Thomas the Train Toy Tycoon Ready to Let Go of Via La Favorita Estate

Sit back, relax, and drink in the views. With the timelessness of a European masterpiece, 1548 Via La Favorita affords a rare combination of exquisite natural beauty atop a dreamy 230 acres, in a private secluded location just minutes from Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts.

“This is a truly timeless legacy estate that is perched atop vast and pristine acreage with unsurpassed views of every sought-after mountain range in the Vail Valley,” says co-listing agent Malia Cox Nobrega who represents the property alongside Barbara Scrivens – both from LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.

The scenic retreat affords postcard views from nearly every room, and is the treasured personal residence of Thomas the Train toy tycoon Dick Rothkopf – an active supporter of early childhood education, who has served on the board of the Ounce of Prevention Fund since 1998, and was chairman of the organization for three years. A prominent figure in Vail, he serves on the board of the Vail Valley Foundation and the Vail Youth Foundation.

His reason for leaving this impressive gem? Rothkopf told Denver’s ABC news, “It’s time for us to build a new home closer to our children and grandchildren.” Rothkopf built the property in 2008 to accommodate his large family and many guests, focusing on an authentic Tuscan design aesthetic, and materials that exude warmth, comfort, and security.

The jaw-dropping family compound lives like a work of art, and sits on its own mountaintop on 142 acres, bordered by another 88 acres that Rothkopf turned over as restricted open space, for a total of 230 private acres.

Panoramic views of magnificent mountain vistas include New York Mountain, the Sawatch, and Gore Mountain Ranges, plus Holy Cross, Finnegan’s, Gold Dust Peak, and Castle Peak.

“Here you’ll enjoy 230-acres of private hiking, snowshoeing, ATV, and snowmobile trails, and a nearly 16,000-square-foot compound. The home is already the closest large acreage luxury residence near Vail and Beaver Creek, but the estate is being sold with a luxury sedan and the caretaker operates as a personal driver for the owner. This is a dream residence with the best of everything at your fingertips,” says Nobrega.

“Although it is very proximate to all the action it feels remote,” she adds. “The timeless character of the property is so incredible and means that an owner will never need to renovate the residence. They will just update appliances and things of that nature, but otherwise it will be gorgeous 300 years from now with normal maintenance.”

So, who is Via La Favorita’s perfect buyer? Nobrega says the eight-bedroom, nine-bathroom estate is ideal for families, or for use as a corporate retreat. It comes complete with “smart home” technology, full outdoor tennis court, indoor/outdoor basketball, billiards room, professional-quality cinema, 1,200-bottle wine room, an exquisite outdoor year-round heated pool with pool house, miles of manicured private trails, immense exercise room, spa-quality sauna, steam room, and outdoor infinity edge hot tub complemented by numerous beautiful gardens and a recirculating stream and waterfall.

For more information on Via La Favorita, visit VailLegacyEstate.com