The Art Deco Miami Beach hotel that set the stage for Robin Williams and Nathan Lane’s legendary performances in the 1996 film “The Birdcage” is getting a $1 billion transformation.
The Raleigh Hotel in Miami’s South Beach is also known for its architectural flair and star-studded past. Its cabanas once hosted the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Madonna, but a decade of neglect succeeded by Hurricane Irma in 2017 put an end to the hotel’s heyday.
Now, an ambitious remodel is giving the luxurious seaside getaway a second wind as Rosewood The Raleigh, the Daily Mail reported.
United Artists / Courtesy Everett Collection
The Raleigh Hotel was built in 1940 on the cusp of Miami’s post-war boom. It was heavily featured in the boundary-breaking 1996 box office hit “The Birdcage,” starring Williams and Lane, as well as the recently deceased Gene Hackman and Hank Azaria.
The film, based on the 1979 farcical French film “La Cage Aux Folles,” follows a gay couple — portrayed by Williams and Lane — whose son is marrying into the family of a conservative senator, played by Hackman.
The hotel was also favored by the late Karl Lagerfeld, who premiered Chanel’s resort line along the Raleigh’s iconic coast-of-arms pool in 2008.
The hotel will once again open its doors to Miami’s rich and famous thanks to the $1 billion overhaul by developer Micahel Shvo, whose SHVO company purchased the down-on-its-luck property with a group of developers in 2019.
Renowned architect Peter Marino gave the 60-key hotel a refresh, and constructed a 17-story residential tower next door. The Raleigh will be managed by Rosewood Hotels, a luxury hotel and resort company.
The newly constructed glass tower will host 40 coveted waterfront residences. These units range in size from two to five bedrooms and will run you anywhere from $10 to $150 million, the Daily Mail reported.
The luxurious homes boast large terraces, stone flooring and bathrooms with refrigerators just for beauty products. The revamped hotel next door will continue to offer high-end amenities including a full spa, a fitness center and a private beach club.
The Rosewood collaboration marks a second chance at life for the landmarked hotel. The property was previously owned by Tommy Hilfiger’s Hilfiger Hospitality, but the destruction of Hurricane Irma in 2017 closed the hotel in the midst of much-needed repairs.
Move-in day for the residences is expected to arrive in late 2027. Shvo told the Daily Mail that “most” of the residences have already sold to cash offers, with a total of $250 million in pre-sales so far.
Such a high uptake would be an impressive feat amid Florida’s softening housing market, which saw a record number of unsold listings in January.