A South Beach hotel was sold for $8M — and a movie producer has plans

A new version of a South Beach hotel will lure writers, directors, TV producers and filmmakers looking for inspiration.

At least that’s the hope of owner Steven Paul, known less as a hotelier and more a Hollywood, California, film producer.

Art Deco Marela Boutique Hotel, 310 Meridian Ave., was acquired by Paul’s firm SP Media Group in June. The hotel opened to the public on Dec. 4 after being closed for about seven months.

Paul’s group paid about $8.5 million at closing, his broker Rick Teed told the Miami Herald.

Paul also put in about $7 million to renovate the property, which will be renamed Casa Marela, the filmmaker said in an interview with the Herald.

The prior owners, Kikai Partners LLC, an investment group from Mexico, had closed Marela for renovations earlier in 2025. They were nearly done when Paul said he saw it.

“I fell in love with it,” the New York-native said. ‘It spoke to me.”

MORE: A new Wharf, with hotel and clubs, will soon rise along the Miami River

The South Beach hotel with a white facade has 17 rooms across 8,884 square feet. It features queen studios, queen suites and king suites.

Paul liked that the hotel was on a quiet street with lots of plants and trees, “an oasis,” he said. “You feel like you’re decompressing.”

Teed, Paul’s broker and a Realtor with The Agency, said “we were searching for quite a while.”

The Marela, built in 1940, according to the Miami-Dade property appraiser, reminded Paul of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Teed said.

This building is part of SP Media’s entry into hospitality and its first hotel in the Miami area. The firm has multifamily housing elsewhere in the United States.

Paul says they plan to keep the Marela as a hotel, although they may eventually allow longer-term stays.

“It’ll be a great place to work out of,” he said.

SP Media also manages Hollywood talent and he thinks clients will appreciate the hotel.

SP Media, which Paul serves as CEO, is based on the Paramount lot in Hollywood, California. It has a co-financing agreement with Paramount Pictures to co-produce feature films. The company has financed and produced over 30 movies in the past four years.

Paul also owns the Samuel Goldwyn building in Century City, among other real estate investments.

He is also manager of actor Jon Voight. The two are working with President Donald Trump to increase incentives to prevent U.S. film and television production from going overseas. Voight, who starred in the 1969 movie “Midnight Cowboy,” which was filmed in South Florida, was named special ambassador by Trump.

Paul sees the region as an appealing place for production and expects to do more in the Sunshine State.

For now, he is looking for more properties in South Florida, both in hotels and real estate.

“We can picture expanding.”

This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 11:51 AM.