The Shore Club is a ghost right now. If you walk past 1901 Collins Avenue today, you won’t find a lobby buzzing with models or the smell of expensive hibiscus perfume. Instead, you'll see construction scaffolding and the skeleton of a legend. It’s quiet. But for anyone who lived through the early 2000s in Miami, that silence is loud because the Shore Club wasn't just a hotel. It was the epicenter of a specific kind of South Beach cool that felt effortless before everything became curated for Instagram.
Things change. They had to.
By the time the hotel shuttered its doors in 2020, the wear and tear were showing. The white curtains in the iconic gardens were looking a little gray around the edges. Now, we are watching a massive $1 billion transformation into the Shore Club Private Collection and an Auberge Resorts Collection hotel. It’s a pivot from "party central" to "ultra-luxury sanctuary," and honestly, it’s about time.
Why the Shore Club Miami Still Matters
History is sticky in Miami Beach. You can't just tear things down. The Shore Club's soul is tied to its 1939 Art Deco roots, designed originally by Albert Anis. It’s part of the Cromwell Eastover Historic District. When Robert A.M. Stern Architects took on this redesign, they couldn't just bulldoze the memories. They had to weave a 200-foot tall modern glass tower into the existing fabric of the original Shore Club and the neighboring Cromwell Hotel.
It’s a delicate dance.
People care about this place because it represents the "Billionaire's Row" shift of the North Beach area moving south. We are seeing the "Cote d’Azur-ification" of Miami. The new iteration will feature only 49 residences and 75 hotel suites. That’s a massive drop in density from the original hotel’s 300+ rooms. They are trading volume for exclusivity. If you’re looking for a rowdy spring break spot, this won't be it anymore.
The Architecture of a Rebirth
The project is led by Witkoff and Monroe Capital. They aren't just slapping on a coat of paint. They are literally moving the historic Cromwell Hotel building. Well, not moving the whole thing, but they are meticulously preserving the facade and integrating it into the new private club entrance.
📖 Related: The Gwen Luxury Hotel Chicago: What Most People Get Wrong About This Art Deco Icon
The new tower is the real showstopper. It’s designed to look like a series of waves or sails catching the Atlantic breeze. It’s curvy. It’s glass-heavy. It’s everything the original 1930s architecture wasn't, yet it somehow works.
The landscape design is being handled by PWP Landscape Architecture—the same firm that did the National September 11 Memorial. Expect lush, botanical-heavy gardens that feel like a private estate rather than a hotel pool deck. It’s meant to be a "botanical path" from the street to the sand.
What Happened to the Old Vibe?
Let’s be real. The old Shore Club was known for the Red Room. It was dark, it was moody, and it was where you went to see people you shouldn't be seeing. It had that Philippe Starck whimsy—mismatched chairs, surrealist touches, and a pool scene that felt like a fashion shoot.
That era is dead.
The new Shore Club is leaning into "quiet luxury." Auberge Resorts Collection is famous for properties that feel like high-end homes, not hotels. Think of the Lodge at Blue Sky or Hotel Jerome. They do "texture" better than almost anyone else in the industry. The new vibe is organic: hand-plastered walls, French oak, and travertine. It’s expensive, and it looks it.
The "Beach Club" will be the heartbeat of the new property. It’s a private-membership-style setup that aims to compete with the likes of Soho Beach House, but with a more refined, less "work-from-my-laptop" energy.
👉 See also: What Time in South Korea: Why the Peninsula Stays Nine Hours Ahead
The Realities of the $1 Billion Price Tag
A lot of people hear "billion-dollar renovation" and think it’s just marketing fluff. It’s not.
- The Penthouse: It recently went under contract for something like $120 million. That's a record-shattering number even for Miami.
- The Beach House: There is a single-family villa right on the ocean, which is almost unheard of in this part of South Beach.
- The Suites: Every hotel room is being reconfigured to be massive.
The cost reflects the engineering nightmare of building a skyscraper on a sandbar while keeping 80-year-old buildings from falling over. It also reflects the skyrocketing cost of materials and the "Miami Premium" that has hit the construction industry since 2021.
What to Expect When It Finally Opens
You've probably seen the "opening soon" signs for years. Construction in Miami is notoriously slow because of hurricanes, groundwater issues, and the sheer complexity of the city’s building codes. The current target for the full reveal is 2026.
When you finally walk in, don't expect the old neon and loud music.
You’ll likely enter through the historic Cromwell lobby, which will feel more like a private library than a check-in desk. There will be multiple pools, but they will be tiered to offer different levels of privacy. One of the biggest complaints about the old Shore Club was the lack of direct beach views from the lower floors; the new tower solves that by elevating the residences and suites to start much higher up.
Dining will be a huge component. While they haven't officially named all the concepts, the rumor mill suggests a signature Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that focuses on "crudo" and open-fire cooking. It will be the kind of place where you spend $400 on lunch and don't regret it because the olive oil was flown in from a specific grove in Tuscany.
✨ Don't miss: Where to Stay in Seoul: What Most People Get Wrong
Why This Matters for Miami’s Future
The Shore Club is a bellwether. If it succeeds, it proves that South Beach can pivot away from its "party town" reputation and compete with the ultra-luxury markets of St. Barts or Monaco.
There is a risk, though.
Some locals feel like the soul of the beach is being sold to the highest bidder. When you replace a 300-room hotel with 49 condos, you change the neighborhood's energy. It becomes quieter. More residential. Less accessible. Whether that’s a "good" thing depends entirely on whether you’re the one buying a $20 million condo or the one who just wants a reasonably priced cocktail on a Saturday night.
Actionable Tips for Visiting or Tracking Progress
If you are planning a trip to Miami or looking to invest in the area, here is the ground-level reality of the Shore Club right now:
- Don't try to book yet. Even if some third-party sites show "availability" for late 2025, ignore it. Wait for the official Auberge Resorts portal to go live.
- Stay nearby to watch the progress. If you want to see the architecture up close, stay at the SLS South Beach or The Setai. Both are immediate neighbors and offer the best "construction-watch" views.
- Check the historic markers. If you're a fan of Albert Anis, take a walk around the perimeter of the site on 20th Street. You can still see the preserved Art Deco lines of the original structure being reinforced.
- Monitor the Beach Club membership. If you aren't staying at the hotel or buying a residence, the Beach Club membership will be your only way "in." These lists are already forming through backchannels.
- Look at the secondary market. For those interested in the real estate side, keep an eye on "assignments." Sometimes buyers who got in early on the Private Collection list their units before the building is even finished.
The Shore Club isn't just a building. It's a statement about where Miami is going. It's moving away from the flash and towards something more permanent, more expensive, and much more exclusive. Whether it maintains that "magic" that made it famous in the first place remains to be seen, but the sheer scale of the ambition here is hard to ignore. Watch this space. 2026 is going to be a big year for Collins Avenue.