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The Fontainebleau

Location: 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL

t’s hard to imagine a time when Fontainebleau wasn’t a fixture on the Miami Hotel scene. Every American president since Dwight Eisenhower has spent a night on sweet, sweet Fontainebleau sheets. Since 1954 every celebrity has been able to gage their level of popularity by whether or not they were booked in this hotel. Every one from Frank Sinatra to Kevin Feaderline has stayed here. Classic movies like Goldfinger, Scarface, and Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach have been filmed on these hallowed grounds. It’s a classic. It’s a relic. It’s being remodeled.

Yes, this monument to Miami opulence is getting a $1 billion facelift. The hotel’s famous lagoon pool is one of the areas currently shut down for reservations (don’t worry there are a still 2 pools available) with more to follow. Once all the work is completed, the new and improved the Fontainebleau will have 1,504 guest rooms, 11 restaurants, a nightclub, pools with cabana islands, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and spa, plus more than 60,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space. The hotel began expanding in 2005 and since then two all-suite towers have been added to the compound. Now all of the original buildings are being touched up to match the upgrades. 2005 was when the Tresor building was completed. With 36 floors, the building has their own pool on the seventh floor and rooms offer a bay view (of the city), or an ocean view. Meanwhile, the Sorrento opened in March. With 19 floors, it offers both an ocean view (of the ocean and city), and an ocean front (which faces the water). Rooms are larger than the Tresor tower and come equipped with all the technology you could want in your room. Both towers only offer up suite options, the smallest of which are studio suites and start around $250. The two other towers, the Versailles and Chateau will open in the next couple years.

The Fontainebleau has been a landmark of modern architectural excellence, so hopefully the original design won’t be changed too much. The building was designed in an Art Deco style by Morris Lapidus (it’s one of three hotels the architect designed on Collins Avenue). Matching his unique design style will be difficult, but the at least the contractors never have to worry about a budget for this project. The Fontainebleau has more money to spend than a most of Africa, this building is going to impress. Guaranteed.-P.B.

For more information call 305-538-2000

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