100-Story Waldorf Astoria Coming To Miami… Eventually

100-Story Waldorf Astoria Coming To Miami… Eventually

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It looks like there’s a Waldorf Astoria coming to Miami. The hotel will only open way down the line and details are still limited, though as a Miami resident I found this news to be interesting, given the type of development we’re talking about.

Waldorf Astoria hotel & residences Miami

The Waldorf Astoria Miami has been announced, and it will be the tallest building in Florida. The building will be 1,049 feet tall and 100 stories, making it the tallest building in all of Florida. It will be located in downtown Miami, off Biscayne Boulevard.

Rendering of Waldorf Astoria Miami

The mega-development will feature both residences and hotel rooms:

  • There will be 205 hotel rooms, on floors 7-16 and 26-31
  • There will be 360 residences on floors 40-100

While details about the hotel are limited as of now, we do have some details on the residences:

  • Residences will be anywhere from one to four bedrooms, ranging in size from around 500 square feet to around 3,500 square feet
  • Residences will start at $1 million, and will cost anywhere from $1,100 to $2,500 per square foot (ouch)

Rendering of Waldorf Astoria Miami residences

The building has been designed by architect Carlos Ott, and has a pretty cool design featuring nine stacked glass cubes that are offset.

The two acre lot on which the property will be built was purchased by developers in 2014 for $80 million.

While pre-sales of residences have now started, it’s anyone’s guess when construction will actually start, and for that matter when the hotel and residences will open. I’d be shocked if this building is finished before 2025 at the earliest, given that we’re talking about a 100-story structure.

My general take on this project

I’m obviously no expert when it comes to real estate development. Nonetheless I’ll share my take, both as a Miami resident and as someone who has been watching the hotel space in Miami pretty closely.

First of all, the location of this project has little appeal to me, personally. The Waldorf Astoria Miami will be in downtown just off Biscayne Boulevard. Yes, this is a central location in the sense that it’s close to Brickell, the cruise port, and the Design District, and not far from Miami Beach.

However, the area immediately around this isn’t very appealing to me. You’re right next to the (soon to be renamed) American Airlines Arena, and this isn’t even directly on the water, as you’re on the “other” side of Biscayne Boulevard.

From a hotel perspective, if you’re coming to Miami for vacation, you’re going to have to take a car just about everywhere from this hotel (then again, that’s the case in much of Miami).

In general in Miami we’re just seeing an incredible number of new luxury developments, and they’re all luxury “name brands” just trying to cash in on their brand. From Missoni, to Aman, to Aston Martin, the new developments are endless. Next thing you know there’s going to be a Wolfgang Puck building.

There are Aman residences coming to Miami

Bottom line

It looks like there’s eventually going to be a Waldorf Astoria coming to Miami, which will nicely expand Hilton’s luxury portfolio in Miami.

It seems pretty certain that this hotel will actually be branded as a Waldorf Astoria, given that the residences are being branded as such. However, it’s anyone’s guess when construction will actually start and when the hotel will open. At 1,000+ feet in height, the building will be hard to miss.

Anyone care to guess if/when the Waldorf Astoria Miami will open?

Conversations (38)
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  1. Brian Donelan Guest

    If you spend time in London you will see the aberrations and carbuncles that are the fruit of modern architecture there. What a hideous mess!
    Too bad Miami has opened the skyline to such visual garbage...

  2. Alberto Aran Guest

    Any one heard of 150 mph winds in hurricane, what are winds at 1,000 ft up???

    Can a building that tall withstand it?

  3. Anthony Guest

    We agree with Brian about living on Brickell, he is absolutely correct.

    The other assumptions we hold as well, hurricanes and such.

    We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhatten NYC with a view of that 88 story residential building, which from our room looked to be like a toothpick in the middle of a city, too skinny.

    Recently we read of many try to sell their very expensive condos due to many malfunctions within...

    We agree with Brian about living on Brickell, he is absolutely correct.

    The other assumptions we hold as well, hurricanes and such.

    We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhatten NYC with a view of that 88 story residential building, which from our room looked to be like a toothpick in the middle of a city, too skinny.

    Recently we read of many try to sell their very expensive condos due to many malfunctions within the building.

    Not sure what will happen to Miami if it goes the NYC way, and how it will be in the future.

  4. Jordan Brayley New Member

    Architects who design crap like this should be removed from the profession. What a hideous building, absolutely no style or taste involved.

  5. Reaper Guest

    @Robert D, "I often check the “notify me of follow-up comments by email below”. It has been at least 3 years since that checking that box has actually resulted in any notifications. Why is it still there??"

    Apparently, the same level of attention is being given to that as to the five month old:

    "Reminder: OMAAT comments are changing soon. Register here to save your space."

  6. Robert D Member

    These stacked/offset buildings are going up everywhere now. We even have one (maybe two?) in Seattle now. These buildings are gonna look really dated in a few years.
    Unrelated topic.....I often check the "notify me of follow-up comments by email below". It has been at least 3 years since that checking that box has actually resulted in any notifications. Why is it still there??

  7. DCYukon Guest

    I wonder what wind speeds are during a cat 5 , 100 floors up in a building with a floating foundation ( as all those downtown buildings are)? They’re already planning to raise streets on South Beach and Brickell, but it’s a losing battle. Maybe that’s the real plan: thanks to global warming, only the top 20 floors will be above water after Greenland’s glaciers melt and the building will be accessible by ship from Orlando, a new coastal city?

  8. Zich Member

    Looks almost identical to the twin towers in Moscow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Capitals

  9. Bo Member

    Not likely this is getting built. Projects like these take too long to finish and unfortunately the current real estate bubble will likely burst before this is completed. It starting to look like 2008 again.

  10. Dustin Guest

    More like "31 story" Waldorf-Astoria hotel, not 100 stories. Doesn't sound like any hotel rooms are above the 31st floor.

  11. Stuart Diamond

    And, because, Miami, there will be no consideration or planning as to fixing the abysmal traffic flow and urban planning needed to accommodate this monstrosity. Just plop it down there and hope for the best!

  12. Dan Guest

    I’m sorry, but what is going to happen to all these skyscrapers in Miami that is already eroding due to climate change and then a cataclysmic category 5 hurricane hitting the city - because it will happen eventually.

  13. Jerry Diamond

    We've got a 700ft "Jenga Building" in Austin too. It was completed in 2019. It must just be a current, albeit unoriginal trend.

    As for a 100 floor building being thrown up in Miami as RE prices are skyrocketing everywhere to ridiculous levels... well that all just seems really 2008-y to me. Good luck to the developers.

  14. James S Guest

    @Ben, but you can have all that while living actually on the beach, be it Key Biscayne or Miami Beach (well, north of Miami Beach, a little away from the mobs).

  15. stogieguy7 Diamond

    Hate to sound negative, but here goes: what was the architect thinking? The idea of a 100-story building in Miami is compelling (and probably somewhat overdue). But this thing looks like a child's pile of blocks. Ugggggggly as hell.

    What a shame, a building like this has so much potential to be a showplace of style and beauty.

  16. Reaper Guest

    @ Santastico, You wouldn't want to live *in any building* in coastal Florida, when a hurricane is on the way.

  17. Alex J Member

    1000 ft and 100 stories? What is it, 1920? More like 50 stories these days. People expect higher ceilings especially in luxury spaces.

  18. Santastico Diamond

    Not sure I would like to live in the penthouse when a hurricane is on the way.

  19. Tom Guest

    Have to develop fantastic public transportation and bike lanes and paths. If the lanes are safe. People will use them!!! Young/old/rich/poor. Be creative Miami

  20. Peter Diamond

    I was shocked he is not the same architect behind the "Jenga building" in NYC. Thought for sure it had to be him. I guess misaligned buildings are all the rage these days?

  21. Reaper Guest

    “ Residences will start at $1 million, and will cost anywhere from $1,100 to $2,500 per square foot (ouch)”

    So, standard San Francisco (and Manhattan? idk) pricing.

    As many have noted, these aren’t priced/meant for locals, or people from the flyover states.

    Joe’s going to raise upper income taxes. You can’t escape Uncle Sam’s tax man, but moving puts you out of reach of NY’s & CA’s.

  22. James S Guest

    What's the point is living in Miami if you're in an area without beach?

    1. Ben OMAAT

      @ James S -- As someone who chooses to live in Miami and doesn't like the beach, here's my take on that:
      https://onemileatatime.com/picking-place-to-live/

  23. Ramon Guest

    Hope they did wind tests on that design of that scale!

  24. Tom Guest

    Building that on that soft unstable sandy soil lol from an engineering perspective that'll be a lot of fun to watch a documentary on...not so much for the engineers involved. Oh and let’s see how it will hold up to a cat 5 hurricane. Architects can dream up anything they want but the engineers have to bring it to life...that’ll be the fascinating part.

  25. Randy Diamond

    Any flight path concerns?

  26. D3kingg Diamond

    I want to live on the 100th floor.

  27. Bobo Member

    How long before we are asked for a taxpayer bailout as Miami sinks, the ocean rises, and severe storms become routine? Continuing to build there is irresponsible. Already, the amount of flooding now compared to when I lived there 30 years ago is stunning.

  28. OneWorld Guest

    I usually don't mind US spelling, but this...

    If you want the whole story,
    "100-storey Waldorf Astoria"
    does look better than
    "a 100-fairy tale Waldorf Astoria"...

  29. Henry Guest

    Still looks like a Conrad

  30. MtheTraveller Guest

    A 100-storey building? Or does it have a story to it?

  31. Mark Guest

    That building is hideous!

  32. Andre New Member

    As a Hilton Honors Diamond member — pass

  33. Endre Member

    Boy, what an ugly building

  34. Brian Guest

    For 2 years I lived in a then brand new 50-story high rise in Brickell section of Miami where the bottom 20 floors were a luxury hotel.

    The building was beautiful. The views were wonderful. But actually living there was miserable.

    The roads aren’t big enough to handle the traffic with all those people living in the high rises. The drawbridge(s) are like a wrecking ball to traffic. Many of the buildings are valet only...

    For 2 years I lived in a then brand new 50-story high rise in Brickell section of Miami where the bottom 20 floors were a luxury hotel.

    The building was beautiful. The views were wonderful. But actually living there was miserable.

    The roads aren’t big enough to handle the traffic with all those people living in the high rises. The drawbridge(s) are like a wrecking ball to traffic. Many of the buildings are valet only and that’s a disaster. Trust me. Any time there’s substantial rain, which is not rare, parts of the city flood (especially Miami Beach). The cable/internet was always going out and it sometimes took a week to fix.

    My advice on Miami downtown (aka high rise living) is visit don’t stay. Tho since most of these apartments will likely be owned by offshore people parking/hiding/laundering money that’s probably the case anyway.

    My entire floor of condos was sold out but there were places that didn’t get used for 6-8 months on end. Welcome to Miami.

  35. FE Member

    Great addition to our skyline! They have taken a solid number of reservations already and prices are actually reasonable compared to other luxury buildings. Groundbreaking planned for early 2022 and completion for 2025. Don’t bet on that schedule ....we are still in Miami. Probably quicker than BER though ...:))

  36. Creditian Guest

    There’s no way to finish the FOUNDATION before 2025 given that soil condition.

  37. Ed Diamond

    At least if it’s a tall building only the lower floors are going to be underwater before you pay of your mortgage.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Brian Donelan Guest

If you spend time in London you will see the aberrations and carbuncles that are the fruit of modern architecture there. What a hideous mess! Too bad Miami has opened the skyline to such visual garbage...

0
Alberto Aran Guest

Any one heard of 150 mph winds in hurricane, what are winds at 1,000 ft up??? Can a building that tall withstand it?

0
Anthony Guest

We agree with Brian about living on Brickell, he is absolutely correct. The other assumptions we hold as well, hurricanes and such. We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhatten NYC with a view of that 88 story residential building, which from our room looked to be like a toothpick in the middle of a city, too skinny. Recently we read of many try to sell their very expensive condos due to many malfunctions within the building. Not sure what will happen to Miami if it goes the NYC way, and how it will be in the future.

0
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