MIAMI BEACH, FL—Known for creating The Meridian Hotel in Miami Beach’s upscale South of Fifth neighborhood, developer duo Diego Colmenero and Charlie Porchetto are planning to expand its Urbanica The Hotels brand with additional properties in Miami.
Here’s a closer look at what makes these new properties distinctive:
The Kaskades Hotel on 300 17th St. opened in April, and is managed by Urbanica as an independent operation, yet similar in design to The Meridian Hotel. The renovation of the pre-war property included a new glass lobby, a modernized reception desk, and the addition of Urbanica’s contemporary cafe, The Food Marchand, in the hotel’s ground floor.
The Euclid Hotel, located at 426 Euclid Ave., is currently under construction and slated to open this summer with 30 guestrooms and Orilla—sister restaurant to their first outpost in Argentina located at The Suites Hotel—helmed by Chef Fernando Trocca and top mixologist Inés De Los Santos, in partnership with restaurateur Martin Pittaluga. The menu will showcase seasonal ingredients and steaks cooked in a Josper oven.
The Fifth, on 803 Fifth St., is slated to open in 2020 with 50 guestrooms. Among the amenities will include on-site parking and a restaurant with a menu also designed by Chef Trocca.
The Biscayne, located at 3200 Biscayne Blvd., in the burgeoning Edgewater area, is scheduled to open in late 2020. The hotel will have 210 guestrooms, approximately 5,000 sq. ft. of retail space on the ground floor, and a 7,000-sq.-ft. rooftop pool, bar and entertainment space.
“We wanted to offer something new to this area as we felt Edgewater lacked luxury hotels to complement its upscale community filled with high- rise condominiums and notable restaurants,” said Colmenero and Porchetto. “This neighborhood is quickly becoming a more vibrant part of the city, filled with sophisticated families and young professionals. For our hotel guests, The Biscayne will be conveniently located only minutes away from major highways, and trendy neighborhoods, including the Miami Design District, Brickell, Downtown, and Wynwood.”
“We see Miami as the world’s next great metropolis, and our goal is to enrich the lives of both visitors and locals,” said Colmenero and Porchetto. “We have been visiting Miami since our childhoods and are drawn to city’s multicultural energy, scenic vistas and cool vibe. Our goal is to create warm, friendly and attentive environments in Miami’s hippest neighborhoods, where our guests feel immediately at home.”
Outside of Miami, there are plans to expand the Urbanica lifestyle brand to other major cities in the future, including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.