Athens Group Wins National ULI Award

Outstanding Development of Montage Resort and Spa

• 
  SAVE
• 
  SHARE
• 
  TEXT SIZE
• 
  PRINT
• 
  COMMENT
• 
  PDF

. October 14, 2008

PHOENIX, AZ, June 20, 2006. The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has selected The Athens Group, developer of Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach, California for its prestigious 2006 Awards for Excellence: The Americas. The ULI competition is widely recognized as the land use industry's most prestigious recognition program.

The ULI jury said, "Montage Resort and Spa is an outstanding model for rehabilitating an underused property and returning it to productive use, benefiting the owner, the resort's guests, and the public." The ULI award recognized The Athens Group for converting a private, gated mobile home and trailer park located on a bluff top site, into a luxury resort with amenities including a public park with spectacular ocean views, parking facilities and public access to the beach.

In announcing the award at the ULI Spring Council in Salt Lake City, Jury Chair Isaac Manning said, "The ULI Awards for Excellence is the centerpiece of ULI's effort to recognize the best practices in land use around the world."

He noted that the jury of land use development and design experts evaluated projects by a set of criteria including whether projects reflect ULI's mission to provide leadership in land use, improve the quality of life in the local community, and if they are worthy of emulation. Projects were also judged on innovation, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial success.

This is the third ULI Awards for Excellence won by The Athens Group team. In 1999 they were recognized for creating the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii and in 1987 for Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona.

Montage Resort and Spa opened in 2003 and quickly achieved national acclaim. The resort features 262 ocean view rooms, 14 acres of public open space, villas and estate lots. The Montage spa was the first to be awarded a coveted five star rating by Mobil Travel Guide in 2005, and won the rating again in 2006. Montage Resort and Spa has received numerous travel awards including "Best of the Best" by the Robb Report and #2 U.S. Resort by Conde Nast Traveler's annual Readers Choice Poll.

Montage Resort and Spa was designed by Hill Glazier Architects, a full-service architectural practice which was recently named one of the top 10 hospitality design firms in the U.S. Hill Glazier projects are known for meticulous planning with respect to the character of the local architecture and the spirit of the natural site features.

The Athens Group, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona is a full service real estate development company specializing in the development of upscale resort communities, luxury resort hotels, golf courses and related recreational properties. A hallmark of The Athens Group is its dedication to environmental and cultural sensitivity with each development project it pursues.

The Athens Group is currently partnering with Montage Hotels and Resorts, a luxury hotel operating company, to create Montage Beverly Hills. The Athens Group previously developed the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay in Northern California, The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch at Beaver Creek, Colorado, and the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona. For more information, visit www.athensdevco.com.

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total environment. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 30,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information, visit www.uli.org.