Edited by: TJVNews.com
After a long and difficult year for the travel and tourism industry, it has been reported that the “sun and fun capitol of the world” better known as Miami Beach is getting a new luxury hotel.
Singer-songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams and hospitality mogul David Grutman are partnering with developer Eric Birnbaum on the Goodtime Hotel, a 266-room, seven floor hotel on Washington Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets in the South Beach area, as was reported on the Real Deal web site.
The building, designed by NYC architect Morris Adjmi, will also include a recording studio, a retail component and of course, Grutman-style dining opportunities, according to a Miami Herald report. Raymond Jungles is handling the landscaping, and Ken Fulk is the designer. Birnbaum is also co-founder of New York-based Imperial Companies, as was reported by the Real Deal.
The Real Deal reported that the roughly $200 million development marks the first major new project on Washington Avenue in years. “It’s great real estate, and there’s no reason that it shouldn’t go back to what it once was,” Birnbaum said, referring to Washington Avenue. Grutman said the goal is to make “aspiration accessible,” and Birnbaum said the hotel will be an “affordable luxury.”
The Miami Herald observed of the success of Grutman’s business ventures: “Aside from owning the hottest nightclub in South Florida, LIV, the father of two owns a bunch of hip restaurants and has had every Kardashian and supermodel on the planet aboard his yacht, The Groot.” Last year, Grutman sold a majority stake in Groot Hospitality to Live Nation Entertainment for an undisclosed amount, as was reported by the Real Deal.
The hotel and retail development will include Strawberry Moon, a full-service restaurant, bar and pool club. Grutman said the outdoor space includes a 40,000-square-foot pool deck with cabanas and two swimming pools, as was reported by the Real Deal.
“It’s truly amazing,” Grutman told the Miami Herald. “We think we’re going to change the narrative about Washington Avenue.”
Grutman also told the Herald that while he had aspirations to open a hotel at some point in his career, he didn’t want his first one to be where most South Florida waterside hotels are located, such as Collins Avenue or Ocean Drive.
“If I did that, it would be just another reset,” said the 40 year old Naples, Florida, native. “Insane over the top luxury on the beach.”
The Miami Herald reported that what attracted the entrepreneur was that The Goodtime is housed in a completely restored complex, giving him and Pharrell more control and ways to channel their creative genius.
“Coming out of Covid, we think people will want to be outdoors and have that experience,” Grutman said, according to the Real Deal.
The Miami Herald reported that Grutman told them that he recalls walking up and down Washington Avenue in the mid-1990s after graduating from University of Florida, and wanting badly to work as a a bartender at one of the trendy watering holes of the time.
“I passionately wanted to be a bartender at Bash or The Living Room,” Grutman admitted with a laugh. “To me that would have been my dream job but no one would hire me.”
The recent grad ended up working at Biz Bistro at Aventura Mall and meeting the mall’s owners, The Soffer family, who helped Grutman kickstart his journey to nightlife domination.
Birnbaum told the Real Deal that as a result of the pandemic, the Washington Avenue development will open gradually, Birnbaum said. “What we don’t want to do is a great big grand opening, and then a great big grand closing.”
The Real Deal reported that Grutman, who also owns Swan in the Miami Design District with Williams, was initially brought in to handle the food and beverage component of the hotel. But he introduced Birnbaum to Williams, and the three of them launched Goodtime, a new concept, Birnbaum said. They’re equal partners in the hotel brand, and Birnbaum is the majority owner of the real estate. Fulk, who Birnbaum said created a “whimsical aesthetic” for the hotel, also designed Swan. Birnbaum eventually plans to develop the next half-block on Seventh Street, which he owns.
The project was partially financed with a $45 million loan from Bank OZK in early 2018. Washington Squared Owner LLC paid $36 million for the Washington Avenue block in 2015, as was reported in the Real Deal.