Today Ken and I toured the new Escala Midtown condominiums and Club Cielo at the invitation of the developers, John & Bonny Midby and their son, ZINO Society member and PONCHO Board of Trustees member, Eric Midby. Eric greeted us curbside and personally took care of valet parking our car below in the 8 level underground garage. See photo above.
What an exquisite building! The details are truly painstakingly amazing. As we entered the main lobby, the finish on the koa wood wall behind the reception desk which soars up the entire grand staircase looked as smooth and shiny as butter. Individual side chairs and side tables were works of art. One of the side tables had a pearlized lacquer finish that was sensuous to the touch. The many different chairs from Italy are all richly designed and upholstered with sumptuous fabrics. The custom carpet is playful, yet sophisticated with its bright colors and oversize designs.
There are two ways to get to the health club and spa area that are up one floor; either via the curved and elegant grand staircase (see photo above of John, Bonny and Eric Midby at the base of the stairway) or in a small jewel of an elevator with an incredible floor of curving inlaid metal within polished semi-precious stone. The spa is restful yet boasts a psychedelic design on the walls that appears to undulate. The workout room contains all first-class exercise equipment and two resistance pools and is bright and inviting as it overlooks Fourth Avenue.
Other amenities include a rustic, yet elegant wine cellar that seats 18 for dinner and beautiful wood lockers, a theatre equipped with the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in and surround sound, a bar and dining room adjacent to an immense exterior terrace complete with an oversize fireplace and a non-shadow producing awning to keep rain out but let light in. The Midby’s have an incredible eye for detail and I have not seen anything in Seattle where each tiny detail has been so carefully executed.
We saw several other friends today who were looking at some of the available condominiums including PONCHO Board member Carmen Gayton and ZINO Society member, Randy Squires.
Club Cielo is the only private lifestyle and social full-service health club to open in Seattle in the past two decades. Membership enquiries are being handled by Cynthia Johnson, the membership director. I am especially looking forward to our ZINO Society holiday party on December 2nd which is entitled “Stairway to Heaven” and is one of the very first public events in the new space. We are planning lots of surprises including food, music, seven winemakers, and beautiful people.
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