Immense yet Intimate

By Jessica Harlan

This spectacular listing combines the grandeur of an enormous estate with the comfort of your favorite easy chair.

Aspen, Colorado
15 bedrooms
56,000 square feet

One wouldn't necessarily call a 56,000-square-foot house
cozy. After all, a property this size, measuring more than
an acre of interior space, is bigger than the White House.
But in the case of Hala Ranch, the immensity of the house—not to
mention the 95 acres on which it sits—somehow manages to con-
vey a feeling of warmth and intimacy, says Joshua Saslove, broker/own-
er of Joshua & Co., the firm that is representing this estate.
There's no doubt you'd feel welcome at Hala Ranch—after
all, its very name means “welcome” in Arabic, and that word greets
visitors in a stone sculpture in the entrance to the main residence.
Owned by Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, former
Saudi Arabia ambassador to the United States, Hala Ranch's size and
amenities make it ideal for someone with a large extended family.
It takes quite a few houseguests to take advantage of the 15
bedrooms and more than 16 bathrooms. Young residents and guests
(not to mention their parents) will appreciate the children's wing,
with four bedroom suites and a sitting room, as well as a game room
stocked with arcade and video games. Meanwhile, the master suite
offers the ultimate in comfort and pampering. There is a beauty and
barber room for styling and massages, plus a fireplace, dual dressing
areas and full baths with hand-etched glass showers. A butler's pantry
services a small dining area for a quiet breakfast or intimate supper.
Surprises and incredibly luxurious touches await at every turn
inside this incredible property, from the elevator that facilitates tra-
versing between the three floors, to the baby grand piano and the

antique Navajo rugs that are reportedly included with the property's sale price. An indoor waterfall makes for a striking entrance to the main residence. A full commercial kitchen is equipped to prepare anything from a midnight snack to an enormous banquet, while a complex dumbwaiter system can deliver the meals to the dining room that seats 24, or to other rooms within the house. The great room is enormous and features a wood-burning fireplace and handcrafted stained glass and metalwork. But one of Saslove's favorite details, he says, is the indoor swimming pool—the bottom is intricately inlaid with a mosaic of colorful fish, and the ceiling above the pool is teak.

Enormous windows pay tribute to amazing views of the
Rocky Mountains. The grounds feature terraces, decks, outdoor sculp-
ture gardens, a charming man-made brook, reflecting pools, and a
fire pit ideal for a summer barbecue or a cold-weather bonfire. The
land boasts cross-country ski trails, a fishing pond, hiking and biking
trails, an indoor pool, an exercise room, a regulation-sized racquet-
ball court and a tennis court. The equestrian facilities include a heat-
ed stable with 10 stalls and a library/den, as well as a heated hay barn.
A dedicated wastewater treatment plant and a mechanic's shop
complete with car wash and gasoline pumps make the property ful-
ly self-sufficient. Also, a sophisticated and extensive security system
surrounds the entire property.
Built in 1990, the $135 million Hala Ranch is truly one of its
kind. No other estate of its magnitude can ever be built again in Aspen
because of restrictive covenants passed since its construction.
95 acres