Miami Beach has always been a city of reinvention. The Art Deco buildings that line Collins Avenue were themselves an act of optimism—pastel-colored monuments to a future that hadn't happened yet. Now, nearly a century later, the most iconic of those buildings are being reinvented again, this time with budgets that would have been unfathomable to their original architects and a clientele whose expectations are shaped by Aman Tokyo and the Rosewood Hong Kong.
The Delano: The Return of the Living Room
No hotel in Miami's history carries more cultural weight than The Delano. When Ian Schrager opened it in 1995, he didn't just launch a hotel—he invented a category. The Delano's Philippe Starck–designed lobby, with its billowing white curtains and surrealist furniture, became the definitive image of Miami cool. Every boutique hotel that followed was, in some sense, a footnote to the Delano.
Its March 2026 reopening, under the Ennismore umbrella with creative direction from Ben Pundole (a Schrager protégé), promises to recapture that lightning-in-a-bottle energy while updating it for an era that demands more substance beneath the style. The new Delano will feature redesigned suites with a restrained, contemporary aesthetic that nods to the original without cosplaying it.
The pool deck—always the Delano's spiritual center—is being reimagined as a members-priority space, acknowledging that the hotel's most valuable asset isn't its rooms but its social ecosystem. The message is clear: the Delano isn't just reopening. It's reclaiming.
Aman Miami Beach: 22 Residences and a Philosophy
If the Delano represents Miami's playful maximalism, Aman Miami Beach is its meditative counterpoint. Expected in late 2026 or early 2027, the property will occupy the restored Versailles building in the Faena District—a location that places it at the epicenter of Miami Beach's most ambitious cultural corridor.
The numbers alone signal exclusivity: just 22 private residences alongside the hotel, making it one of the smallest Aman properties globally. The design language draws on Japanese minimalism—clean lines, natural materials, negative space as a design element—filtered through the Faena District's artistic sensibility.
The Aman Spa will anchor the wellness offering, featuring traditional Japanese onsen-inspired bathing rituals, craniosacral therapy, and personalized longevity programs developed with the brand's network of integrative medicine practitioners. For Aman devotees—a global tribe numbering perhaps 50,000 who follow the brand from Bhutan to Montenegro—Miami Beach represents the brand's most significant urban debut since Aman Tokyo.
Pricing for the residences has not been publicly disclosed, but comparable Aman residential projects have traded in the $10–$50 million range. The waitlist is, characteristically, invitation-only.
The Raleigh Rosewood: Architecture as Art
The Raleigh has always been the architect's hotel—a 1940 Art Deco gem whose pool was designed by L. Murray Dixon and featured in countless fashion editorials. Its rebirth as Raleigh Rosewood Residences, led by developer Michael Shvo and architect Peter Marino, is the most architecturally significant hotel project in Miami Beach.
Marino—who designs boutiques for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior—brings a fashion-world sensibility to the restoration, treating the original building as a found object to be enhanced rather than erased. The project adds a 17-story residential tower behind the preserved historic structure, creating a dialogue between 1940s craftsmanship and contemporary luxury.
The hospitality program will include a private members' club and three dining concepts, at least one of which is expected to carry Michelin-starred pedigree. The Raleigh's legendary pool—arguably the most beautiful in America—will be restored and expanded, remaining the property's emotional anchor.
For architecture enthusiasts with means, the Raleigh Rosewood isn't just a hotel project. It's a case study in how to honor history while building the future.
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne: The $100 Million Refresh
While the Beach hotels generate headlines, The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne has quietly completed a $100 million renovation that repositions it as Miami's premier family-oriented ultra-luxury resort. Reopened in December 2025, the 17-acre oceanfront property now features entirely redesigned suites, an expanded spa and wellness center, and programming calibrated for high-net-worth families who want Four Seasons–level service with a residential sensibility.
Key Biscayne itself is part of the appeal. The island community—accessible only via the Rickenbacker Causeway—offers a seclusion that Miami Beach simply cannot. No Spring Break crowds. No cruise ship tourists. Just a barrier island with some of the best beaches in South Florida and a resident population that treats privacy as a constitutional right.
The $100 million price tag reflects a bet that Miami's wealthiest families want a resort that feels like an extension of their home—not a spectacle, but a sanctuary.
What the Renaissance Means
Miami Beach's hotel renaissance isn't just about renovations. It's about the city's maturation from a party destination into a legitimate global luxury market. When Aman, Rosewood, and Ennismore invest hundreds of millions in Miami Beach, they're not chasing tourists—they're serving residents. The new Miami Beach hotel is as much a social club, wellness center, and cultural venue as it is a place to sleep.
The Art Deco buildings are getting a second life. And this time, the ambition matches the architecture.
