Grand Lake, CO (December 2010) – Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty and broker Kerry Endsley are pleased to announce the sale of the historic Grand Lake Lodge in Grand Lake, CO. The property, which includes a main lodge building and 116 cabins on 54 acres of land, sold to Grand Lake Ventures, LLC. The seller was Estes Park Chalet. The property has only had two owners during its rich 90 year history, with Grand Lake Ventures becoming the third. The Lodge is registered as a National Historic Landmark.
“Grand Lake Lodge has often been referred to as ‘Colorado’s most famous front porch’ and it has welcomed everyone from Presidents and VIPs to everyday people who enjoy a vacation in Colorado,” said Endsley. “It was built in 1919 in a fantastic Colorado setting, overlooking Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake, with backdrop views of the snowcapped Continental Divide. The Lodge is a special place that is near and dear to many people’s hearts, and it will enjoy another great century under the ownership of its new caretakers.”
According to Mr. Endsley, the new owners plan to operate the Lodge in the same manner and it has been throughout most of its 90 year history. Cabins will be updated and available for rent, the restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, there will be performances in the Lodge and outdoor activities will continue to abound. Future additions could include a conference center, hotel/spa and other capital improvements to better position the property for vacationers and others who want to enjoy the property. Plans are also underway to keep the Lodge open year round, opposed to just the months of May through September (which have been the previous dates of operation).
Mr. Endsley had been showing Grand Lake Lodge to potential buyers since 2007 and estimates more than 300 prospects had toured the property. While the asking price had been reduced due to market conditions, Endsley says that everyone was satisfied with the final sale price.
“Given the current economy, and the total lack of financing for resort properties, the price for Grand Lake Lodge was still a good one in the end,” said Endsley. “It will continue to be a great destination resort, nestled in one of the most spectacular settings in Colorado, and the world.”
The Lodge has been owned and operated by the same family since 1953 and is located in the Town of Grand Lake, above Grand Lake, Colorado's largest natural lake and the headwaters of the Colorado River. The 54-acre property is surrounded by the Rocky Mountain National Park and has been open as a lodge since 1919, when entrepreneur Roe Emery built the lodge, cabins and outbuildings out of lodgepole pine from Trail Ridge Road. Over the course of the lodge’s history, Henry Ford (founder of Ford Motor Company) and his family owned a cabin on the property. Today, the property features a restaurant, gift shop, heated swimming pool, playground, picnic area and volleyball/basketball court. Over the years it has been used as a venue for events such as company parties, family reunions and numerous weddings.