Alex has written for Vanity Fair, Barrons, Bloomberg and Condé…
Marriott International, Inc. continues to grow its world-class luxury JW Marriott hotel brand with the opening of the JW Marriott Marquis Miami in downtown Miami. The much anticipated hotel is a crowning achievement in the rebirth of downtown Miami, and a centerpiece of the Metropolitan Miami residential, entertainment, retail, hotel and office complex. It is also the latest addition to a growing portfolio of 47 JW Marriott properties in key cities and destinations throughout the world.
“The JW Marriott Marquis Miami epitomizes the very best of the JW Marriott brand, one of the world’s fastest growing luxury brands,” said J.W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who was on-hand for today’s official grand opening ceremony. “We are confident that this unique and visually stunning hotel will become a landmark in downtown Miami attracting travelers and groups from all over the world.”
The JW Marriott brand is reserved for select luxury properties in key gateway cities and distinctive resort locations. These elegant hotels offer accomplished travelers a luxury travel experience with a distinct sense of place that appropriately reflects the genuine flavor of their surroundings. Guests will experience a hotel where sophisticated travelers can celebrate success on their terms.
Within the brand, the “Marquis” designation is reserved for select downtown properties that offer the highest levels of comfort, technology, personal service, meeting facilities, privacy and world class amenities. The JW Marriott Marquis Miami is the company’s first JW property to be classified a “Marquis”. A second 1,612-room JW Marriott Marquis is scheduled to open in Dubai in 2011.
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts growth plans call for another 20 properties expected to open over the next five years, bringing the total portfolio to more than 65 hotels in 27 countries. In December, the company will open the JW Marriott Chicago. Featuring exquisite architecture and elegant decor, this historical landmark’s $396 million restoration blends Burnham’s distinctive style with 21st century sensibility, providing downtown Chicago with a hotel of distinctive luxury. Earlier this year, the brand celebrated the opening of two landmark hotels, the JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles at L.A. Live and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Future locations include the JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown (USA), the JW Marriott Hotel Bangalore (India) and the JW Marriott Gaakoshibee Resort & Spa (Maldives).
For dining and recreation at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, the hotel will feature three restaurants, including db Bistro Moderne, the newest dining destination in Miami and home to three time James Beard Foundation winner and French Chef, Daniel Boulud. For relaxation and fitness, the hotel offers two full floors of recreation and lifestyle amenities totaling 50,000 square feet. These include an outdoor swimming pool; a 10,000-square-foot NBA approved basketball court, Jim McLean Golf School with virtual golf and golf lessons, a bowling alley, media room, billiard room and a state of the art fitness center. The hotel will also be home to South Florida’s leader in trendsetting beauty, a 4,000 square foot Rik-Rak Salon & Spa.
The JW Marriott Marquis Miami offers more than 80,000 square feet of flexible space, including the largest ballroom space in downtown Miami, at 20,000 square feet. The proximity to the Miami financial district combined with the variety of meeting space makes the JW Marriott Marquis Miami an excellent option for a larger or more intimate group.
The hotel also offers Virtual Meetings by JW Marriott, in partnership with AT&T and Cisco. The public telepresence facility at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami is the first to open in Florida and enables people to hold virtual meetings with customers and colleagues around the world.
Virtual Meetings by Marriott is part of a roll-out of AT&T Telepresence Solution(sm) — using Cisco TelePresence™ studios enabled by the AT&T network and the AT&T Business Exchange(sm) — at Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels and Renaissance Hotels around the world.
Hotel Beaux Arts Miami
In addition to the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, the Hotel Beaux Arts Miami will open in mid-November as part of the Metropolitan Miami development. Hotel Beaux Arts provides a private, urban retreat environment catering to the most sophisticated and influential business and leisure traveler. Situated on the 39th floor, with city and bay views, this architectural masterpiece offers distinguished guests total exclusivity. The hotel provides guests with their own private check-in and personal escort to 44 lavishly decorated guestrooms and suites that feature a modern elegance with plush bedding, exclusive Bang & Olufsen state-of-the-art video and sound systems throughout, hardwood floors and Italian marble bathrooms.
Located at 345 Avenue of the Americas, the JW Marriott Marquis Miami and the Hotel Beaux Arts are at the center of the new Met Miami entertainment and lifestyle complex, which is close to the financial district and American Airlines Arena – home of the Miami Heat, and a short drive from South Beach.
Marriott statements on the anticipated completion and openings of hotels are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those described in Marriott International, Inc.’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which could cause actual completion and opening dates to be different than expected.
Alex has written for Vanity Fair, Barrons, Bloomberg and Condé Nast Traveler.