Branded living is on the tip of every tongue in the boardrooms of all the major luxury property development firms. From Las Vegas, to New York to Aspen to Los Angeles and all points between and outside of the US, new developments are rising up in every metropolis and travel destination, with particular focus on providing the comforts of home and the convenience of high end boutique hotel accommodations including in-residence spa treatments, personal trainers, 24 hour concierge and room services. Owners of these luxury condominiums and apartments have the freedom to design an interior befitting their individual style while enjoying the comforts and quality of services they enjoy from their favorite hotel brands.

Starwood’s The W brand, recognized the world over for its chic contemporary opulence has also emerged as a popular private residence brand, capitalizing on the success of their many celebrated hotels. Their newest property, The W Hollywood Hotel & Residences located in Hollywood’s Renaissance district at Hollywood Blvd. and Vine Street will feature 143 beautifully appointed residences along side their 305 signature hotel rooms. Registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and featuring floor to ceiling window views, ultra modern architecture and design elements, private terraces, interactive art installations by Christian Moeller, and sculpture by Pae White, this property embodies the progressive intellectual and cultural spirit quintessentially associated with Los Angeles’s elite residentsbetter installation and design.”

Looking for a branded home reflective of more traditional tastes? Ritz Carlton Club is also offering private residences to discerning home owners. Whether for business use or recreation, these private apartments and condominiums provide the comforts aRitz Carlton Clubnd services synonymous with the Ritz Carlton name including exemplary concierge, housekeeping and room services, in locations befitting thedesires of their residents such as Jupiter, Florida and Miami’s South Beach, San Francisco, Kapalua Bay and Kauai Lagoons in Hawaii. Ritz Carlton Club residences often share the same “campus” as their fractional ownership properties and resort locations enabling home ownership in exotically luxurious areas of the world while maintaining the exclusivity and privacy expected from private home ownership

These exquisitely crafted properties designed to reflect the individual tastes of their owners also present a more practical alternative to purchasing a second or third home by including property grooming and maintenance services in the purchase of the branded private residence. Services from landscaping and repair to tasks as simple as changing a light bulb, much like you would expect from luxury rental apartment living, eliminate the hassle and added costs of traditional home ownership.>

In addition to private residence ownership, many hotel and real estate brands have created fractional or interval ownership properties, whereby a share of each apartment, home or condominium is sold to a select number of owners with determined availability through out the year at that residence. The major differences between this type of ownership and time-share ownership are the increased services and availability resulting from smaller fractional participation and limited memberships.

A pioneer in Fractional Resort Ownership, DCP International uses the golf country club model to approach the inception of the Equity Residence Club. It has filled a niche in the luxury vacation marketplace: meeting the growing demands of vacation home owners by providing the services, amenities, convenience and availability sought by the high-income traveler without the worry traditionally associated with home ownership. Steve Dering of DCP International says that “Deer Valley [Utah] Real Estate is some of the most expensive real estate in the country. Almost every Deer Valley owner can afford a second home but they cannot rationalize it. People are being smarter about their money.” As such, DCP International’s 27 properties replicate second home ownership without the actual expense of owning a second home. People are choosing this option as a more practical lifestyle investment than one of monetary significance, and is likely the reason Private Equity Residences Club ownership particularly, has seen a 12 % growth.

The following day, past and present Fireball Run participants, organizers and potential new participants joined LuxuryLifestyle.com at a private residence atop Los Angeles’s breathtaking Mt. Olympus for an informational soiree catered by the Spanish Kitchen. Guests celebrated the success of the inaugural Fireball Run, which took place in the Fall of 2007 and successfully found 14 missing children. Entry cars including The Back To The Future II Delorian owned by Paul Nigh and the Bat Mobile owned by Nate Truman of Star Car Central, were on display for guests to explore throughout the evening. This year’s Fireball Run benefiting the Child Rescue Network begins in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on September 25, 2008 and ends in Grand Rapids, MI on October October 4, 2008. LuxuryLifestyle.com is participating in the rally. Our team number is 98. For more information on the Fireball Run Transcontinental Rally, please visit fireballrun.com

The Bat Mobile and the Back to the Future II Delorean

Earlier this month LuxuryLifestyle.com also sponsored two events produced by our partners LUX5 Events; one, a private event taking place Friday, May 9, 2008, aboard FantaSea One, the largest private charter yacht in Los Angeles, and the other, a public event held at renowned Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on May 10, 2008. Guests had a chance to experience some of the most exquisite luxuries available today including the DEEP FLIGHT personal submersible vehicle, an array of gorgeously appointed motorcars including Fisker Automotive’s eco-chic Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid sports sedan powered by Q Drive Hybrid Technology; the SunSeeker Predator yacht seen in many James Bond films, helicopters and private jets; diamond encrusted mobile devices by Amosu, four fashion shows presented by Ritz Carlton Club and produced by celebrity stylist Victor Vargas featuring designs by Alessandro Dell’Acqua; Albino, Viktor & Rolf, 6267, and others presented by H Lorenzo; Raquel Allegra; and Vitamin A Swimwear; arial theatrics and acrobatics performed by Arial Productions and live auctions benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles.

The DEEP FLIGHT LUX5 Luxury Lifestyle events will travel to three other locations this summer: Navy Pier, Chicago IL on June 28; San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, CA on July 26; Rio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, NV on August 30. For tickets and information please visit lux5events.com.