Wow. I am all about the laid back, low profile, anti-condo building along our beautiful coastlines. That said, we just returned from the Grand Opening Celebration at the Emerald Grande on the Destin Harbor. It has been built whether we like it or not and we were invited. I wasn't expecting too much but all I can say is WOW. What a great night. Crazy cirque-de-soliel type entertainers (I especially liked the guy in the big "bubble" on the pool!), food everywhere, lots of drinks, and a great fireworks show accompanied by a live orchestra. Pretty impressive. I got a special sneek peak at the Spa and Fitness Center (not completed yet) and it is going to put all the other places in town to shame. Amazing. The pool decks overlooking the harbor are really fantastic. It will be a great place for weddings (a special sun deck area with a big grand staircase would be perfect for a ceremony and the rest of the decks could accommodate a huge reception!).
Just thought I'd pass it along for those who may be curious.
Replies
105Beach Fanatic
Glad to hear you had a good time. It must be nicer inside than it looks outside. IMO, it is one ugly building!
SoWal Insider
IMO, it is one ugly building!
Ditto. The building is a monstoruous out-of-place Toontown condo caricature that transforms the Destin Bridge Crossing from what once was an idyllic "Oh my goodness" experience into a jarring "What in the Hell is That?" episode.
Excerpts from the Area Mullet Wrapper adds to the condo's Fellini-esque aura:
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Bos, the CEO and president of Legendary Inc., said the event was designed to make a permanent impression.
“It doesn’t get any better than this, worldwide,” Bos said after shaking hands with an entertainer parading around the pool deck on stilts.
“The goal here is to make something beautiful that’s also significant,” said Bos, this time standing underneath an elevated platform with a dancer on it.
Meanwhile, a costumed employee inside a giant hamster ball rolled himself across the surface of the outdoor pool.
“It sets a standard and it’s my way of giving back.”
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I understand Bos' next condo theme centers around "a lady and her donkey show."
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Edited
Skunky
Giving back what to whom?
Skunky
I couldn't resist this lead from the NW Florida Daily News:funn:
DESTIN - Makeup, hair and pearls are in place. All she needs is a handbag and heels.
Emerald Grande, the high-rise condo that developer Peter Bos has likened to a woman just out of the shower, is finally ready for her night on the town.
The twin towers, which loom over HarborWalk Village and East Pass, are largely finished and set to host a lavish grand opening next week.
"We're the hood ornament of the area," said Bos, president and CEO of Legendary Inc. "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. We really wanted to make a statement."
DESTIN - Makeup, hair and pearls are in place. All she needs is a handbag and heels.
Emerald Grande, the high-rise condo that developer Peter Bos has likened to a woman just out of the shower, is finally ready for her night on the town.
The twin towers, which loom over HarborWalk Village and East Pass, are largely finished and set to host a lavish grand opening next week.
"We're the hood ornament of the area," said Bos, president and CEO of Legendary Inc. "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. We really wanted to make a statement."
Beach Fanatic
They made a statement for sure. It says "Look at me ruin the beautiful landscape!" It kinda reminds me of a big nasty wart on the backside of that woman getting out of the shower.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
That building is just horrible. Just horrible. I would hate to know someone who has bought one of those unite. PB has never been known to build a solid building, in fact, all his buildings leak like crazy.
However, this specidic building, none of the woodwork etc is guaranteed by the people who did it because it was not climatized (no windoes, etc) before they began installation.
The construction site is so bad that they are offering rewards to the contractors who see the "undocument workers" not using the port a potties. That is a HUGE problem. Just HUGE.
But, I guess you could look at it in a positive way... In 20 years, maybe someoen will open up the walls and announce they have Pablo's poop preserved!!!
However, this specidic building, none of the woodwork etc is guaranteed by the people who did it because it was not climatized (no windoes, etc) before they began installation.
The construction site is so bad that they are offering rewards to the contractors who see the "undocument workers" not using the port a potties. That is a HUGE problem. Just HUGE.
But, I guess you could look at it in a positive way... In 20 years, maybe someoen will open up the walls and announce they have Pablo's poop preserved!!!
Edited
Meow
Ditto. The building is a monstoruous out-of-place Toontown condo caricature that transforms the Destin Bridge Crossing from what once was an idyllic "Oh my goodness" experience into a jarring "What in the Hell is That?" episode.
Excerpts from the Area Mullet Wrapper adds to the condo's Fellini-esque aura:
----------------------------
Bos, the CEO and president of Legendary Inc., said the event was designed to make a permanent impression.
?It doesn?t get any better than this, worldwide,? Bos said after shaking hands with an entertainer parading around the pool deck on stilts.
?The goal here is to make something beautiful that?s also significant,? said Bos, this time standing underneath an elevated platform with a dancer on it.
Meanwhile, a costumed employee inside a giant hamster ball rolled himself across the surface of the outdoor pool.
?It sets a standard and it?s my way of giving back.?
-------------------------
I understand Bos' next condo theme centers around "a lady and her donkey show."
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This is probably one of your best quotes...ever.
SoWal Expert
When Peter was designing planning the building, he noticed the lack of restrooms in the public areas of other condo buildings. After a long drive to the beach, that is the first thing that people really notice. His statement was that he wanted to have the bathrooms in the public area so nice, that people would say, "oh, sh_t!" when they walked in the door.
needs to get out more
clasic stuff shelly, thanks for sharing. guy sure like the embellishing adjectives a lot. akin to a used car salesman.
Beach Fanatic
this place looks like a low end theme park on a limited budget. The place is an eyesore in paradise...wish there was some way this could have been stopped!:bang:
SoWal Insider
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Room "with a view" at Emerald Grande
Trip Report posted on TripAdvisor Website: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...rt_Warning_Very_very_long-Destin_Florida.html
Ole Pete didn't mentioned the reason the "Lady stepped out of the shower" was because it flooded and the water never gets hot." 😀
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Room "with a view" at Emerald Grande
Trip Report posted on TripAdvisor Website: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...rt_Warning_Very_very_long-Destin_Florida.html
Ole Pete didn't mentioned the reason the "Lady stepped out of the shower" was because it flooded and the water never gets hot." 😀
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Edited
Beach Fanatic
beachyqueen
Aren't you glad you posted ? :roll:
Aren't you glad you posted ? :roll:
Beach ComberAuthor
beachyqueenummm, yeah. Somewhere in the back of my brain I knew it was a bad idea. But then the post seemed to slide by barely noticed....
Aren't you glad you posted ? :roll:
Yeah, I agree with everyone's posts on how the place looks. I just thought I'd share about how the opening went.
If that is the direction Destin is headed (which I do believe it is) then that is why there will always be SoWal for the rest of us old-schoolers!
Beach Fanatic
Shelly---that trip report is too funny. I think that guest had much more patience than I. Pretty risky staying somewhere when it first opens anyway. But, omg that is an incredibly bad trip report. :yikes:
Beach Fanatic
And to top it off, everyone told her not to book that place to stay. I mean, one person even went and took photos to show this woman that she should look elsewhere. But.... she just wouldn't listen!!:idontno:
SoWal Expert
I noticed one thing about this place- it looks like it will fall right into the water if there is a big storm. It literally sits on a sliver of sand. From the water it looks scary.
FunnChef - AlisonCooks.com
It belongs at Disney World....:angry:
Beach Fanatic
I used to go past the construction site every day when I was working in FWB, and I ended up dragging Mr. Mouse on the condo tour during Parade of Homes because I was just too curious about the fine Mexican craftsmanship I saw going up across the road. As Benny Fraser used to say "Oh dear!"
The first thing we noticed when we were walking out of the car was the massively out of place Corinthian columns on the entranceway. Mr. Mouse was muchly annoyed that the architects didn't seem to know the purpose of a column- when you've got something else bisecting what's supposed to be a supporting structure, it's like a giant red flag that it's totally fake and all for show.
We go inside, sign up for the tour, and I totally make something up when asked for my vital statistics. (Hey, considering the traffic delays they used to cause on my commute, Emerald Grande owes me about $10 in gas, no questions asked) We jump in with a tour group. Mr. Mouse, me, and the perky interval ownership agent (and dang I was tempted to call it a time share to her face) were the only ones in the group under the age of 60.
We are sternly lectured about how we are not to leave the group under any circumstances. What the consequences are, I'm not quite sure, but I will be tempted to find out. Then we are told that they've spent $1.8 million on art for the complex. And dang did they ever get ripped off. For that kind of money, they should have gone with some Wylands- it would be less cheesy that what they've got there now, scary as it sounds, and unlike the artists they went with, Wyland understands basic drawing and composition.
We are offered the chance to tour the super luxe bathroom. Mr. Mouse and I decline and wait outside the glorious porcelain thrones. They've got some nice pictures of Old Destin in the hallway there, and those pictures were probably the nicest thing about the whole building. We are herded past the members-only restaurant and bar and out onto the pool deck. Time Share Lady informs us that there are something like three aditional bars on the pool deck area. Maybe the building looks better if you're totally sloshed. The pool is finished, and there are small children frolicing within to the merry tunes of Mexican Top 40 being played by the workers rushing to finish the east building.
The view is quite nice from there. I'm not sure if I'd want to hold a wedding on the deck unless they promised to kick all the kids out of the pool during the ceremony. Because wet tulle is just nasty. They're using Norriego Point for beach access. For now, it's a bus shuttle that loops all the way around Holiday Isle, but they've got plans to start running a water shuttle between here and there. The shuttle will have its own bathooms, changing rooms/showers, and yes, another bar. (I'm sensing a theme here)
There is a brief glance at the indoor pool, and the planned exercise area. Time Share Lady admits the only reason they put in the indoor pool was because they needed it to get their resort ratings stars. Maybe they'll do something with it loser to winter, but for now, it really does look like a half-hearted contractual obligation deal. If you've got to have an indoor pool element to water activities, the Majestic Sun's set-up is so much nicer.
Then it's upward to the actual model unit. Once you get away from the public areas, the carpeting goes from being picked to impress to what looks like the same carpet that Mariott uses for the hallways in Courtyard Inns.
As we walk into the '3 bedroom' unit, I find myself wondering why they put bunk beds into a 7'x8' closet. Oops. Turns out that is the alleged third bedroom. (I thought it needed a window to be allowed as a bedroom according to code, but I guess not) One of my fellow sheep asked about customization options for the unit. Time Share Lady says that all kitchen cabinets, carpet, tile, fixtures, are identical in every unit, but if you want to change them later, you can probably get permission to do so. When you're talking $800/sf I would think that at least you'd get to pick out your own darn wall sconces.
We wander through the rest of the unit. Fit, finish, and build quality are all pretty mediocre. The view is still nice. I overhear that condo fees are going to run between $700-$1200 per month. :yikes:
After what seems like forever, we are finally allowed to leave, and are herded back to the main lobby, where Time Share Lady keeps up the sales pitch in hopes of closing the sale. We break for the parking lot, and just as we clear the doors, Mr. Mouse and I look at each other and have one of those moments of perfect understanding.
"I give it five years before they're dealing with some serious problems, and at minimum repainting the entire thing to try to reduce the ugly."
"And it's a 100% gut job within the first 20 years."
The first thing we noticed when we were walking out of the car was the massively out of place Corinthian columns on the entranceway. Mr. Mouse was muchly annoyed that the architects didn't seem to know the purpose of a column- when you've got something else bisecting what's supposed to be a supporting structure, it's like a giant red flag that it's totally fake and all for show.
We go inside, sign up for the tour, and I totally make something up when asked for my vital statistics. (Hey, considering the traffic delays they used to cause on my commute, Emerald Grande owes me about $10 in gas, no questions asked) We jump in with a tour group. Mr. Mouse, me, and the perky interval ownership agent (and dang I was tempted to call it a time share to her face) were the only ones in the group under the age of 60.
We are sternly lectured about how we are not to leave the group under any circumstances. What the consequences are, I'm not quite sure, but I will be tempted to find out. Then we are told that they've spent $1.8 million on art for the complex. And dang did they ever get ripped off. For that kind of money, they should have gone with some Wylands- it would be less cheesy that what they've got there now, scary as it sounds, and unlike the artists they went with, Wyland understands basic drawing and composition.
We are offered the chance to tour the super luxe bathroom. Mr. Mouse and I decline and wait outside the glorious porcelain thrones. They've got some nice pictures of Old Destin in the hallway there, and those pictures were probably the nicest thing about the whole building. We are herded past the members-only restaurant and bar and out onto the pool deck. Time Share Lady informs us that there are something like three aditional bars on the pool deck area. Maybe the building looks better if you're totally sloshed. The pool is finished, and there are small children frolicing within to the merry tunes of Mexican Top 40 being played by the workers rushing to finish the east building.
The view is quite nice from there. I'm not sure if I'd want to hold a wedding on the deck unless they promised to kick all the kids out of the pool during the ceremony. Because wet tulle is just nasty. They're using Norriego Point for beach access. For now, it's a bus shuttle that loops all the way around Holiday Isle, but they've got plans to start running a water shuttle between here and there. The shuttle will have its own bathooms, changing rooms/showers, and yes, another bar. (I'm sensing a theme here)
There is a brief glance at the indoor pool, and the planned exercise area. Time Share Lady admits the only reason they put in the indoor pool was because they needed it to get their resort ratings stars. Maybe they'll do something with it loser to winter, but for now, it really does look like a half-hearted contractual obligation deal. If you've got to have an indoor pool element to water activities, the Majestic Sun's set-up is so much nicer.
Then it's upward to the actual model unit. Once you get away from the public areas, the carpeting goes from being picked to impress to what looks like the same carpet that Mariott uses for the hallways in Courtyard Inns.
As we walk into the '3 bedroom' unit, I find myself wondering why they put bunk beds into a 7'x8' closet. Oops. Turns out that is the alleged third bedroom. (I thought it needed a window to be allowed as a bedroom according to code, but I guess not) One of my fellow sheep asked about customization options for the unit. Time Share Lady says that all kitchen cabinets, carpet, tile, fixtures, are identical in every unit, but if you want to change them later, you can probably get permission to do so. When you're talking $800/sf I would think that at least you'd get to pick out your own darn wall sconces.
We wander through the rest of the unit. Fit, finish, and build quality are all pretty mediocre. The view is still nice. I overhear that condo fees are going to run between $700-$1200 per month. :yikes:
After what seems like forever, we are finally allowed to leave, and are herded back to the main lobby, where Time Share Lady keeps up the sales pitch in hopes of closing the sale. We break for the parking lot, and just as we clear the doors, Mr. Mouse and I look at each other and have one of those moments of perfect understanding.
"I give it five years before they're dealing with some serious problems, and at minimum repainting the entire thing to try to reduce the ugly."
"And it's a 100% gut job within the first 20 years."
Beach Fanatic
Thanks, BeachMouse, this makes me feel better in some kind of twisted way...I have thought all along this was a horror, your post confirms my intuition....a fine example of just how awful it can get!
So sad!
So sad!
SoWal Insider
BRAVO Beachmouse! Outstanding "person on the street" reporting...I like your style. It was a joy to read. :cool:
I guess "interval ownership" is the new 'IT' word for fractional/timeshare ownership. I loved your masterful use of the "Time Share Lady" zinger throughout your report.
A hat-tip to BeachyQueen for starting this thread...don't blame you for enjoying a 70K evening of free "entertainment" and snacks. Destin Realtors who attended the opening reported the 'spread provided by Bos' beat the hell out of the Communion wafers and wine they were served at the Prayer Meeting. 😀
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I guess "interval ownership" is the new 'IT' word for fractional/timeshare ownership. I loved your masterful use of the "Time Share Lady" zinger throughout your report.
A hat-tip to BeachyQueen for starting this thread...don't blame you for enjoying a 70K evening of free "entertainment" and snacks. Destin Realtors who attended the opening reported the 'spread provided by Bos' beat the hell out of the Communion wafers and wine they were served at the Prayer Meeting. 😀
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Edited
Beach Fanatic
The thing that gets me it that for close to the same costs, they could have had something that was so much nicer. It didn't have to end up that ugly, but I guess that's what happens when you get a half billion dollar project designed by a committee with zero artistic talent.
If I had that kind of money I was planning to spend on a high rise condo, I'd really go for Silver Shells instead. It's just so much more aerthetically pleasing, and has a much better beach access situation.
If I had that kind of money I was planning to spend on a high rise condo, I'd really go for Silver Shells instead. It's just so much more aerthetically pleasing, and has a much better beach access situation.
SoWal Insider
The thing that gets me it that for close to the same costs, they could have had something that was so much nicer. It didn't have to end up that ugly, but I guess that's what happens when you get a half billion dollar project designed by a committee with zero artistic talent.
Ya know..:scratch: Over the last 10-12 years Destin has become the butt of much criticism of how it evolved from a fairly decent vacation destination into a crappy, congested condo/concrete/asphalt beachtown. Just when everyone thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, along comes Pete Bos--developer/visionary extraordinaire--and slaps up this gaudy eyesore at Destin's doorstep. Thanks to Pete Bos, if Florida ever decides to give Destin an enema...now they know were to stick the nozzle.
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Beach ComberAuthor
A hat-tip to BeachyQueen for starting this thread...don't blame you for enjoying a 70K evening of free "entertainment" and snacks. Destin Realtors who attended the opening reported the 'spread provided by Bos' beat the hell out of the Communion wafers and wine they were served at the Prayer Meeting. 😀
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:funn: :clap: :lol: :roll: :funn: :clap: :lol: :roll:
Beach Fanatic
At least the Air Force smacked down the plans for version 1.0 of Bos' Turnberry project over by the Mid Bay Bridge, and I suspect we won't be seeing version 2.0 for a long time, if ever, because of changes in the housing market.
SoWal Insider
At least the Air Force smacked down the plans for version 1.0 of Bos' Turnberry project over by the Mid Bay Bridge, and I suspect we won't be seeing version 2.0 for a long time, if ever, because of changes in the housing market.
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Maybe Emerald Grande is Bos' Revenge?? :shock:
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