The dust has mostly settled from the recession, and the market sector that caters to clientele with deep pockets is becoming one of the strongest parts of the American economy. Bigger is better, and glamor definitely sells when it comes to high-rise amenities in Tampa-area condominiums and apartment buildings.

While the Florida real estate market is hot and booming—and has been that way for months—it can never hurt to have the 'x-factor' that will pique buyers' interests and raise owners' investment value. And in a high-rise building, that x-factor might just be an amazing amenity—the more creative and innovative, the better for attracting new residents. Not so long ago, simply having a gym in a building plus a business center was a great amenity. Now? That’s standard.

Raising the Bar

While there isn't a ton of new high-rise construction currently underway in the Tampa-area, older buildings are making room for better amenities, says Diane G. Lee, CAM, president and owner of DLG Management Services based in Tampa.

Lee says that the concept of “amenities” isn't limited to physical things like fitness centers and rooftop lounges; many luxury buildings are adding events, like cooking classes and wine tastings as amenities because the building managers and developers don’t need to actually build anything. Event-based amenities like these are appreciated by residents, and can be offered in existing areas of the building, such as the party room, the deck or the kitchen area.

Another way buildings can kick things up a notch without building from scratch is by upgrading their existing spaces. “Pools are necessary in Florida,” Lee says. But in the luxury buildings, the amenities near the pool area go one step further. “You could install an outdoor TV under a gazebo, one or two high-end barbecues so this becomes the place to meet-and-greet.” Wine cellars, movie rooms, and even in-house Starbucks cafes also push buildings to another level.

Release the Hounds

Another really big trend right now is the dog park, Lee says—and these dog parks are a far cry from the days when “dog park” meant a little patch of blighted grass surrounded by a chain-link fence. “The picnic areas have places where dogs can jump through things, and jump over things, and a small area for small dogs, and an area for big dogs,” she says. “There’s also a sand area for the dogs and a water fountain for them. It’s actually a full-fledged park, like for a kid.”

One building that invested a lot of money into its dog-friendly amenities was the Grand Central at Kennedy in Tampa. According to Karen Chancey, leasing manager for the building managed by Greenacre Properties, they have a pet walk area on one of the pool decks, in addition to the dog park to the north of the buildings that residents may join. In the dog park, there are separate areas for the big dogs and for the small dogs.

The Good Life

For pet owners and non-pet owners alike, there are also other impressive amenities at the Grand Central. “We have two buildings, and we have a courtyard between them,” Chancey says. “Both buildings have pool decks, and they’re laid out the same way, with long lap pools.”

Each has a Jacuzzi, and one of the pool decks houses the gym that goes with the buildings, while the other has a clubhouse. Residents may also purchase cabanas, which are large enough to contain a bathroom, a place to relax and a place for a refrigerator.

The courtyard of the Grand Central also houses restaurants, a hair salon, a furniture store and a dry cleaners.

Some newer buildings area also adding concierge services, says Mike Grizzell, a realtor with The Mike & Michelle Team at Keller Williams Realty, based in South Tampa. “The front desk person will collect mail, drop off the dry-cleaning, provide grocery services,” Grizzell says. “You’d give them a list of things—some things that you could go to a convenience store to get. These types of services are provided in a high-end building.” Other services that might be provided could include valet parking, or securing restaurant reservations, he says.

One amenity that is turning into a thing of the past is the so-called business center. While even more modest buildings can bank on a fitness center or gym, even a small pool area, business centers are quickly becoming an outdated amenity as nearly everyone owns their own computer and printer, or at least their own smartphone. “You don’t really hear buyers asking for a business center,” says Grizzell. “They say, ‘That’s nice,’ when they see it, but I don’t know that they’re really using it.”

However, if a building has a full kitchen—within a clubhouse or in a party room, for example—buyers perk up, he says, adding that other amenities buyers tend to love are media and screening rooms where they can bring their own movies and have friends over for movie nights, theater-style.

Amenities Front-and-Center

At the Pierhouse at Channelside in Tampa, amenities aren't just nice additions—they're the stars of the show, and include a resort-inspired pool complete with a sunning deck, shaded gazebos with fire pits, and even a grotto with open showers and a big spa. The building also has a two-story gym with a therapy room that’s big enough for couples’ massages, a clubroom, a catering kitchen with a dining room and a unique nautical-themed art park.

The Pierhouse at Channelside is competing with other high-end buildings such as the Mosaic Westshore in Tampa, which also has its share of unique amenities. The Mosaic Westshore has a heated courtyard pool with cabanas, a covered summer kitchen with grills and a large seating area, a clubroom complete with billiards, a catering kitchen and bar and a gym featuring Wii Fit. The media room is outfitted with iPod docking stations, and there are Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the common area. Tropical landscaping and designated pet walk areas are situated throughout the property, and climate-controlled storage areas make sure residents’ property is kept safe regardless of the outdoor temperature.

At Casa Bella on Westshore in Tampa, residents can enjoy a 6,700-square-foot clubhouse that houses a fitness center, a billiards and game room, a media room, a great room, catering kitchen, putting green and yoga/Pilates loft. It also has a heated resort-type pool with a beach-style entry. Cabanas and lounges surround the pool, while picnic and grilling areas give residents an opportunity to mingle and enjoy the Florida weather.

One amenity unique to the Casa Bella on Westshore is the koi pond, which gives some residents an intimate water experience because koi fish swim right outside their front doors.

Kids & Cool

One amenity that is only just now catching on are kid-related facilities, Grizzell says. Common-area nurseries, playrooms and playgrounds for children so far haven’t been must-have amenities in any of the new high-rises that he’s seen—but it's a different story in townhome developments. There, it's not uncommon for a condo community to have an elaborate, state-of-the-art playground, complete with stimulating, challenging equipment designed to fire kids' imaginations and get their bodies moving.

Along with activity-based amenities and updated and enhanced versions of perennial favorites, infra-structural amenities—many of which buyers can't even see - are making headway in the market as well. For example, says Grizzell, one remarkable feature in some of the newest high-rises is the central chiller system, which can reduce the sky-high cost of air-conditioning by more than half. Residents in buildings with the system don’t pay high air-conditioning costs because the cost is wrapped into the cost of the HOA itself, Grizzell says. Instead of paying an electric bill of between $150 and $180 per month, they might be paying $40 or $60 per month. “A lot of buyers don’t even know that this is available,” he says. Grizzell says he knows of just two buildings in Tampa that have this feature, both of which were constructed post-2007: The Towers of Channelside and Grand Central at Kennedy.

Setting Oneself Apart

When a developer plans out a building’s amenities, they are usually thinking of how to set their development apart from all the others, says Nick Smyka, leasing manager and a broker with Pristine Bay Realty and Nick123.com, based in Tampa. “If people are looking at different properties, the places with the different amenities stand out, and it becomes more of a draw,” he says.

But before simply purchasing a building stocked with amenities, buyers and renters alike must first decide if the amenities are worth the extra costs, Grizzell says. “If you have too many amenities, the HOA fees will be higher,” he says.

For example, if you have a building with security and on-site staff and concierge, you could be looking at a monthly HOA fee of $1,200-$1,500 per month, he says.

The pricing also relates to the location, however, so it’s hard to pinpoint whether a particular fee is high because the amenities are luxurious, or because the property simply commands higher fees because of a prime location or other perk, Smyka says.

For example, “The Grand Bellagio has one of the best amenity packages—it has boat slips, a sauna, hot tubs, a playground for kids, dog parks, and it's on the water,” he says. “It draws higher rents and fees because they have everything—so of course, it costs more to live there.”

Some of the trickle-down costs associated with certain amenities have more to do with the cost of maintaining them than they do with any notions of status or exclusivity. If a building has a pool, the community must defray the cost of insurance, and must cover the high maintenance cost for the pool itself. If they have an in-house salon, they may have to pay salaries for workers, regardless of whether the workers are booked for a particular time slot. There are heating and cooling bills for pools and amenity floors, there’s upkeep for video and media rooms, and there are salaries to pay for supervisory staff as well.

In the end, money can’t buy love, but at least you know it can pay for amenities, which can sometimes be just as good—especially when it comes to adding value, attracting new buyers and retaining residents.

Danielle Braff is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to The Western & Central Florida Cooperator.