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Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
New Boutique Hotel, With 6 Rooms and 60 Workers, Is an Outlier in South Beach
Vinod Sreeharsha Miami Herald On Collins Avenue, in the heart of Miami Beach's Art Deco district, Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant doesn't seem to belong. The entrance, a narrow single metal door facing the street, is easy to miss. Once entering, you go down a long, outdoor corridor. Plants are everywhere and bright Miami colors nowhere. And it's quiet, almost peaceful. A look through the entrance of Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant opened May 9. The restaurant is the center of this venue, 1350 Collins Ave. Dinner tables in a corridor give the place a Mediterranean feel. But before grabbing a seat, you are surrounded by two-story villas to the front, left, and right. Each of the three buildings has two rooms for a total of six rooms. Related Stories 4/24/2025 8/8/2023 That's boutique. There isn't a fancy digital kiosk to check in at when you arrive. There aren't even elevators. But there are carefully restored, spiral red oak staircases to take you to your rooms. If you're out of shape, employees will help. If you're fit, take the help anyway because don't want your luggage damaging the pristine floor. About 60 employees work here—10 for each room. While your bags are taken upstairs, you can have a cocktail in the small check-in area that has a bar. A detail shot of the stairs leading from the restaurant area to a hotel room inside Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS How Donatella Owners Came Together Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant is owned by and a collaboration between Jamil Dib, co-founder and owner of Vida & Estilo Hospitality Group, and the Nakash Group, owners of The Setai, the luxury Miami Beach hotel. Vida & Estilo runs Salty Flame, the Asian-influenced steak bar on Brickell Avenue, Paperfish Sushi, Barsecco, and more than 18 restaurants in the Miami area and Las Vegas. Dib has lived in South Florida since 1996. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Nakash, chairman of The Setai Hotel, and Dib, a friend, met up and decided they wanted to start a business together. When they saw the property, they 'fell in love' with it, Dib said in an interview with the Miami Herald at the Donatella. An exterior shot of Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS 'For me, it's more about the architecture,' Dib said. 'You do not find this in Miami Beach.' They acquired the building in 2022 for $6 million, according to Miami-Dade property records. They knew it would not be 'an easy remodeling.' The building was mostly kept intact although a small pool was removed to make way for part of the restaurant. An interior shot of the hotel room named Bianca Allegra' at Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS From Justin Bieber to Boutique Hotel The property, then known as the Orchid House, was being used as a three-villa rental with a shared kitchen. Singer Justin Bieber stayed there in 2014, a trip that ended with his arrest. It was built in the 1920s by Wallace Tutt, who also designed what became the Versace mansion on nearby Ocean Drive. The rooms at the remodeled Donatella have Italian travertine stone, warm wood, and large bathrooms and vanity areas. Miami-based Mico Design Studios did interiors. A detail shot of the bed inside the hotel room named Bianca Allegra' at Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS The colors are light—lots of white—while Miami Beach's typical bright colors and neon are absent. The natural stone has light tones as well. There's a peaceful ambience to the rooms, similar to hotel rooms in the South of Spain. The villas are connected by wood bridges where you can also eat dinner if you fancy something even more romantic. Wherever you chose to dine, coastal Southern Italian dining will be served by chef Alessandro Morrone, who's from Naples, Italy. His menu features black truffle cacio e pepe, rigatoni nduja, and Skull Island prawns. The restaurant seats 170 people. A private dining room accommodates 15. An interior shot of the dining area of Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS The Donatella, next to the Shepley Hotel, has no pool or rooftop where groups can hang out. There's no sauna or spa. And you likely won't find South Beach crowds partying late into the night. 'We cannot compete maybe with the big hotels, with the beach clubs, but we're different,' Dib said. A big part of that is paying meticulous attention to every customer and every detail, he said. For example, Dib said he chose every song on the hotel's Spotify playlist. During the interview, he stopped to point out songs he had selected that comprise Donatella Chill. Signature dishes from the restaurant at Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS The Donatella Connection? The hotel doesn't have a direct connection with its namesake. Donatella Versace is the sister of Gianni Versace, the Italian fashion mogul killed in 1997 on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion. She also was a prominent fashion designer and CEO of Versace until March when she announced she'd step down. 'I don't know the family at all,' Dib said. 'There's no connection.' But he said they did obtain the trademark to use Donatella's name. The U.S. States Patent and Trademark Office records confirmed that. An interior shot of Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS Dib's partner Joe Nakash acquired Versace's South Beach mansion in a New York auction in 2013 for $41.5 million. The runner-up was Donald Trump. Once a run-down apartment building called The Amsterdam Palace, the Versace mansion is now Villa Casa Casuarina, which includes a boutique hotel. A bartender makes a cocktail inside the bar at Donatella on May 1, 2025, in Miami, Florida. D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS If You Go The hotel's starting rate is $460 a night, Dib said. At the restaurant, he hopes you can get a good meal for $80 to $100. Initially, the restaurant will be open for dinner only. They hope after about two months to start offering Sunday brunch. For reservations at the hotel or more information, go to Copyright 2025 Miami Herald. Visit Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Traveling to and from South Florida? See some new flights and airport changes
Travel Traveling to and from South Florida? See some new flights and airport changes Travelers heading to or from South Florida have new flight options and airport upgrades this year. Miami International Airport now offers new routes to the Dominican Republic through Arajet, with daily service to Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. American Airlines has expanded service to Rome and Paris, while Icelandair has started flights to Reykjavik. Fort Lauderdale sees added routes, too, with JetBlue resuming service to Philadelphia and Guayaquil. Miami International is also investing $9 billion in upgrades, such as a new hotel and modernized terminals, to support record passenger growth. The holiday decorations near U.S. Customs at Miami International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. By D.A. Varela NO. 1: WHAT DOES RECORD-BREAKING GROWTH AT MIA MEAN FOR YOU? MORE TRAVELERS, CARGO — AND CHANGES What to know about Miami International Airport's status as a global hub. | Published February 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha Arajet 737-8 takes off, June 10, 2024 NO. 2: AIRLINES ARE PLANNING NEW FLIGHTS AT MIAMI AND FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORTS. TAKE A LOOK Here are details on destinations. | Published March 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives JetBlue planes wait at the gate at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in 2020. By Mark Konezny NO. 3: JETBLUE JUST ADDED 2 ROUTES AT FLL FOR YOUR SUMMER TRAVEL. SEE FLIGHT DETAILS The details on where and when. | Published April 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha Co-Pilot Robert Pena (left) and CEO Victor Pacheco Mendez, wave US and Dominican Republic flags as the first Arajet Airlines, arrive at Miami International Airport. Arajet is the flagship carrier of the Dominican Republic, marking a major milestone for both the airline and the Dominican aviation industry, on Friday April 11, 2025. By Pedro Portal NO. 4: TRAVEL BETWEEN MIAMI AND THE DR JUST GOT EASIER. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT FLIGHTS 'It's going to be a great opportunity for people.' | Published April 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
