By: Marcia Abramson
Elizabeth Taylor, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Lena Horne, Jerry Lewis, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra were frequent guests and entertainers. Currently, you might rub shoulders with George Clooney, Sean Connery, Steven Spielberg and Madonna. In 1999, Eden Roc completed a $24 million transformation that brought it back to its status as one of Miami Beach's premier resort destinations. The restoration turned the resort's pool area into a beautiful tropical oasis with sweeping ocean views, and transformed the lobby and entryway into one of the most impressive reception areas I have ever seen. This was a recreation of the hotel's glory days and certainly a tribute to Morris Lapidus, the original architect of this famed hostelry. Randi Griffin, Eden Roc's director of marketing told me, "What brought South Beach back to life is the preservation of the Art Deco hotels. Now it is time for the grand hotels of the 1950s and 60s to return to their former glory. This is such a classic property; there is a lot of history here, you can't buy that in a new hotel." Morris Lapidus, who is now 96 years old, met with the design team to review the proposed restoration and said, "I think it is a marvelous idea of the owners to restore in a contemporary manner, the spirit of the Eden Roc. When I designed this hotel. I wanted more of an intimate elegance. This hotel had it. My larger hotels (The Fountainebleau and the Americana) did not. This one was my favorite." Lapidus added, "Everything they are doing shows a sensitive appreciation, a rediscovery, of my architecture. And they are recapturing the feeling of forty years ago, yet the Eden Roc becomes a twenty-first century hotel. I really admire what they have done." Located on prime oceanfront property, the former Warner Bros. Estate, the 349-room resort has been restored to a contemporary interpretation of Lapidus' original design. I was impressed by the Italian marble, the white terrazzo floors in a French black fleur de lis pattern. Also very impressive is the grand circular lobby with its central rotunda. My greeting at the entrance by a gilt-trimmed "cloud" backlit with sky-blue neon seemed like the appropriate Lapidus touch. I met Morris Lapidus when I was the public relations director of Nathan's Famous hot doggeries. Murray Handwerker, formerly of Lawrence, son of Nathan Handwerker, the founder, engaged Morris Lapidus to design the prototype for his expansion program of Nathan's eateries. Lapidus had also received recognition for his retail storefront designs, which influenced Murray Handwerker's decision. The Nathan's Famous Logo sign is a Lipids design which is displayed all over the world. I was impressed at that time with the outstanding architect's presentations and gift of persuasion. I also have to laud Eden Roc's concern for the environment. They have taken many precautions to help maintain Miami Beach's fragile barrier environment. I learned that all existing windows were replaced with "turtle glass," preventing the glare from hotel lights that interferes with the sensitive nesting habits of the sea turtles on the beach below. Other outdoor lighting is also designed to be "turtle friendly." The Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa is located on Miami Beach's renowned Millionaires Row just 11 miles east of Miami International Airport and minutes from South Beach's historic Art Deco District. Other local attractions include the luxurious shops at Bal Harbor, the Parrot Jungle, the Miami Seaquarium, the magnificent Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Coconut Grove Everglades National Park and the Bass Museum of Art. For reservations and more information call your travel professional or the Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa toll-free at 1-800-468-3571.©
Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-Mail: mascribe@aol.com
