When it comes to condo conversions, it’s hard to get much more tony than the Ambassador, the 38-unit condominium development at the former Ambassador West Hotel, 1300 N. State Parkway, in the Gold Coast.
The 225-room hotel, designed in 1918 by Schmidt, Garden and Martin, hosted royalty, politicians and movie stars ranging from Cary Grant to Frank Sinatra to Ronald Reagan. The hotel’s earlier sense of grandeur is evident in the lobby and the sales gallery, which officially opened in early May with a benefit and silent auction for Friends of Conservation.
Prospective buyers enter the model for the Ambassador, by L3 Development, through a grand foyer. The focal point is a 42-inch fireplace with a stone surround and custom milled mantle. Across the stone floor, French doors open onto a model balcony and stained glass provides warm natural lighting. An adjoining living room in the vignette model showcases high ceilings a custom baseboard, trim and crown-molding package and white oak floors – all standard. The model kitchen has custom cherry cabinetry, stone slab counters, Waterworks fixtures and hardwood floors.
Units at the historic building range from a two-bedroom 2.5-bath condo with 2,058 square feet to a four-bedroom 4.5-bath duplex of 6,820 square feet. Prices range from $1.095 million to $4.73 million.
Almost half of the condos have been sold, including two $4 million penthouses, according to Fernando Leal, of L3. First occupancy is scheduled for fall 2004.