You’ve got to have a lot of vision to create a whole new district within a city, but that is exactly what Argentinean entrepreneur, developer and hotelier Alan Faena is doing in Miami. Set to include residential buildings, retail spaces, restaurants and areas for the public, the $1 billion Faena District Miami Beach will be periodically opening its individual attractions over the next three years. The first to launch though is The Faena Hotel, which opened at the end of November.
Officially kicking off what will be a domino effect of business openings in the district, the hotel had an opening bash that featured Damien Hirst art and a nine-foot woolly mammoth fossil. Faena helped design the building himself, but he also brought on director Baz Luhrmann and costume designer Catherine Martin (who also happens to be Luhrmann’s wife) to help bring sophisticated luxury to the space. The trio filled the structure with hardwood flooring, bold reds and blues, and South American touches meant to pay homage to Miami’s Latin culture. Reservations at the 169-room hotel will begin on December 21, with rooms starting at $841 per night.
The next project to open will probably be the Faena Forum in April 2016, which is being designed to provide locals and residents with an arts space that promotes experimentation across all creative mediums.
