Miami’s Ritz-Carlton hotel is back after a $90M renovation. (Photo: Jock Fistick)

$90m and two years later, the iconic SoBe Ritz-Carlton welcomes guests once again with a reinvented interior.

Miami’s South Beach will welcome its Ritz-Carlton property back into the fold after a €81.7 m ($90m) renovation took the property off the market for two years.

The hotel closed after Hurricane Irma tore through the Florida city, and will now open again just in time for the NFL’s Big Game.

We take a look inside this transformed property.

Ritz-Carlton rebooted

Miami’s South Beach neighbourhood has long been associated with stunning Art Deco properties, and the building that houses the iconic Ritz-Carlton hotel is no different.

With a gleaming white facade that boasts Art Deco’s signature curves, the property was designed by famed Miami hospitality architect Morris Lapidus in 1953 and is one of the most typical Miami Modern-style hotels in the area.

The iconic hotel fell victim to Hurricane Irma in 2017, and guests to the new and improved SoBe Ritz-Carlton will be happy to see that its famous bubble wall and black and white terrazzo flooring is still intact. However, there are many surprises that await guests new and old to this renowned hotel.

Reimagining the Ritz-Carlton

Apart from a few period details, a lot of what once constituted the South Beach Ritz-Carlton has been completely overhauled to the tune of $90m.

This investment was put towards breathing new life into all 376 guest rooms, as well as the common areas including the ballrooms, meeting and event spaces, corridors and the F&B areas, many of which were extensively damaged by flooding and rainwater after the 2017 storm.

The reimagined hotel channels the destination’s tropical nature and takes inspiration from the sleek, glamorous culture of Miami as well as the sparkling blue waters and the white sandy beaches.

“We are thrilled to open our doors again, re-establishing our positioning as the top luxury hotel in Miami. We have worked extensively to create an authentic sense of place filled with bespoke touches, so that travellers visiting the destination leave with the rhythm of South Beach beating in their hearts,” says Sase Gjorsovski, GM of The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach.

“With this new chapter, we bring tailored service and culture into each and every space. We have taken every bit of feedback into consideration to ensure a truly unique experience for all.”

Designed for dreamers

The Ritz-Carlton has never been a shy hotel brand and this incarnation of the Miami property is certainly no shrinking violet.

Interiors were spearheaded by designers Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), who have taken their cues from Florida’s lush vegetation and reimagined the guest room interiors as a vast botanical garden, from which pop unexpected references to Miami’s culture and history.

The overall effect falls somewhere between lavish home and comforting hotel and guests can indulge in all of Miami’s playful charms in the lobby social space, as well as around the pool in the newly converted DiLido beachfront bar.

Gjorsovski expanded on the concepts behind the F&B outlets and room interiors, saying, “Our culinary spaces have been reimagined to honour Miami history. Extensive research was conducted into the history of Miami, and what makes the city so special and unique. These features will be prevalent throughout the redesign of each of the 376 guest rooms and suites.”

(Photos: Ritz-Carlton)