Ocean Drive has seen many renaissances, but will this wave be the one that brings the locals back to the famous strip?

It’s a drizzly, quiet summer morning, when I make my way into the Cardozo South Beach on Ocean Drive. Just seconds before, a could-be model in a string bikini bumps into me on the sidewalk as she wobbles by on rollerblades. Typical, I think to myself. I’m there to chat with Miami’s music royalty, Emilio Estefan — who arrives offering one of his genuine hugs — about the $15 million, top-to-bottom renovation to the hotel that he and wife Gloria have owned on the famous promenade for almost 30 years.

After shuttering the Cardozo for four years, they resurrected the hotel in May 2019 with a revamped lobby, 41 guest rooms and suites, anda VIP meeting room. A labor of love for Estefan, he spearheaded the design and even peppered spaces with furniture, art and accessories from the couple’s private homes.

Guest rooms now shine with mother-of-pearl headboards, glossy cabinetry and bathrooms decked out with gold fixtures; a sprawling, two-bedroom penthouse showcases breathtaking east-to-west vistas and can accommodate those arriving with an entourage.

“We’ve been sold out from the beginning. I think what’s happened is quality. Everyone was used to old hotels on Ocean Drive, so now we’ve created competition and brought in a top restaurant,” says Estefan, pulling out his phone to show me a video of a boisterous crowd dining and dancing at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, BiCE Cucina. “Ocean Drive is going to become like Ibiza or St. Tropez.”

We know what you’re thinking. Ocean Drive is where tourists sip 2-for-1 drinks and scantily clad ladies work to lure you into their restaurant. “I don’t think that’s the case anymore,” proclaims Estefan, referencing a recent city ordinance banning the aggressive solicitation that’s plagued the Drive for years.

“We’re seeing beautifully dressed people arriving in a Rolls Royce or by Uber. They’re coming for a nice dinner, good music and to stay at a top hotel.” Estefan doesn’t discount that Ocean Drive has weathered many ups and downs, admitting that before they settled on a renovation, he was tempted to sell. “It’s my philosophy that when tough times come, that’s when you need to be stronger,” he says. “Gloria and I decided that we can’t let this go. Miami Beach has been great to us and we want to give back.”

Reinventing Paradise

The Estefans are part of an army of people working to reinvent paradise, and the street’s landscape is morphing at an epic pace. “Ocean Drive has recently seen an infusion of over half a billion dollars in real estate renovations,” says Ceci Velasco, executive director of the Ocean Drive Association (ODA), who rattles off projects like The Tide’s expansion to Collins Avenue, The Tides Village — which will link to the iconic hotel with a glass walkway — and the summer 2020 opening of the Pelican, a boutique hotel fitted with hi-tech rooms.

“Those renovations coupled with the City dedicating $25 million for the street and park, Ocean Drive is moving into a new renaissance.” Another luxe player is the reinvented The Savoy, a 33-room hotel which will quietly re-launch this December in the ritzy SoFi neighborhood. “Our vision is to bring back the magic of the 1940s Savoy,” says Eric Hadar, chairman of Allied Partners, who touts a 7-star experience. “No DJs, special effects or motorized beach toys. Plenty of grilled fish and fresh homemade sorbets, directly on the sand of one of the world’s best beaches.”

The most anticipated newcomer is The Celino Hotel, a glamorous mix of old and new properties that swallow up nearly 300 feet on Ocean Drive. The 132-room oceanfront hotel is comprised of a new five-story atrium space and three original Art Deco buildings: the Park Central Hotel, Imperial Hotel and Heathcote Apartments.

“It has created, to an extent, its own district,” says Ricardo Tabet of Miami-based Optimum Development USA, who purchased the properties in 2013 and envisioned the ultra-luxe hotel, along with the recently expanded The Betsy Hotel, as the catalysts to recharge the street.

The historic properties are dotted with vintage furniture and swathed in an oh-so-Florida tropical palette of pink, mint and turquoise; while the new build impresses with a glittering, glass-bottom rooftop pool overlooking Lummus Park and a 30-foot mural created by street artist Mr. Brainwash.

Along with the resort feel of lush gardens, an oasis pool in the courtyard and open green spaces, Tabet smartly partnered with INK Entertainment (founded by Toronto hospitality tycoon Charles Khabouth, who brought an outpost of Byblos restaurant to South Beach), to open Pubblico, an Italian restaurant, and a sexy indoor-outdoor central bar that pours into seafood-centric Dalia restaurant.

“Amazing food, great service and a wonderful ambiance at The Celino is the key to entice locals back to Ocean Drive,” says Tabet. “I also believe that elevated events on both a national and international level here on Ocean Drive will play a part.”

The Future is Now

Some would say culture, dining and entertainment are already flourishing. Live music from a parklet provided by the City and the Estefans is amplified throughout the block weekly; and certain nights, you can pop into The Betsy Hotel for poetry readings and live jazz. The Betsy even offers a unique artist-in-residency program where writers and artists can stay to create and develop their craft.

The street is also dotted with new culinary additions like Sushi by Bou, a high-end omakase experience at the former Versace Mansion; a second location of Happy Place Donuts; and the iconic News Cafe is expanding, reverting to its glory days when Versace would read his paper there each morning. Those looking to be pampered can now spend a day at K’Alma Spa inside the Victor Hotel, the only full-service spa on Ocean Drive, to indulge in a 24-karat gold facial or ancient healing rituals.

What’s next? A vital transportation, land use and economic development study of the entire district, including Washington, Collins and Ocean Drive commissioned by the City, will ultimately shape what the future looks like for the iconic strip. “A vision of an expanded pedestrian walkway and design pavers to create a sense of place is the intention for the future,” says Velasco. “For right now, no more hawking since the city recently passed a Code of Conduct. It’s all about elevating the experience.”