied du mont Orford. «Et il y aura des vélos qui produiront de l'électricité pour avoir accès à l'internet», ajoute Alain Chagnon, président du Vertendre, entreprise immobilière qui participe à une autre tentative de relance du mont Orford. Le Vertendre et Gestion Soroma, la société qui gère le centre de ski et le club de golf au nom du gouvernement québécois, sont devenus récemment propriétaires de 20% de ces deux actifs. L'autre actionnaire est la MRC de Memphrémagog, qui a acquis pour 1$ une part de 80% de la nouvelle société d'économie mixte créée pour tenter de donner un nouveau souffle à cette station touristique qui a connu plus que sa part de déboires depuis sa création, il y a 70 ans. C'est une occasion qu'attend depuis très longtemps Alain Chagnon, dont la famille a déjà réalisé plusieurs projets immobiliers dans la région immédiate du mont Orford. Depuis 2004, les Chagnon ont réuni 1000 acres de terrains au pied de la montagne, un secteur qu'ils ont commencé à aménager sous le nom de Vertendre. En s'associant avec la MRC de Memphrémagog, ils ont obtenu ce qui leur manquait pour continuer ce lotissement: un lien qui reliera leur secteur au domaine skiable, sur le versant ouest de la montagne. Ce lien fera débloquer des investissements d'une dizaine de millions de dollars dans de nouvelles activités de plein air, mais surtout dans l'immobilier, a fait savoir M. Chagnon lors d'un entretien avec La Presse Affaires. «On pense à 900 unités d'habitation au total», dit Alain Chagnon. En plus des 200 lofts accrochés à la montagne, il y aura des maisons individuelles et un hôtel de 200 chambres, le tout construit dans le respect de la nature et de l'environnement. Cet hôtel pourrait être géré par le Club Med. «Le Club Med a toujours un intérêt dans le projet», affirme le promoteur. L'autre intéressé par le projet d'hôtel est l'artiste Heinz Julen, qui a conçu l'hôtel Backstage de Zermatt, en Suisse. L'hôtelier qui s'associera au Vertendre ne misera ni sur les bars ni sur les discothèques pour attirer des clients, assure Alain Chagnon. «Plutôt sur les cerfs et les porcs-épics», dit-il. Qui paiera? La MRC de Memphrémagog a retenu une seule des trois propositions qui lui ont été faites pour relancer le mont Orford, celles du Vertendre et de Gestion Soroma. Les deux autres groupes intéressés ont été disqualifiés parce qu'ils n'ont pas réussi à réunir 1,5 million en garantie. Les deux offres rejetées sont celles de la Coopérative de solidarité du Mont-Orford, regroupement local, et de Camp Fortune, entreprise qui exploite une station de plein air dans l'Outaouais. Contre leur 1,5 million, Vertendre et Gestion Soroma ont obtenu 20% d'une entreprise dont les actifs sont estimés à 7,5 millions et dont la MRC est l'actionnaire majoritaire. C'est donc à la MRC que revient la responsabilité de préserver l'intégrité du territoire du parc national du Mont-Orford. Il n'y aura ni constructions, ni nouvelles pistes de ski, ni rien d'autre sur le territoire du parc, qui est protégé, affirme Guy Joron, directeur général de MRC. Rien, à part les «quelques pylônes» nécessaires au lien vers le Vertendre, précise-t-il. Le coût des projets d'aménagement de la station touristique sera assumé par la société d'économie mixte qui, en tant que propriétaire d'actifs estimés à 7,5 millions et sans aucune dette, pourra emprunter les fonds nécessaires. Alain Chagnon ajoute que la société pourra profiter des programmes gouvernementaux d'aide à l'investissement. Il ne prévoit pas de conflit entre les intérêts collectifs de la MRC et les intérêts privés du Vertendre et de Gestion Soroma. «Si on y trouve notre compte, tout le monde y trouvera son compte», espère-t-il. Parce qu'il vit et travaille dans la région et que ses enfants vont à l'école du coin, Alain Chagnon se dit prêt à prendre plus de risques qu'un promoteur de l'extérieur. «Si on perd de l'argent pendant deux ans, je ne vais pas m'en aller ailleurs», assure-t-il. Après la faillite et les disputes, les projets de vente et de privatisation qui n'ont pas abouti, le gouvernement du Québec a finalement réussi à se débarrasser du problème du mont Orford. Une ère nouvelle commencera le 1er juin, date à laquelle la société d'économie mixte commencera officiellement ses activités.
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I wish I was able to take pictures of the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the MET, but security was like rabid pit bulls The second day I was there, I ended up walking the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. From there did downtown, filmed Obama motorcade walked on the West side along the Hudson back to my hotel in Time Square (zigzagging down different streets). After that walked from the hotel all the way along the Hudson River up to 96th, to 110th (Oh yah, around this time some women had her wallet stolen, luckily 20 guys from that neighbourhood ended up chasing the kid down.). Walked through the park back to the MET, which is at like 82nd. From there went back to the hotel which was at 47th. Since all that walking, my knees are screwed up One thing, this trip to NY was a disaster but it was still fun.
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Quartier DIX30, phase 3 (Brossard) - 100M$
un sujet a posté monctezuma dans Projets oubliés et/ou en suspens
Quartier DIX30 : 100 millions $ pour la phase 3 13 janvier 2011 | 14h47 Alexandre Lampron Agence QMI La construction de la phase 3 du Quartier DIX30, à Brossard, commencera en février et comprendra un nouvel hôtel, une clinique privée et un cabaret de 300 places. Sa construction doit se terminer à l’été 2012 et nécessitera des investissements d’environ 100 millions $. « La phase 3 comptera en tout une soixantaine de boutiques et de restaurants et occupera une superficie qui pourrait avoisiner les 65 000 mètres carrés. Nous sommes à l’étape de la planification afin de déterminer un échéancier précis », a indiqué Brian Fahey, président de la firme de consultation en urbanisme Fahey & associés. Parmi les bannières confirmées, les magasins Germain Larivière et Best Buy feront leur entrée au Quartier DIX30. Ils seront les principaux locataires d’un nouveau bâtiment de15 700 mètres carrés qui qui sera érigé à proximité du Centre sportif Bell. Selon M. Fahey, un investissement minimal de 12 millions $ sera nécessaire pour l’érection de ce bâtiment dont la construction doit débuter « sous peu », car les ententes ont déjà été conclues. La phase 3 inclut également la construction d’un nouvel hôtel « haut de gamme » dont le nom n’a pas été indiqué. En septembre 2007, un Hôtel ALT avait déjà ouvert ses portes au Quartier DIX30. Le nom de la clinique privée n’a pas non plus été précisé. Le montant des investissements et la superficie du cabaret de 300 places n’ont pas encore été divulgués, car le projet doit au préalable être soumis à la firme Devimco pour approbation finale. Le tout devrait se faire au cours des prochaines semaines. Une zone de stationnement de 2000 places est également prévue -
Toronto et Montréal, vues par des touristes anglais.... http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/travel/north-america/2010/12/18/the-big-maple-lawrence-goldsmith-samples-the-delights-of-a-canadian-adventure-115875-22791873/
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2 images du projet et une photo du terrain arrière avec l'hospice St.Margaret. Un nouveau projet a été proposé en 2007 : http://www.mtlurb.com/forums/showthread.php/18998 Qui a aussi été annulé. Finalement, en 2011, ce projet a été inauguré : http://www.mtlurb.com/forums/showthread.php/19043
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http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/actualites-en-societe/314084/une-nouvelle-vie-pour-la-maison-notman
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Fri, 11/12/2010 - 19:33 A construction crew in the south-central Chinese city of Changsha has completed a 15-story hotel in just six days. Yahoo Check the U-Tube video...Freaked -out!! http://content.the-lefthander.com/drupal/aggregator/categories/2?page=3 :dizzy::applause: -
J'espère qu'il n'y avait pas déjà un sujet sur ces rénovations... Il semble que l'hôtel Hyatt soit en train d'effectuer des rénovations. Pas grand chose à voir pour le moment: Par contre, la palissade affiche un slogan intéressant:
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American Bar Association touristic tips for their members : the usual stuff.
un sujet a posté yarabundi dans L'actualité
Lawyer’s Survival Guide to Montreal By Larry Markowitz Montreal is the most European of North America’s cities, blessed with a joie de vivre that makes a visit worth your while at any time of the year. Although the majority of Montrealers are French-speaking, English-speaking visitors will have no problem getting by, especially if those visitors begin their conversations with a courteous “bonjour.” Entertainment Montrealers enjoy life. Lunches are longer, foods are tastier, and the seasons are filled with festivals of all sorts. In the summer, Montreal is renowned for its international jazz festival, featuring hundreds of free outdoor shows, as well as its comedy festival, known as the “Cannes of comedy.” Many a Hollywood sitcom star has been discovered by the talent scouts who frequent the Just for Laughs comedy fest. Even during its cold and snowy winters, Montreal holds festivals such as February’s Montreal High Lights Festival, which features performances, gastronomy, and activities for the whole family. Of course, one cannot ignore Montrealers’ passion for their Montreal Canadiens hockey club, which sells out the 21,000-seat Bell Centre for nearly every home game. Hockey is like a religion for the people of this city. Many local drivers fly a Canadiens’ flag from their automobile, as they encourage the “Habs” to win their twenty-fifth Stanley Cup. During the summer, the hometown 2009 Grey Cup-champion Alouettes of the Canadian Football League play their home games in the open-air Percival Molson Stadium located on the slopes of Mount Royal, the mountain in the center of this island city, from which Montreal takes its name. Visitors who are less interested in sports can visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Montreal museum of contemporary art (Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal) or the leading-edge Canadian Centre for Architecture. Alternatively, visitors may simply go for a stroll atop Mount Royal, along tree-lined pathways designed in the 19th century by Frederick Law Olmsted, who is best known for designing New York’s Central Park. The pathways of the Old Port along the Saint Lawrence River and the narrow cobblestone streets of adjacent Old Montreal are also pleasant places for a walk, especially when the weather is warm. Visitors from the United Sates should remember to bring their passports, as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency now requires a passport to be presented by all those entering (or re entering) the United States. A taxi ride to downtown Montreal from Trudeau Airport costs C$38 (approximately US$36 at the current exchange rate of C$1 = US$0.96) and usually takes less than 30 minutes. Once you’ve arrived in the city center, you’ll discover that Montreal is a very walkable place, with its “underground city” that links numerous office towers, shopping malls, and hotels and provides shelter from inclement weather. Because of its four major universities, three of which are located in the downtown area, and the fact that many residents both live and work downtown, the central core retains an active vibe at all hours of the day and night. The city also features a safe and visually appealing subway (metro) system. For those in a rush, taxis are plentiful, readily available, and quite affordable. Montreal is one of the oldest cities in the “new world.” Old Montreal, the area adjacent to the Old Port, has the largest concentration of 17th, 18th and 19th century architecture in North America. Those buildings are well-maintained and in them, one can find quaint boutique hotels and fine dining restaurants. Accommodations In addition to the boutique hotels, downtown Montreal also has all the usual chain hotels that meet the needs of business travelers and are located in proximity to the office towers that house Montreal’s law firms and corporate head offices. For a trendy boutique hotel in Old Montreal with exposed brick walls in your room, try the Hotel Nelligan (http://www.hotelnelligan.com). If you wish to be pampered in the same chateau-like surroundings as Madonna and the Rolling Stones, try the ultra sumptuous Hotel Le St-James (http://www.hotellestjames.com). For a major downtown business hotel, try the Queen Elizabeth. As an added bonus, 1960’s pop-culture history buffs will be interested to learn that room 1742 of the “Queen E.” was the site of 1969’s famous “Bed-in for Peace” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, during which they recorded their timeless song “Give Peace a Chance” (http://www.fairmont.com/EN_FA/Property/QEH/). Farther uptown and closer to the shopping of Sherbrooke Street (Montreal’s “Fifth Avenue”), and not far from Sainte-Catherine Street, Canada’s busiest shopping thoroughfare, is the luxurious Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile (http://www.sofitelmontreal.com). Dining For cuisine, Montreal’s multiethnic population, combined with its residents’ propensity for going out to dinner, has resulted in a multitude of high-quality restaurants, featuring every imaginable type of food. In fact, Montreal lays claim to having the most restaurants per capita of any North American city. At the basic end of the food spectrum, some local dishes that you might want to sample include poutine, a surprisingly tasty artery-blocking concoction of French fries and melted cheese curds doused in thick brown gravy. You should also sample a smoked meat sandwich with a side-order of kosher dill pickle at Schwartz’s on “The Main” (aka Saint-Laurent Boulevard, which is the traditional dividing line between the more anglophone western half of the city and the more francophone eastern half). Montreal smoked meat is a uniquely spiced and tender smoked brisket that is hand-sliced and served on rye bread with mustard. After sampling a smoked meat sandwich, stop by either Saint Viateur Bagel or Fairmount Bagel for a uniquely Montreal tender hand-rolled bagel, cooked to perfection in a traditional wood-burning oven. There’s no rush to buy your bagels, as both of these institutions remain open 24/7. For more sophisticated cuisine, the absolute top of the top include Toqué! and Club Chasse et Pêche. A top-rated genuine French bistro experience may be had, without the need to fly to Paris, by dining at L'Express, located on Saint Denis Street, a broad avenue lined with numerous eateries. It has been said that Montrealers work to live, rather than the other way around. Hopefully, your travels will give you the opportunity to experience some of the joie de vivre of this “Paris on the Saint Lawrence” sometime soon! Larry Markowitz (larry.markowitz@mcmillan.ca) is a partner in the Montreal office of McMillan LLP. His practice focuses on securities law and competition/antitrust law. http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/pubs/Montreal/montrealLSG10.html Drôle de hasard : je ne connaissais pas le restaurant Club Chasse & Pêche jusqu'à ce que j'y reconduisse huit de mes clients pour la première fois il y a deux jours !! -
http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Grand+Plaza+hotel+shuts+doors/3633909/story.html [sTREETVIEW]http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=45.518145,-73.567035&num=1&t=h&sll=45.546981,-73.642344&sspn=0.018805,0.062013&ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=45.518051,-73.56697&panoid=2VUOMSEo3-GQUABb5zEK8A&cbp=12,341.92,,0,-31.42&ll=45.518136,-73.583336&spn=0.02138,0.054932&z=15[/sTREETVIEW] [MAPS]http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=45.518145,-73.567035&num=1&t=h&sll=45.546981,-73.642344&sspn=0.018805,0.062013&ie=UTF8&ll=45.518045,-73.566964&spn=0.005375,0.013733&z=17[/MAPS]
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Hot new Vdara hotel might be a little bit TOO hot Bill Pintas was vacationing in Las Vegas when he decided to stay at the swank new Vdara hotel, a curvy 57-story tower owned by MGM Resorts. He was sitting at the pool when he encountered something alarming. He recalls, "I'm sitting there in the chair and all of the sudden my hair and the top of my head are burning. I'm rubbing my head and it felt like a chemical burn. I couldn't imagine what it could be." Like an ant under a magnifying glass, he remembers running to an umbrella, but being unable to escape the hot light. He recalls, "I used to live in Miami and I've sat in the sun in Las Vegas 100 times. I know what a hot sun feels like and this was not it. My first inclination was thinking: Jesus we've destroyed the ozone layer because I am burning." Speaking with employees, he was alarmed to find out that the hotel staff was aware of the situation. He recalls, "They're kind of giggling and say: 'Yeah, we know. We call it the death ray." The "death ray" appears to be created by the glass surface of the hotel itself -- acting as a concentrating parabolic dish -- similar to those used to heat water to a boil in solar power systems. The dish concentrates light on a 10-foot by 15-foot hot zone moving across the pool. Temperatures in this area spike 20 degrees Fahrenheit -- or more. Bill Pintas saw his plastic newspaper bag literally begin to melt. The bag -- composed of polyethylene -- is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. And the employees recall seeing plastic cups -- which have a melting point of 160 degrees Fahrenheit – actually melting. Other guests, including newspaper reviewers, have also observed the burning beam. The hotel management doesn't call it a "death ray", they prefer the more friendly distinction "solar convergence phenomenon". Gordon Absher, a spokesman for MGM Mirage says the hotel is addressing the problem, and comments, "Because of the curved, concave shape of that hotel, they sometimes get isolated pockets of high temperatures." The hotel is baffled by how to solve the problem of the "death ray", though. When initially constructing the building, they anticipated the issue and put a coating over the glass that absorbs 70 percent of the daytime sunlight. However, that was not enough to reduce its painful effects. And the ray sweeps across a wide area, making it hard to protect a specific region. Comments Mr. Absher, "This is quite literally an astronomical challenge," Absher said. "We are dealing with a moving target." The mishap in architecture isn't as glaring as some of history's most notable mistakes -- such as the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge, but it is pretty extraordinary. It serves as a reminder that while many take the science and engineering of designing massive skyscrapers for granted these days, it remains a tricky business. It looks like the Vdara may have exposed the wrong guest to the death ray, though -- Mr. Pintas is a Chicago-based lawyer. http://www.dailytech.com/Hotel+Accidentally+Makes+Solar+Death+Ray+Burns+Lawyer/article19756.htm -
Avis de la Ville de Montreal http://applicatif.ville.montreal.qc.ca/som-fr/pdf_avis/pdfav10283.pdf The location and picture of the pukey building that will fall to the demo ball!!Yeah go to google maps and put in 1221 Hôtel de Ville, Montreal and see the building that is there now beurk!! The architectural firm is the following: I cannot find any renderings ..the site just seems to run a spool of the same images over and over... http://www.ateliervap.com/1/index.html :goodvibes:
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Hotel Crescent.
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Discussion portant sur l'ancien Hôtel Laurentien.
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- On peu voir le Queen's Hotel sur la rue Peel, coin Saint-Jacques, et l'annexe à coté. Démolition de l'annexe:
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Les projects Altoria et Waldorf Astoria Hotel sont mentionne dans cette article,que j'ai trouver tres interessante. MONTREAL – On the gutted eighth storey of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Andrew Torriani walks across white marble floors turned grey from dust. But despite the renovations under way, Torriani, president and CEO of the historic Ritz-Carlton Montreal, can imagine the hardwood floors, glass walls and marble finishes to come. After being delayed a year, and suffering $30 million in extra costs, he says, the Ritz's über-luxury residence and 130-room hotel project - when complete - will stand above the city's array of existing high-end condominiums. "It's the details - details you wouldn't have believed existed," Torriani said while touting the benefits of Ritz ownership to a reporter this week. The Ritz's 46-unit residence - to open about winter 2011 - follows the injection of nearly 280 other high-end condo units into the city since 2007. Plus, Monit Investments insists its plans for a $200-million downtown Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residence, with 100 condos and 225 hotel rooms, will go ahead near the corner of Sherbrooke and Guy Sts. These condos, which can cost millions of dollars per apartment, are developers' response to a robust market, aging demographics and rock-bottom interest rates that have incited buyers to upgrade their homes. Some hail the trend as a boon for Montreal as it lures the elite back to the city. Former SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. CEO Guy Saint-Pierre bought one downtown, while Bombardier Inc. Chairman Laurent Beaudoin was considering a condo at the posh Sir George Simpson. But several real estate agents, brokers and developers interviewed by The Gazette question how many luxury condos Montreal can sustain above the key $500 a square foot price point. "We really believe there is a limit in Montreal to the sale of condos over $500,000," said Richard Hylands, president of Kevric Real Estate Corp. which is building the more modest 115-condo Altoria project near Old Montreal. "Basically we're offering a very good product. We're not selling indoor golf or an indoor theatre. The people we are selling to want quality but not high condo fees." Real estate observers say the proof is in the for-sale signs. Despite offering striking views, private terrasses and hotel-style amenities, half of the 10 penthouses at Le Roc Fleuri on Drummond St. are empty - even though most of the 140-unit building is sold out. Meanwhile, five of the 31 condos at the Sir George Simpson building are for sale. Since late 2008, the Ritz project has sold 17 of its 46 units. "I think there is an over-supply of high-end condos in Montreal," said Pierre Laliberté, a specialist in condos with the real estate consulting firm Altus Group Ltd. "When you try to sell a condo for $1 million for more, there aren't a lot of buyers." Veteran real estate agent, JJ Jacobs, president of JJ Jacobs Realty Inc., agreed: "The $1,000 a square foot market is a high market for Montreal," she said. "There have been some very big sales, but it's only so deep. "Personally I don't know how many more the city can hold." Condo prices haven't dropped, however, because Montreal developers tend to have deep enough pockets to absorb the cost of the empty units, Laliberté said. Recently, Montreal's high-end condo market has exploded with a handful of new buildings going up between 2006 and last year. Many were bought by aging empty nesters eager to exchange their houses for the convenience of a condo. "There's going to be a portion of those buyers who are going to enjoy the downtown and they have the resources to do it," said Alan Marcovitz, president and chairman of the Westcliff Group of Companies, which built the sold-out Beaux arts condominiums on Sherbrooke St. Even during a time of economic crisis, Montreal's resilient real estate market coupled with low interest rates, also motivated third and fourth time buyers to upgrade, Marcovitz said. And with the economy improving, demand hasn't dwindled despite plans to slowly raise interest rates, he said. "Your typical buyer is in a significantly better position today than a year ago." But most developers agree that few buyers of ultra high-end condos worry about interest rates. "The challenge is finding the right buyers," said Daniel Lalonde, sales and marketing director for Le Roc Fleuri. "We have a limited pool." In Montreal, wealthy buyers have a wide choice of homes - either condos or houses. "They (high-end condos) sell, but you must really satisfy the buyers and this is a very discriminating clientèle," said Normand Lépine, vice-president of Groupe Lépine, which built Sir George Simpson, among other high-end buildings. "The developer shouldn't under-estimate the amount of effort required. You must really have the right project." Among the basics, high-end condo buildings feature a 24-hour doorman, indoor pool, and spa or massage room. Residents of the Ritz, the Crystal de la Montagne, and the Roc Fleuri's penthouses, have the added option of ordering in room service, getting their dry cleaning delivered, or even having a light bulb changed. The Ritz project - which will cost up to $150 million including key indirect expenses - offers residents a private concierge. It also has a back-up power system able to run the building at virtually full capacity in the event of a electricity failure, said Torriani, whose Monaco Luxury Hotel Management Co. is a risk-sharing partner in the Ritz project. But sales at the Ritz - which closed as a hotel in 2008 - started slowly as the recession discouraged prospective customers. Both the Roc Fleuri and the Ritz have attracted a significant number of foreigners - and these buyers feared for their stock portfolios and the future of Montreal's real estate market. "They postponed their plans," said the Roc Fleuri's Lalonde. "It reduced the amount of visits I got from out of town buyers." Faced with the recession and unexpected construction problems - workers discovered asbestos deep within the Ritz's walls - Torriani decided to revamp his plans on a more grandiose scale. To boost sales he brought in Liza Kaufman, a star real estate agent and managing director of Sotheby's International Realty Québec. While 2009 started off slowly, Kaufman said business at the Ritz has picked up. "If the building was already constructed I would have sold out yesterday," she said. Kaufman, who has sold countless multi-million dollar homes said Montreal is more attractive to foreign buyers than locals realize. "I think the market is evolving," she said. "We have to understand that our city has a lot to offer." Torriani said he isn't worried about a lack of local buyers with the financial means to live at the Ritz, which has an 8,000 square foot penthouse listed for $12 million. Indeed, Torriani left his job as Air Canada's director of human resources, to run the Ritz, where he once worked summer jobs as a dishwasher and waiter. His family, including veteran hotelier Marco Torriani, has a vast stake in the project's success. Before leaving the Ritz's construction site this week, Torriani passes by a swathe of blue and cream brocade wallpaper and wood panelling outside the 98-year-old hotel's former boardroom. The room, along with the hotel's façade will be preserved - vestiges of the Ritz's opening in 1912, when the city was booming and its status as "the Paris of North America" wasn't yet a cliché. Torriani insists that today's economic climate - including the success of the Cirque du Soleil and "Quebec Inc." companies - is equally ripe for the Ritz's reopening, both as a high-end hotel and as a residence. "I think we've seen a resurgence in the last five years or so," he said. "Montreal has a lot more wealthy people than you would expect." alampert@ thegazette.canwest.com Join Allison Lampert at our blog Inc. Ink for a tour of the Roc Fleuri's most expensive condo and see what $9.5 million will buy. http://www.montrealgazette.com/story_print.html?id=2759239&sponsor=
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Like Madonna: Get in Touch with Your Masculinity in Montreal
un sujet a posté jesseps dans L'actualité
(Courtesy of Luxist) -
Projet d'hôtel de luxe de 20 étages sur le site de l'ancienne maison hantée, rue de Bleury.
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We ended up with the Hotel De la Montagne instead. This monstrocity would have had first 4 floors of shopping, next 5 floors of parking, the 4 floors of office space and then 4 floors of apts.
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1 image 50 storey 952 room hotel and 40 storey office tower proposed by Concordia developments between La Gauchetiere and St-Antoine in 1972.
