First Portuguese Hotel in the U.S. Opens in Miami - Historic 1940’s Art Deco Hotel is transformed into a luxury escape
(TRAVPR.COM) USA - April 2nd, 2013 - Miami, FL -- The opening of Pestana South Beach Art Deco Hotel on April 8th will mean more than a new hotel on Miami’s South Beach, as it represents the first investment by the Group Pestana in the U.S. market. Pestana, Portugal’s largest tourism group, is well known for its heritage Pousadas de Portugal hotelbrand across the Atlantic. The new Pestana hotel is a rebirth of the historic Hotel Milejan a luxury address on South Beach.
Located in the heart of South Beach, this boutique hotel with 97 rooms and suites is divided into four classic Art Deco Buildings, classified by the local Historic Preservation Board. The new hotel also offers 2 luxury two-bedroom apartments, as well as the retro Mermaid Café and the Pool Bar set on a 1940’s inspired patio with an outdoor pool.
“North America is a very attractive and strategic market for the Group Pestana. This is our first investment in this market and Miami is a natural starting point because it is a gateway for Europe and South America where our brand is quite strong,” says José Roquette, Pestana’s development director for the North American market. “We also are well versed in taking a historic structure and updating it in the right ways to make a real destination hotel.”
Located at 1835 James Avenue, the new hotel revives the 1940’s style that made Miami Beach the place to be. With a contemporary and ‘retro beach’ feel, the Pestana South Beach Art Deco mixes architectural charm with a sophisticated renovation of the former Hotel Milejan Complex, which was built between 1940 and 1952.
According to a City of Miami review, the Pestana South Beach Art Deco is representative of the rich diversity of structures and architectural styles that evolved in the City of Miami Beach’s Historic District.
The buildings represent an outstanding example of the Streamline Moderne and Art-Deco style with an asymmetrical front façade defined by a central entrance door. The structure is characterized by continuous “eyebrows” and a vertical pylon sign, extended above the hotel’s stonewalls. One of the buildings is also a rare example of Post-War Modern apartment architecture once common in Miami Beach just after World War II.
Pestana South Beach Art Deco’s location appeals to both the luxury and the business traveler, located a few minutes from Ocean Drive and beaches, and just a few steps from the Miami Beach Convention Center and the Miami Beach Golf Club.
The famed Art Deco district of South Beach is a real success story of urban restoration projects in American architecture. Hundreds of buildings have been restored to their early 20th-century appearance.
About Group Pestana
The Group Pestana is Portugal’s largest international tourism and leisure group and one of the largest in Europe where it ranks 25th. Starting with one hotel in Madeira Island in 1972, the family owned Group Pestana has grown to include nearly 90 four and five star hotels worldwide with two brands: Pestana Hotels & Resorts and Pousadas de Portugal.
Today, Pestana hotels may be found in 13 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Portugal, Germany, United Kingdom, Cape Verde, Morocco, Mozambique, S. Tomé & Principe, South Africa and now, the United States of America. www.pestana.com/en/pestana-south-beach.
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