Hostel brand Selina will open two locations in Miami. More will come.
The hotel-hostel brand Selina instilled an eat-pray-love mentality in its locations in Latin America. Now, the brand is bringing the same vibe to Miami.
Selina, founded in Panama, has leased two hotels in Miami, said Selina President Yoav Gery. The company leasesexisting hotels and updates them, including yoga and meditation space as well as co-working facilities. In Miami, it is bringing its signature to its new properties, the 272-key Selina Miami River at 43 SW Second St. and the 334-bedroom Selina Miami Gold Dust at 7700 Biscayne Blvd.
“Miami is a natural choice for us because Selina was born in Latin America,” Gery said. “We always bring a natural Latin American vibe but Miami already has that. It’s a natural fit.”
The 27,570-square-foot Miami River location will open in March and the 54,550-square-foot MiMo hostel will open in April.
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“If you look at where the Millennial population is that is where we want to go,” said Gery. “The idea is if the young local is going there, travelers want to go there.”
Avra Jain, a Miami developer and founder of Vagabond Group, is a local development partner of Selina.
The company expects to continue its expansion in Miami, Gery said, and is looking in Wynwood and North Beach.
Selina also recently leased a lodging in New Orleans.
Selina’s growth is part of a growing trend toward branded hostels. In October, upscale European hostel company Generator doubled its presence in Miami Beach.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
