Miami Beach is full of ghosts. Not the spooky kind, usually, but the architectural kind—buildings that defined an entire era only to vanish behind plywood or get swallowed by corporate rebrands. But nothing feels quite as personal to a Miamian as the shuttering of the Delano South Beach. If you walked down Collins Avenue in the late nineties, you didn't just see a hotel. You saw a cultural shift. It was the place where Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck basically invented the "boutique hotel" concept as we know it today.
It was white. Very white.
Honestly, the sheer audacity of an all-white lobby with billowing floor-to-ceiling curtains was enough to make your head spin back then. It was theatrical. It was weird. It was exactly what South Beach needed to move past its gritty eighties reputation. But today? The Delano South Beach stands empty, caught in a legal and developmental limbo that has lasted far longer than anyone expected.
The Philippe Starck Revolution and the "Village" Concept
When the Delano South Beach opened its doors in 1995, it didn't just offer rooms; it offered a lifestyle. Schrager, the man behind Studio 54, knew how to curate a crowd. He brought in Philippe Starck to handle the interiors, and the result was what they called "Alice in Wonderland" chic.
Think about it.
You had giant oversized chairs in the lobby next to tiny stools. There was a "water salon"—a pool that featured music playing underwater and a literal silver table and chairs sitting in the shallow end. It was pretentious, sure, but it was also revolutionary. Before the Delano, hotels were places you slept. After the Delano, they were "urban resorts." The idea was that you never had to leave the property. You had the Rose Bar for cocktails, the Blue Door for dinner (which was a massive celebrity magnet), and the beach club for recovery.
Madonna was a partial owner.
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That single fact alone changed the gravity of the neighborhood. Suddenly, the Delano South Beach wasn't just a hotel; it was the epicenter of global cool. You’d have George Clooney at the bar and a random fashion shoot happening in the orchard. The "orchard," by the way, was just a manicured patch of grass with some trees, but because it was the Delano, it felt like the most exclusive forest on earth.
Why the White Curtains Fell
So, what went wrong? It wasn't one single thing. It was a slow erosion followed by a sudden collapse.
By the mid-2010s, the "boutique" market was crowded. The 1 Hotel South Beach opened nearby with a "nature-inspired" luxury that made the Delano’s stark minimalism feel a bit dated. Then there was the ownership shuffle. Morgans Hotel Group, which owned the Delano, was eventually acquired by SBE Entertainment Group in 2016. SBE, led by Sam Nazarian, had big plans, but the physical building was tired. Anyone who stayed there in 2018 or 2019 probably noticed the cracked tiles or the slightly musty smell that comes with an oceanfront property built in 1947.
Then 2020 hit.
The pandemic was the final blow for the Delano South Beach in its original form. While other hotels took the downtime to renovate and reopen, the Delano stayed dark. It became a shell. In late 2020, Eldridge Industries acquired the property from SBE, and shortly after, it was announced that Cain International would lead the redevelopment.
The plan? A massive overhaul. But "massive" in Miami means permits, historical preservation board meetings, and a whole lot of waiting. The Delano is a protected Art Deco landmark, meaning you can't just tear it down and build a glass tower. You have to respect the bones. And the bones of the Delano, designed originally by Robert Swartburg, are sacred.
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The Future: Ennismore and the Highgate Deal
If you’re looking for the Delano South Beach today, you won’t find it on Expedia. It’s currently a construction site.
The latest word—and this is where things get interesting for the future of South Beach—is that the brand is being revived under a partnership between Ennismore and Cain International. But there’s a twist. The "Delano" brand is expanding globally (like the Delano Paris), while the original Miami location is undergoing a deep restoration.
The goal is to bring back the glamour without the "tired" feeling of the late 2010s. We’re talking about a full restoration of the facade and a complete gutting of the interiors. They’ve brought in heavy hitters for the redesign, moving away from the Starck whimsy toward something perhaps a bit more "quiet luxury," though details remain closely guarded.
It’s a gamble.
South Beach is different now. It’s more expensive, more commercial, and way more corporate. Can a restored Delano capture that lightning in a bottle again? Or has the soul of the beach moved further north to places like the Faena District or even across the bay to downtown?
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Delano Magic"
Most people think the Delano was famous because of the celebrities. That’s backwards. The celebrities came because the Delano created a sense of "indoor-outdoor" flow that didn't exist in luxury hotels before then.
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- The Lobby as Theater: The lobby was purposefully designed to be a long, narrow "catwalk." You had to walk past everyone to get anywhere. It forced social interaction.
- The Lighting: Starck used specific amber gels and low-wattage bulbs that made everyone look like a movie star. It was the original Instagram filter before Instagram existed.
- The Service: It was famously "cool," which sometimes translated to "rude," but it created an aura of exclusivity.
If the new owners try to make the Delano South Beach too "friendly" or too "family-oriented," they might lose the very thing that made it a legend. The Delano was never meant to be comfortable in the traditional sense; it was meant to be a scene.
The Legal Tangles and Ownership Drama
You can't talk about the Delano without mentioning the messy business side. For years, there were whispers of disputes between the operators and the various holding companies. When SBE sold their stake, it marked the end of an era of independent-feeling management.
Currently, the redevelopment is a multi-million dollar undertaking. Cain International, which has a massive portfolio including the Beverly Hilton and the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, isn't playing around. They aren't just slapping a coat of paint on it. They are trying to position the Delano South Beach as a competitor to the Aman Miamis of the world.
That means fewer rooms, higher prices, and a much more private feel.
Actionable Insights: If You’re Planning a Miami Trip
Since you can't actually stay at the Delano South Beach right now, you have to look elsewhere to capture that vibe. If you’re a fan of the original Delano aesthetic, here is how you should navigate the current Miami scene:
- Check out the SLS South Beach: It’s also a Philippe Starck design and is essentially the spiritual successor to the Delano's high-energy, whimsical pool party vibe.
- Visit the Shore Club (if you can): Like the Delano, the Shore Club is also in a state of flux and redevelopment (set to become Auberge Resorts Collection), but it represents the same era of South Beach history.
- Stay at the National Hotel: Located right next door, it’s an Art Deco gem that has maintained its classic feel and features one of the longest, most stunning pools in the city.
- Monitor the Ennismore Announcements: If you want to be the first back in the Delano, keep an eye on Ennismore’s "Dis-loyalty" membership program, which often features their new openings.
The Delano South Beach will return. It has to. The building is too iconic to sit empty forever, and the brand name carries too much weight to be left in the archives. But it won't be the Delano of 1995. It’ll be something new—a polished, 2020s version of luxury that reflects a much wealthier, much more global Miami.
Just don't expect the silver table in the pool to come back. Some things are better left in the nineties.
Wait for the official reopening dates, likely to be staggered over the next 18 to 24 months as construction permits clear. In the meantime, the white curtains are tucked away, waiting for the next act in the most dramatic story on Collins Avenue.