Boston-bred Telluride transplants Bill Fandel and Brian O’Neill are the dynamic sales duo for Telluride’s first five-star property in over a decade.
When Brian O’Neill clicks into his skis, he assumes the role of powder broker. RENDERING BY HAYES DAVIDSON
When Bill Fandel and Brian O’Neill came to Telluride in the late 1980s, dirt roads still ran through town. “It was a vibrant place, but you could also see the promise of what was to come,” Fandel says. They both worked hard and hustled in those early days. “My first job in Telluride was clearing trees in The Preserve for an old woodsman named Captain Jack Carey. He was a legendary character.” Next, Fandel manned the front-desk phones while the Peaks Hotel was under construction, working out of a double-wide trailer.
On the recommendation of friend and filmmaker Greg Stump, O’Neill came to Telluride in 1989, landing a coaching job with the ski club. “It was the classic story—I came for one winter and never left,” says O’Neill, who ended up traveling the globe as a sponsored TNF athlete, filming with Warren Miller and MSP, and guiding with Telluride Helitrax and with Dean Cummings in Alaska. In 2005, O’Neill was swept over two cliffs in a backcountry avalanche, shattering his cervical vertebrae. “Somehow, I survived, but it had a profound impact on me,” he says. “I had to reassess my risk-reward ratio.”
In the Four Seasons residences, large sliding glass doors will open onto private terraces. RENDERING BY HAYES DAVIDSON
Both of them have long since pivoted to real estate and development. Fandel is the founding broker of Compass in Telluride (tellurideluxuryproperties.com), and O’Neill is a director at Telluride Properties (tellurideproperties.com). This in-the-know broker duo has been tapped to lead sales for a much-anticipated property in Telluride.
In Mountain Village, a prime piece of real estate—ski-in, ski-out, steps from the plaza and the gondola connecting the village to historic downtown—has been sitting undeveloped for years. Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Telluride (tellurideprivateresidences.com), a $1 billion joint venture between real estate development firms Merrimac Ventures and Fort Partners, will fill the space. “When Ron Allred mapped out Mountain Village, this site at the base of the gondola was always meant for a flagship hotel,” Fandel says. “It’s a key piece of the puzzle.”
The property is under construction, with build-out slated for 2028. When completed, the Four Seasons will comprise 27 private residences, 42 hotel residences, and 52 independent hotel keys. It will be the first five-star offering built in Telluride in 15 years.
Seattle-based architecture firm Olson Kundig conceived three buildings nestled into the mountainside, surrounded by green space. “The design is very thoughtful,” Fandel says. “They broke up the mass and scale.” Featuring stacked stone, textural wood and articulated metal elements, the hotel’s design balances Telluride’s rugged landscape with the Four Seasons standard of luxury and comfort. Olson Kundig is also overseeing the private residence’s interior design, while Clements Design will head up the interior design on the hotel rooms and residences.
“When Ron Allred mapped out Mountain Village, this site at the base of the gondola was always meant for a flagship hotel. It’s a key piece of the puzzle.”–BILL FANDEL
Elevating the property are floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing unobstructed postcard views of some of Colorado’s most dramatic summits, including Mount Wilson and Campbell Peak. “The best part about the Four Seasons project is that the developers are so in tune with what makes Telluride tick,” O’Neill says. “They know the community is what makes this place hum. They don’t want to change that.”
WE ASKED THESE IN-THE-KNOW BROKERS TO SHARE THEIR FAVORITE TELLURIDE THINGS.
BRIAN O’NEILL PHOTO: BY ABIE LIVESAY
BRIAN O’NEILL
Coffee: I make a double latte with Lavazza Crema e Gusto in my kitchen with views of Bear Creek out my window.
Sustenance: The Floradora Saloon (floradorasaloon.com) is my favorite spot. It’s been in the same family for more than 35 years. It’s old Telluride.
Happy Hour: Across the street from the chairlift, Oak (oakstelluride.com) is hands down my favorite spot for meeting friends for margaritas.
Ski Day: My best days have been as a client with Telluride Helitrax (helitrax.com). In the lower 48, you can’t beat it.
BILL FANDEL BY DUTCH SIMPSON
BILL FANDEL
Coffee: I’ll have a cappuccino at the lobby bar in the Sheridan (newsheridan.com). I have a lot of meetings there—it’s an extension of my office.
Sustenance: I love brunch at 221 South Oak Street (221southoak.com) on a sunny morning, and The National has a great Moroccan-spiced pork.
Happy Hour: The crispy shrimp-and-calamari appetizer has been on the Cosmopolitan (cosmotelluride.com) menu for 20 years; I get it every time.
Ski Day: My perfect ski day would be a civilized ten-to-two with lunch at Alpino Vino.
The Four Seasons floor-to-ceiling glass windows will capture Telluride’s San Juan mountain vistas. BY HAYES DAVIDSON
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