The Newest Hotels In Miami Beach For 2021
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Miami Beach, as a destination, was hot seeing plentiful hotel openings and high nightly rates for its most popular hotels. With Coronavirus came a penchant for being outdoors and the destination stayed top of mind.
Travel Weekly reports tremendous growth for hotels in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina when comparing metrics from March of this year with the same month in 2019. Using data from Inntopia’s DestiMetrics division, there was a 5% increase in occupancy and 29.6% in average daily rate. The data, which includes Miami Beach, also reports to strong advance business for the summer ahead.
“Greater Miami continues to ride the crest of a 30-year wave of real estate growth that at its core, is fueled by its resilient hospitality industry,” said Steve Adkins, chairman of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA).
Since early 2020, several new hotels have opened their doors in Miami Beach attracting the attention of vacationers and hoteliers looking to be where the people are.
Adkins added, “We’ve seen hotel room availability increase by more than 5,000 rooms in the past five years and we’ll continue to see this trend continue with an expected 6,000 rooms available in 2021 and beyond thanks to continuous new hotel openings.”
Launching a new hotel during pandemic times may seem surprising, but hotel developers know that Miami Beach could bounce back faster than other destinations. And that it did as shown by Inntopia’s numbers.
The new challenge was to incorporate Covid-focused protocols into the operation while not losing the intended spirit of design or style. Social distancing is contrary to what many Miami Beach travelers are seeking, but plentiful outdoor space makes it easier.
“Human beings are social animals — it’s in our DNA,” says Mitchell Hochberg, president of Lightstone and developer of the new Moxy South Beach, which opened in January of this year. “The feeling of warmth and excitement that a hotel can evoke comes in large part from being around other people, even if you’re six feet apart. In fact, what we call social distancing is really physical distancing. We can still be social but in a way that’s safe and comfortable.”
These are a few of the many hotels that opened their doors in Miami Beach in 2020 and 2021.
Moxy South Beach
Moxy South Beach incorporates poolside cabanas and open-air meeting spaces into the design. These are amenities that work now, but will be functional long after the pandemic. The 202-room hotel also counts six dining and drinking options among its portfolio, and fans of the Marriott Bonvoy program have another Miami Beach option to earn and redeem points.
Esmé Miami Beach
Esmé Miami Beach is part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts group and participates in the I Prefer Hotel Rewards loyalty program. This 145-room hotel demonstrates a Spanish-Mediterranean revival design with five food and beverage outlets plus a rooftop lounge where visitors can sample from the area’s largest selection of artisanal sangrias.
Kimpton Hotel Palomar South Beach
The Kimpton Hotel Palomar South Beach, near Miami Beach Botanical Garden, is a trendy option for IHG Rewards fans. Opened in 2020, the hotel sits on the edge of Sunset Harbour with yacht-like architecture and 96 rooms. Many of its rooms have private balconies overlooking Biscayne Bay, and those that book the Sunset Harbour Corner Terrace King room can even add a balcony bartender for more private entertaining. This is not the only Kimpton on Miami Beach; there are two others including Kimpton Surfcomber in the heart of the Art Deco district, which is fresh from a late 2020 renovation.
Berkeley Park Hotel
As part of Accor’s M Gallery Collection, this is the first property for M Gallery in Florida. Berkeley Park Hotel was originally built in 1936, but was newly renovated to the tune of $18 million before opening earlier this month. It is located two blocks from the beach in the Collins Park neighborhood of South Beach and is also the closest hotel to the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center.
The Goodtime Hotel
At Washington Avenue and 6th Street, this new hotel is a partnership between David Grutman of Groot Hospitality and Pharrell Williams. With hand-painted hothouse murals and a modern take on Art Decor decor, the 266-room Goodtime Hotel will have guests singing the famous musician’s song, “Happy,” as they enjoy the verdant pool area. There’s also a ground-floor retail area, library lounge, modern gym and dual-restaurant and pool club space called Strawberry Moon.
The Landon Bay Harbor-Miami Beach
Opened earlier this year, The Landon Bay Harbor-Miami Beach, Ascend Hotel Collection, is a new option for Choice Privileges members on Miami Beach. The hotel is designed like a modern beach house and features complimentary perks like breakfast and coffee plus guest rooms with microwaves and refrigerators.
KAYAK Miami Beach
Travel search engine brand KAYAK has opened its own hotel. KAYAK Miami Beach property will serve as a “design lab” for the company to fine tune its accommodation technology. The hotel uses wireless lock and access controls allowing for contactless check-in and in-app messaging so guests can communicate directly with hotel staff. All rooms have modern amenities like Apple TVs and Marshall speakers. The hotel’s Middle Eastern bar and restaurant concept, Layla, exclusively takes reservations via OpenTable, KAYAK’s sister brand.