Lodge-Style Condo/Hotel Designed for LEED Certification

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorGlenwood Springs, Colo.— The Roaring Fork Lodge, a condo/hotel project offering 40 residences and 106 guest rooms, applied for its final city approval today. The development is a joint venture between Magnolia Hotels, a Denver-based hotel development and management company, and Glenwood Springs, Colo.-based Roaring Fork Lodge LLC.“Our locations have all been urban so I am looking forward to developing in the mountains,” says Leigh Hitz, president, Magnolia Hotels. “There is not a niche project like this in the Glenwood Springs area,” she tells MHN, explaining that the target demographic is an out-of-state second-home buyer who enjoys the recreation of Glenwood and the Aspen area.The project, which is being designed by Fort Collins, Colo.-based The Neenan Company for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, will include 4,500 sq. ft. of meeting space, a grand ballroom, a restaurant and an eco-friendly spa and fitness center, in addition to 1,500 sq. ft. of retail space.Groundbreaking is expected to take place in May 2009, with an estimated construction time of 12 months. The project’s architecture provides a “lodge feel,” Hitz says. “Magnolia brings some contemporary design into the condos and hotel rooms. We have a beautiful outdoor space that sits right on the [Roaring Fork ] river, targeted for weddings.”The Roaring Fork Loge will offer two- and three-bedroom floor plans, at an average of 1,200 sq. ft. The majority of the condominiums are priced from $380,000 to $500,000. The fully furnished units, which Hitz describes as having a “European recreational feel, but upscale,” will include fireplaces, patios and entertaining kitchens with built-in wine racks.In addition, residents will have access to an owners-only common area with barbecue, fire pits and a Jacuzzi, as well as heated underground parking. Other amenities include on-site dining, room service, concierge services, spa, business center and fitness center.The condominiums are exclusively marketed and listed by Aspen Sotheby’s International Realty. Approximately 25 percent of the condos have been reserved. Hitz attributes this to the development’s price point. The competition, she says, is much higher, with prices doubled in the nearby Snowmass area