PRICEY JUNK ON THE BAL HARBOUR BEACH
The Bal Harbour Sheraton hotel located just north of Miami Beach, and one of the better hotels of the Sheraton brand is about to be demolished. Replacing it will be a St. Regis condo-hotel.
The St. Regis, like the Sheraton, is owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts – one of the largest “hotel and leisure” companies. The difference between the two brands is that the St. Regis group comprises one of the company's premium products, while the Sheraton is its mid-range, family/business hotel.
The soon to be constructed St. Regis will be in a great location -- on the beach -- carrying a swell Bal Harbour address and situated directly across the street from the super upscale Bal Harbour Shops.
The shops, an open air mall, has Neiman Marcus as its anchor, and features Tiffany’s and Harry Winston -- retailers that are more fitting for a St. Regis crowd, than a typical Sheraton visitor.
The St. Regis condo advertisements feature typical industry hyperbole: “world class spa,” “professional gym,” “designer lobby,” and “top-of-the-line appliances.” While the property’s promotional material touts its ocean direct location and, by extension, the building’s great views, ads fail to mention what most residents will really be looking at.
To maximize profits and squeeze in as many units as possible, residents will have a partial or total view of other residents’ bedrooms and living areas. Many owners and guest will be treated to a view of this:
When viewing the awful design of the new St. Regis, even an architectural novice can conclude this large bland building has to be a project by or partnered with the environmental terrorist development team of Sieger Suarez (SS).
Non-descript buildings crowd every square inch of beach they can destroy. The project, like most of the buildings SS markets, was met with community opposition.
Height, open-space requirements, and, traffic were just a few issues community residents addressed. Unlike many of their other buildings, SS was able to assuage much of the opposition. Apparently the promise of community use of some of the hotel/condos amenities, and the switch from a Sheraton to a St. Regis was enough to win some over.
Unfortunately, the residents don’t know this is not just a St. Regis, but a property connected with Sieger Suarez. Pleasing aesthics, original design, and site specific buildings are not their strong points. Beach-destroying highrises are.
The project with prices starting at 1.3 millions dollars, (at $1,500 per square feet), has few takers. Why?
The soon to be constructed building will be as visually unappealing as the buildings the residents will be forced to look at.
Perhaps that is just desserts for the residents of the adjacent building. Now they, too, can see a building as large, incongruous, and as beach unfriendly, as their own.
