The Fontainebleau Hotel 4441 Collins Avenue Miami, Florida Written by Wendy R. Williams Photographed by Krisztina Fazekas

Miami's famous mid-beach landmark Fontainebleau Hotel will be the place to vacation in Miami next year. The 1950's era campy marvel is being totally renovated at a cost of one billion dollars by Las Vegas-based Fontainebleau Resorts, Inc, a company headed by Jeffrey Soffers who is also the chief executive of Turnberry, Ltd, Las Vega's premiere builder of luxury high rises. It will reopen in mid 2008.

Back in the early 1950's, famed Miami Modern (MIMO) architect Morris Lapidus (of Ritz-Carlton, South Beach fame) designed the Fontainebleau Hotel with wild flourishes of modern design featuring curved wall, wild colors, concrete cantilevers, bow-tie themed marble floors and pools and his famous signature Swiss cheese exterior walls. The hotel opened in 1954's and quickly became the place to party for glamorous Hollywood stars including the famed Rat Pack. The hotel was featured in movies such as Jerry Lewis' The Bell Hop.

The original Fontainebleau is now a construction site, but a construction site where Lapidus' quirky architectural embellishments are being carefully preserved. When the hotel is completed in 2008, there will be 1504 rooms and eleven restaurants, three of which will be famous chef signature restaurants (steak, Italian and Chinese). And there will be two nightclubs, one indoor/outdoor club around the pools and an indoor club which will be an outpost of the famed Las Vegas' establishment Pure.

And the water will not be just in the ocean; onsite there will be a two-story 40,000 square foot spa which will feature European treatments featuring frozen, boiling and atomized water. The Fontainebleau was always famous for its beautifully landscaped outdoor pools which featured secluded hot tubs and water falls. All the pools are being redone to become an even more spectacular ocean-front play ground.

The Fontainebleau is still open for business during construction, however. There is a new condo hotel onsite with one and two bedroom suites that have summer rates starting at $189.

So hit the gym and plan your wardrobe; there is going to be a one huge party rocking Miami next year when the newly refurbished Fontainebleau Hotel is presented to the world.

Original Fontainebleau Hotel (Foreground)
Photo Credit Kristina Fazekas

Original Fontainebleau Hotel Construction Site


Preserved Art Work Original Fontainebleau Hotel Construction Site

Preserved MIMO Doors Original Fontainebleau Hotel Construction Site

Elevator Doors and Sculpture at the Fontainebleau Condo Hotel
Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas

Fontainebleau Condo Hotel Room Bed
Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas

Fontainebleau Condo Hotel Room
Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas

Fontainebleau Condo Hotel Room Desk Area
Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas

Fontainebleau Condo Hotel Bathroom
Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas


Seventh Floor Pool at the Fontainebleau Condo Hotel
Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas