Unique Homes Blog

One of these things is not like the other. In South Beach, Miami’s dense sea of condominium towers, many associated with luxury hotels and casting long shadows over the crowded pools and bustling streets, stands a five-floor, unassuming boutique structure. Its architecture blends in seamlessly with its Art Deco surroundings and provides passersby little insight to the exclusive high-end lifestyle contained within. Indeed, “Boulan South Beach is SoBe’s best-kept secret,” says Lisa Erickson, Head of Sales.

For a price between $300,000 and $4.2 million, you can snag yourself one of Boulan’s 52 private sanctuaries in the epicenter of the Miami Beach social scene. Just a block off the beach and walking distance from hot spots, including Ocean Drive’s historic Art Deco architecture, Lincoln Road’s trendy outdoor shopping and dining, and cultural pursuits such as the Bass Museum of Art, Boulan South Beach presents its owners with a delicious conundrum: indulge in ultimate relaxation in your cozy, chic bedroom or bath, or venture out into the neighborhood to see and be seen.

Indoors, Portuguese limestone floors and designer lighting create an atmosphere of understated elegance. Five-piece, spa-inspired baths with oversized marble and glass showers and dual designer vanities with vessel sinks look and feel like sophisticated features more commonly found in glorious mansions than in beachside pied-à-terres.

Outdoors, your own private oversized balcony is an option, or there’s every chance you’ll find yourself the only contemplative soul in the meditation garden and courtyard or the only sunbather in the landscaped rooftop oasis, complete with a Jacuzzi, cabanas, a grilling and lounging area and a serene pool. Nearly the entire current ownership here uses their residences as second or vacation homes.

Traveling the Mediterranean—for the majority of vacationers worldwide—typically involves visits to the more “popular” destinations, such as Italy, Spain, France and Greece. But by spring of 2013, you’ll want to add Albania to that list. Having recently stolen the title “Project of the Year 2011” at the RealEX International Real Estate and Construction

Conference in Tirana, Lalzit Bay Resort and Spa

is on top of the list of luxury real estate acclaims.

A 5-star luxury residential development located on an exclusive section of Albania’s Adriatic coast, the resort is designed to enable residents to feel completely connected to the beach and natural surroundings, while feeling completely disconnected from the pressures of everyday living.

Albanians in the United States tend to maintain strong family ties with their country. “The family concept is a real driver,” says Peter Walshe, sales and marketing manager for the luxury development. “It will encourage people to buy, especially from America.”

Lalzit Bay Resort and Spa architecture exemplifies simplicity and elegance, while creating the perfect balance of indoor-outdoor living. The resort will consist of luxury villas and apartments, as well as beautifully landscaped gardens, pools and pedestrian walkways. Beach areas are separated according to location within the resort, including the hotel’s beach and beach club, the resident’s beach with a café and restaurant and a public beach offering a bar and grill, beach volleyball and various water sports.

Lalzit Bay Resort and Spa is particularly attractive to those looking for an investment opportunity in a unique and affordable Eastern Mediterranean location and for individuals and families seeking the perfect part-time holiday home. Apartments start under 30,000 euros; villas are as much as 362,000 euros. Visit lalzitbay.com

A recent tour of the 60-story ultra-luxury residential Millennium Tower at 301 Mission Street in San Francisco revealed phenomenal properties, an amazing sense of community, unparalleled services and an unbeatable location.

Construction of California’s high-speed rail project adjacent to the Millennium will bring a 5.4-acre rooftop urban park to the area, and residents will be able to walk out their door and be in Los Angeles in 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Millennium Tower’s unique community centers around its La Vie program, a calendar of events for residents. You and your neighbors might enjoy a fireside chat with 49ers legend Joe Montana, make chocolate, sip vino at “share a bottle night,” watch a movie or feast on lobster. The owner’s lounge features a full bar, a gorgeous barrel-shaped wine tasting room and a private dining room with its own elevator to Michael Mina’s RN74 restaurant below (allowing residents access to the full menu).

“It’s the same level of service as a 5-star hotel, however it’s private. There are no Griswalds here for the weekends,” says Bryant Kowalczyk, sales executive. “The people who live here rave about the staff and the facilities.” Kowalczyk noted that staff members come from the Four Seasons and the St. Regis.

While in San Francisco, Unique Homes also visited the St. Regis, where old meets new. Deftly placed in the Yerba Buena Gardens area, neighboring the Museum of Modern Art, the refined contemporary lines of the new structure integrate the 1904 Williams Building. The top 19 floors of the hotel are devoted to 100 private residences. Diverse designs deliver views extending as far as San Francisco Bay. A concierge on duty round-the-clock just for residents ensures