Four Seasons Luxury Condo Hotel | Downtown Denver

Good News for Denver!

2009-11-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

Press Release from the Downtown Denver Partnership:

Downtown Denver's 14^th Street will soon emerge has a vibrant pedestrian-oriented thoroughfare, thanks to the successful result of the November 3^rd election in which private property owners along the street voted to contribute $4 million to the overall $14 million cost of the streetscaping project through the formation of a general improvement district.

Through this public-private initiative, sidewalks will be expanded, encouraging outdoor seating and ground floor shopping and dining uses that will bolster the experience one has when walking down the street. Key elements include the addition of about 200 trees, as well as new flower planters, better "wayfinding" signage, crosswalk bulb-outs, improved pedestrian lighting, decorative street corner monuments, bike racks and enhanced maintenance. A dedicated bicycle lane will be added in the street and on-street parking will be retained.

14^thStreet is becoming known as the "Ambassador Street" due to the diversity of visitor-oriented uses found along this corridor, including the Colorado Convention Center, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the Hyatt Regency at Colorado Convention Center, and four other new or recently-constructed hotels. Altogether, $1.5 billion in public and private investments have been made along the corridor since 2002. The new streetscaping project will build on these investments to strengthen this new identity. The district covers the entire the 12 block length between Market Street and Colfax Avenue and extends approximately one-half block on either side of 14th Street.

"With the completion of this ambitious plan, 14^th Street will serve as an excellent complement to the 16^th Street Mall," said Tami Door, President & CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. "Consistent with the vision of the 2007 Downtown Area Plan, 14^th Street will truly be a magnet for pedestrians, which will benefit residents, business owners and the overall community."

The project will cost roughly $14 million, with property owners contributing $4 million, and $10 million coming out of the Better Denver Bond Program, which was created in 2007.

"14^th Street will see improvements on every level, from bike lanes to traffic signals, to sidewalk improvements and other placemaking installations for a truly multi-modal corridor," said Deputy Mayor and Manager of Public Works, Bill Vidal. "The project is unique in that in addition to the Better Denver Bond funds, we have the property owners contributing to the improvements and we are thrilled to see this public private partnership moving forward."

Meeting and consulting with property owners in the District was a four year process, assumed by the City, the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District and the Downtown Denver Partnership. A consultant team including Parsons Brinkerhoff, CRL & Associates and studioINSITE assisted with design and consensus building services. From February 2009 to June 2009, eight two hour workshops were held with interested property owners, other stakeholders, City representatives and representatives from the Downtown Denver Partnership.

"We are glad we could contribute to a greater 'sense of place' along 14^th Street," said Josh Fine of Focus Property Group. "As property owners in the area, we recognized the opportunity we had not only to improve the value of what we own, but the type of experience people have when they're here."

Construction is slated to begin in the summer of 2010 with the goal of completion in the fall of 2011.

Denver Photo Contest Winners!

2009-10-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce the winners of the Denver Photo Contest!

Hundreds of photos from hundreds of local photographers were submitted to the contest. We saw breathtaking shots of familiar buildings, sculptures, people and our precious Rocky Mountains. There wasn’t a single bad photo in the bunch.

Through public voting, we narrowed down the contestants to 25 top photos. It was difficult, but in the end, our panel of judges selected 6 winners from the top vote-getters. Congratulations to all the winners!

Without further ado, here are the six winning photographs, plus the prizes they won:

1) Mile-Hi Beauty – Brian Kraft
PRIZE: $400 gift card to REI

2) On a Cloud – Dustin Van Nieulande
PRIZE: Gift certificates to four local breweries

3) Denver Glows – Ryan Behner
PRIZE: Private cooking lesson with chef Kevin Taylor

4) Capitol Dome – Scott Pierce
PRIZE: Press box seats at a Rockies game

5) A Time Machine, A Magic Wand – Theodore A. Stark
PRIZE: Family admission package to local museums and attractions

6) Frontier and a Denver Sunset – Wolfram M. Stumpf
PRIZE: Pool party at the Four Seasons

A huge thank you to everyone that took part in the contest! Denver is an amazing, beautiful and inspiring city. We hope everyone appreciates that and takes time to show Denver newcomers just what makes this one of the best places to live.

Denver Photo Contest Has Ended

2009-09-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

After hundreds of photos were submitted - and thousands of votes were counted - we have reached the end of the Denver Photo Contest. Give yourselves a round of applause, whether you submitted, voted or merely gazed at the gorgeous images captured by Colorado's finest photographers.

We have notified the finalists and will be judging the final photos fairly soon. There are some great prizes to be won, so stay tuned for a very cheerful announcement - especially concerning who won all that free beer!

In other uplifting news, we topped off the Four Seasons Private Residences in style yesterday - with the help of an enormous crane.

City officials, local media and the building's developers were on hand as we placed the 75-foot "mast" atop the 45-story building - after we asked them to autograph it, of course. Dressed in hard hats and safety vests, we had everyone add their signatures to a piece of Denver history. Not a bad way to spend a morning.

Then we all watched as it gently left the ground and made its way to the top of the building, forever changing the Denver skyline. Don't believe us? Take a look outside if you're in Denver - chances are, you'll see it!

149 years and counting...

2009-09-13T13:17:00.001-07:00

As you may already know, Denver has been a prominent city in the west for well over 100 years now. So it goes without saying that Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver is not the first building to occupy our site.

After some searching I have found some photos of what has previously occupied our area.

1860- Governor John Evans house, location 14th and Arapahoe

1865- Colorado Seminary, Gov. Evans house and unidentified house,
location 14th and Arapahoe

1899- Interior of Robertson and Doll Carriage Company

1899- Robertson and Doll Carriage Company Factory, location 14th and Arapahoe

1912- A bustling Street scene on Lawrence Street between 14th and 15th

between 1914-1920

Central Bank, location 15th and Arapahoe

1913- Hurlbut Grocery Co, Location 14th and Lawrence

1920- Crowd gathers at 14th and Arapahoe

1920- Crowd Gathers at 14th and Arapahoe

... still hunting for additional information from 1920 and on...

hope to post that at a later date

Remnants of a building long since gone, excavated during construction

September 2007- 14th and Arapahoe

2010- Artist's rendering of what 14th and Arapahoe will look like about this time next year, when the hotel and residences are finished and the corner is once again bustling.

Black and white photos from: http://history.denverlibrary.org/

Four Seasons Five Questions: Denver Photo Contest Edition

2009-08-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

The Denver Photo Contest that we are sponsoring has produced some amazing shots by local photographers so far. We wanted to showcase some of the top vote-getters, so we'll be conducting short interviews with them over the next month.

Today, we're happy to introduce you to Ryan Behner, 23. He's a photographer, cycler, music fan and enjoyer of all things mechanical, based in Boulder, Colo. He is @rbehner on Twitter, and his photo contest submission is currently ranked #4 on the site.

1. Tell us about your entry, “Denver Glows.”

I took this photo from a friend's rooftop in the LoDo area after a Rockies game one night. It was tough to resist pulling out my camera and capturing the city lights despite the festivities going on. I think I took about 20 of these, but this one stuck out because of the girl looking onto the city in the lower left corner of the shot. I got lucky - I had no idea she was there until afterwards.

2. What do you like about Denver?

That’s a tough one. I’ve always loved the downtown skyline. Always in awe of the big buildings, the lights, and the hustle of the city. I think it shows here. However, I would have to say my favorite part about Denver is the amazing music scene and the great bands that come through the city. You can almost always find a show in Denver to hang out at and have a good time.

3. What’s the best part about growing up in Colorado?

The best part about growing up in Colorado was all the opportunities to get out and have fun. Obviously there is the mountains with all the trails, camping and skiing that is available. Also, the music scene and of course all the local sports teams. I am going to go out on a limb and say Nuggets take it all this year.

4. Given the nighttime nature of your photo, what’s your favorite place to go after the sun goes down?

My favorite place to head afterwards is anywhere with friends and a laid back atmosphere. Sancho’s holds a couple good memories with the copious amounts of PBR that come flowing out of there. I am also a huge fan of the Blake St Vault. Everyone should drink at least one Denver Donkey (aka moscow mule) in their life.

5. Among our six prizes, which one interests you the most and why?

Denver/Colorado has the best beer than any other city, it would awesome to win the prize to all the local Denver breweries and share some drinks with everyone that has helped and encouraged my photo taking.

Like Ryan's photo?
Go vote for it and many others at the Denver Photo Contest!
Or submit your own photos of Denver for a chance to win.
Follow along on Twitter at @photosofdenver

Dave Taylor Test Drives Our Microsoft Surface

2009-08-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Tech blogger Dave Taylor dropped by the Four Seasons sales office in Denver to test drive the Microsoft Surface we've installed there.

The Surface is a large, touchscreen table that visitors can use to get more information about the residences, from floor plans to being able to check the views from each unit. It's the first Surface in the real estate industry and was the first to appear in Colorado.

Dave wrote a blog post about the device and how we're using it - you can read about it on Dave's Business Blog at Intuitive.com. There are also some great photos, including one of our very own Kelly Carbajal. Give it a look!

Four Seasons Five Questions

2009-08-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

We wanted to use this blog as a chance to introduce you to some of the people who are a part of it, so we will be featuring Four Seasons Five Questions. It only makes sense to start with Dani, our Sales Assistant since she is the first face you see when you come into our office.

1. Where are you from originally and how did you end up in Denver?

I’m lucky enough to be able to say I was born and raised in Colorado. I absolutely love this place.

2. How did you become involved with this project?

Surprisingly enough, I found this incredible gig on craigslist!

3. What is your favorite place in Downtown Denver and why?

This is a tie between American Apparel and The Cruise Room. My weakness by day is a comfortable tee, and by night, a filthy dirty Chopin martini with blue cheese stuffed olives.

4. What is the thing you are most excited about with Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Denver?

I am excited to see my hometown growing up and getting the world’s greatest hotel… right here in Denver!

5. Tell us one thing about you that not many people know.

I took a little time off from school to backpack around Europe, and if I didn’t have a dog and a quite depressing bank account, I would spend the rest of my life as a vagabond, going from place to place, just waiting for my next adventure.

Changing the Skyline

2009-08-03T11:47:00.001-07:00

Changing the Skyline

On Friday the construction crew poured the base of what will be the Four Seasons Mast.

Once installed the mast will be a new skyline defining feature for Denver.

Don't forget to submit your pictures of what makes Denver so great at

www.denverphotocontest.com

A Room with a View

2009-07-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

Calling all photographers!

Here is your chance to show off your artistic side

and share what you love about Denver!

Visit www.denverphotocontest.com and submit your works of art

for a chance to win some ridiculously great prizes!

While you are there vote for a few of your favorites!

Music at the Bottom

2009-07-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Music At The Bottom

There is still plenty of time left this summer to grab a cold one and listen to some great music at Rock Bottom Brewery at 16th and Curtis...

Fridays

May 29, 2009 - Aug 21, 2009
4 - 7 p.m.

Live music every Friday night on the patio. The party starts and 4 p.m. and the bands take the stage at 5 and 7 p.m.

July 10 - Chris Daniels and the Kings with The Rowdy Shadehouse Funk Band
July 17 - Jakarta with Greg Greer
July 24 - Dotsero with Michael Ross
July 31 - Blooz Dogz with Matt Clark Band
August 7 - Funkiphino with Parkside
August 14 - Fina Dupa with Waiting To Hear
August 21 - Hazel Miller with Beki Hemingway

A memoir like no other

2009-06-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

Huge thanks to Dani, our sales assistant for reading and reviewing Isadore Sharp's new book for us!

In Isadore Sharp’s memoir, The Story of a Business Philosophy, the chairman and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts shares the compelling story of his astonishing rise out of the Toronto ghettos to becoming founder of the largest group of five-star hotels in the world. This is the story of his life and his work, and as Sharp reminisces and provides his readers with impeccable details of the history of his company, we come to understand the foundation for his success. Born to Polish-Jewish immigrants, Sharp acquired a degree in architecture and planted roots in his father’s small construction business, which allowed him to absorb many business insights and values. It is incredible to learn how this man was able to create the world’s most admired, respected and successful hotel chain. Sharp does an incredible job of transpiring his wishes for his readers to take with them. In his book, he quotes an old Japanese proverb, “If they work for you, you work for them.” It is this absolute commitment to developing and rewarding excellent employees, that he is able to maintain and expand his impressive company. This is a compelling story of an entrepreneur and his passion for service.

While many business-oriented books often appear trite and redundant, Isadore Sharps business philosophy is fresh, relatable, and synonymous with his personal philosophy; treating others as you wish to be treated. Sharp has implemented this value, with no exceptions, into his staff, business associates, and overall culture, which has resonated throughout the 78 luxury hotels and resorts around the world, and has ultimately led to his tremendous success.

Throughout the book, Sharp makes it quite clear that his primary focus has always been on service above all else, never allowing himself to lose focus on the unparalleled service which has given his company such a competitive edge. Although Sharp engages his readers in his description of his savvy business, he makes certain that his readers understand the true fuel behind the Four Seasons fire; the people. Sharp is continuously singing the praises of the countless people involved at every stage, and humbly admits that he would be nowhere without them. With the turn of every page of this captivating memoir, we grow fonder of Isadore Sharp. This is a man who signifies class, compassion, and is a quintessential leader of his time.

Morgan Freeman calls the book “an inspiring story”, claiming that he finally understands how the Four Seasons is a place where “the weight of the world lifts from your shoulders as soon as you walk in the door.”

Isadore Sharp has animated and applied the Golden Rule as business principle. This book will no doubt become a mandatory manual for hospitality professionals everywhere; but leaders of any business that has employees and competitors would be seriously remiss to miss out on Sharp's lovingly written memoir chronicling how he built the world's most innovative and beloved collection of luxury hotels. How uplifting it is to see how a philosophy built on so much common sense so directly leads to such uncommon success.

Pick it up if you have a chance, and enjoy the read!

Skyline Park Movies

2009-06-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Summer in downtown Denver is absolutely wonderful! (Even with the recent rain! Just look how green everything around the city is!) One of the things I am excited about this summer are the movies in Skyline Park that are put on by the Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Parks and Recreation and the Denver Theatre District.
All movies begin at dusk and are shown behind the D&F Clock Tower at 16th and Arapahoe. Bring the family and plan on arriving early and staying late for the before and after show entertainment.

2009 Summer Movie Schedule:

June 13th
babe, rated G

June 27th
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, rated PG

July 11th
Spiderman, rated PG-13

July 18th
Iron Giant, rated PG

August 1st
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, rated G

August 8
The Wizard of Oz, rated G

What is your favorite thing about Denver in the summer?

Isadore Sharp Interview

2009-05-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

Check out the link below to listen to a Mr. Media hour and a half long interview with Isadore Sharp, founder of Four Seasons.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mrmedia/2009/05/06/Isadore-Sharp-FOUR-SEASONS-HOTELS-AND-RESORTS-founder-chairman-Mr-Media-Audio-Interview

The Pulse of Denver

2009-03-24T23:49:00.002-07:00

Welcome to The Insider!

2009-03-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

First I will introduce myself; my name is Kelly and I have been lucky enough to be involved with Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences for about 2 ½ years now.

We have called this website The Insider because we want to give you some inside information on not only this project, but help you discover some of the other cool places that are within walking distance downtown .

Those of us that are fortunate enough to call this city home know the many reasons why we love it here. Now it is time to share those reasons. On this blog I hope to introduce you to some great places and people that help brighten downtown Denver. Great places to shop, great places to eat and great people that you should know.

The first place I am going to tell you about is the Denver Community Museum. It is a “pop-up” museum of sorts that features art from the community. Every month they give the community a challenge. This month the challenge is called “Bottled Up”. Fill up a jar with your memories of the people and places from your life and drop off March 6th or 7th and you just may be on exhibit! Check out their website at denvercommunitymuseum.org or just go see it! They are open Thursday 2-7 and Friday and Saturday 12-5 and they are located at 1610 Little Raven St. Suite 120.

Go check it out, they will only be there for another 2 months!

If you have found someplace great Downtown tell us about it! I will check it out and maybe write about it in the future!