Casa Tua spared eviction as downtown Aspen building sells for $17 million
New owners are global investment firm run by one of Great Britain’s wealthiest families
The part of the old Guido’s Swiss Inn building that is currently home to an upscale restaurant recently sold for $17 million to a subsidiary of the Reuben Brothers global investment firm.
The deal was recorded Monday in the Pitkin County Clerk & Recorder’s Office and comes on the heels of a court settlement between the property’s previous owner/landlord and tenant Casa Tua.
Records of the transaction identified the seller as Guidos Swiss Inn LLC and the buyer as CT Aspen Propco LLC. The company CT Aspen Propco was registered to do business in Colorado on July 28, according to filings with the secretary of state’s office.
The next day, on July 29, Pitkin County District Court Chris Seldin signed an order dismissing litigation between Casa Tua and its landlord, Guidos Swiss Inn. While the signed order is public record, the rest of the litigation remained sealed Tuesday because eviction proceedings are suppressed under a new Colorado law that took effect Dec. 1.
Aspen attorney Chris Bryan, who represented Casa Tua in the eviction dispute, said Tuesday in an email statement that the restaurant will remain in its current location, 403 S. Galena St., which is where it has been located since December 2010.
“Casa Tua is pleased that the landlord-tenant lawsuit has been resolved amicably without the need for further litigation,” Bryan wrote. “Casa Tua looks forward to being in Aspen for years to come.”
Glenwood Springs attorney Neil Goduba, who represents Guidos Swiss Inn, declined comment about the settlement or if it was related to the building sale. Bryan also did not respond to a question about the timing of the building sale and the settlement.
Casa Tua is a high-end Italian restaurant that also includes a membership club; its founder is Miky Grendene, who owns and operates Casa Tua locations in Miami and Paris.
Another Casa Tua is planned for New York in partnership with Reuben Brothers, the new ownership of the Aspen corner property that includes 4,300 square feet of heated indoor space, as well as an outdoor patio area.
Reuben Brothers is an international investment firm with offices in London, Geneva and Italy and run by billionaires David and Simon Reuben. A source close to the building also confirmed Tuesday the Reuben Brothers firm is the new ownership.
Their pockets are deep, evidenced by their ranking as Britain’s second richest family in the Sunday Times of London, which put their net worth at 21.645 billion pounds.
The Reubens and Grendene currently are doing business together in New York City’s Upper East Side, where the brothers bought the Surrey Hotel for $151 million in December, according to published reports. A major renovation of the 189-room hotel, scheduled to re-open in early 2023, will include Casa Tua as its food and beverage partner. Malta-based Corinthia Hotels will operate and manage the property.
In a statement included in the May news release announcing the partnership, Grendene expressed optimism about working with the Rueben Brothers.
“We are very excited to bring Casa Tua to New York and most importantly to establish a close relationship with Corinthia and the Reuben Brothers,” he said. “We feel there is great synergy between us and together our intention is to create one of the most glamorous and exciting spaces in the city. My main goal for The Surrey, as with all of my properties, is to bring unbelievable energy and soul to a landmark and truly make it feel — as our name suggests — like your home.”
The address for CT Aspen Propco, the entity under which the property is owned, is registered with the secretary of state in the name of Allen Park, Michigan-based Metro International Trade Services, which is a subsidiary of Reuben Brothers, according to public records.
A telephone message left with Casa Tua management in Aspen was not returned Tuesday.
