Viceroy Hotel Brand Expands into Miami
11/29/2005
Los Angeles - Kor Hotel Group, the Los Angeles-based
luxury hotel operator, has entered into a significant joint venture with
developer Jorge Perez and his Florida-based The Related Group that will
bring the Viceroy brand's signature fusion of innovative design
elements, luxury amenities and impeccable service to a momentous new
hotel-residence project in Miami - Viceroy Icon Brickell. The Related
Group is currently the largest developer in Florida's luxury condominium
market. Kor's participation will enhance the premiere project with an
array of design-savvy lifestyle amenities and the service luxuries for
which Kor's Viceroy Resorts & Residences concept is widely known. The
project also partners Kor with some of the most creative forces in the
industry today, including the architecture firm Arquitectonica and
prolific designer Philippe Starck.
"Kor's discerning style will help mark a distinction
for this luxury project against other comparable projects in Miami,"
said Brad Korzen, CEO of Kor Hotel Group. "Viceroy's high-end luxury
concept retains an intimate, boutique quality that is highly appealing
to today's consumers. Viceroy Icon Brickell promises to be an exquisite
rendition of the Viceroy brand and will contribute a distinctive new
luxury option to Miami's urban destination appeal." As Kor Hotel Group continues to expand its boutique
hotel portfolio with properties both nationwide and overseas, it
reserves the Viceroy identity for projects of only the highest standard.
By imparting Viceroy's luxurious design and the service hallmarks that
distinguish its flagship Viceroy Santa Monica to only select properties,
Kor succeeds in carving out a unique niche in the boutique luxury-hotel
and resort-residence markets. "The world's most sophisticated travelers know the
Viceroy brand for its bold design and unique sense of modern luxury, as
well as its superb services and amenities," said Bill Thompson, Senior
Vice-President, The Related Group of Florida. "With Viceroy Icon
Brickell, we will offer a unique style of luxurious living never before
seen in Miami." Located on Biscayne Bay, adjacent to Brickell Park and
near downtown, the three-tower Icon Brickell reunites Related Group with
interior designer Philippe Starck and their ICON concept. The firm
Arquitectonica, an architecture, interior design and planning firm
renowned for innovative, ultra-modern creations worldwide, has designed
the structural and architectural elements for the complex.
Towers will range from 50 to 60 stories, commanding a
striking presence near the cultural and business center of Miami.
Unobstructed views above the 15th floor will overlook South Beach and
Biscayne Bay. Housing 1,774 units across all three towers,
Arquitectonica's design roots the three soaring towers atop an expansive
podium base at the 15th floor. Representing the epicenter of the
complex, this common nexus houses more than two acres of sumptuous
luxury amenities and entertainment options for both hotel guests and
residents. Design impresario Philippe Starck will design all elements
within the first two residential towers as well as the podium's
extensive features. As a Viceroy Resorts & Residences destination, Viceroy
Icon Brickell will take the brand's luxury boutique presence to an even
more prominent level. Occupying its own tower within the trident
structure, the Viceroy tower will be the only structure among the three
to house a hotel in conjunction with residences, offering hotel services
to both guests and owners. Icon's other two towers in the Brickell
complex are reserved for residential condominiums, although all
residents and hotel guests alike will share access to Icon Brickell's
exclusive amenities, including a 20,000 square-foot spa and Philippe
Starck-designed luxury swimming pools on the 15th-floor outdoor podium.
Viceroy Icon Brickell's hotel-condo component will
encompass 135 units across nine floors, occupying 78,300 square feet of
luxury space. Units will be designed in four models: 27 420-square-foot
Small Studios, 54 480-square-foot Standard Studios, 27 590-square-foot
Large Studios and 27 930-square-foot (on average) 1-Bedroom units. Each
will offer Viceroy-quality technology, comfort and regal design. A
dedicated elevator for hotel-condo and hotel guests will facilitate
travel to central podium-level amenities and tower rooftop destinations.
Floors 16 through 49 will house 372 stunning bay-view condominiums, with
a range of optional services available through Viceroy: Kor's
high-design furnishing package, room service, housekeeping or all other
specialty services offered by the hotel. Units may also be entered into
a hotel rental pool by owners if not occupied full time. A separate
elevator will serve residents on these upper floors. A chic restaurant located on the 15th-floor outdoor
sanctuary will overlook the recreational pool and incorporate an outdoor
dining area with fireplace and waterfront views. The restaurant facility
will be operated by Kor and provide service to hotel guests,
banquet/conference attendees, residents and the public. Kor will also
facilitate a destination rooftop pool and lounge on Viceroy Icon
Brickell's 50th floor, open to the public and accessible via a dedicated
elevator bank designed to preserve resident and guest privacy. Total
hotel programming, including restaurant, rooms and public areas, will
occupy approximately 121,000 square feet of space. Additionally, Kor
will bring its uncompromising service standards to the operation of
full-time concierge services, valet parking and room service for all
guests and residents of the Viceroy tower. Icon Brickell will also house
a small meeting space for on-site business needs.
ICON BRICKELL, UNIQUE URBAN
SANCTUARY ON BISCAYNE BAY, BROKE GROUND IN MIAMI ON MARCH 7
Miami, FL, April 10 A high
powered crew turned out for the groundbreaking at Icon Brickell on
March 7. Jade Jagger, Philippe Starck, and John Hitchcox, partners
in the London-based residential design firm YOO by Starck, donned
hard hats and dug into the dirt alongside Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and
Commissioner Johnny Winton and representatives of Miami-based
developers, The Related Group. This was no ordinary groundbreaking.
With 1800 units, Icon Brickell is the biggest development to break
ground in South Florida. To build Icon Brickell Towers I and II, TRG
is receiving a $500 million loan, with HSBC as the lead lender. That
is the largest condominium construction loan ever awarded in
Florida. And TRG anticipates receiving an additional $200 million
loan to complete Tower III, for a total construction loan of
approximately $700 million. “The size of the loan expresses the
bank’s confidence in our company,” says TRG executive vice president
Bill Thompson. “It also expresses the scale of Icon Brickell. This
is the biggest project The Related Group of Florida has ever done.
It’s the biggest project Starck has ever done. And I believe it is
the largest residential condominium that’s broken ground in South
Florida in terms of the number of units, the square footage, and the
amenities we offer. When you’re building the biggest, you make sure
that it’s the best.” Buyers have responded to Icon Brickell in
equally impressive numbers, choosing from a variety of spectacular
floor plans for the one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences with
breathtaking views of downtown Miami, Biscayne Bay, Key Biscayne, or
South Beach. Priced from the $300s to more than $1 million, the
units were first offered for sale less than twelve months ago. Yet
sales already are approaching the billion dollar mark. Because of
its size, Icon Brickell can offer residents amenities rarely found
in condominium living. Set on ten acres of bay front property
(including two public parks), Icon Brickell offers a haven amid the
rush of city life. The 28,000 square foot spa and fitness center
features state-of-the-art cardio and weight training equipment, as
well as spa treatments usually available only in exclusive resorts.
The three towers will host a full-service restaurant on the pool
terrace, and two additional full-service restaurants beside Biscayne
Bay, as well as an exclusive rooftop lounge. Each private residence
offers additional amenities. Bathrooms are finished with elegant
limestone flooring. Kitchens are equipped with Sub-Zero and Miele
appliances and gorgeous Dellacasa cabinets. Smart building
technology using the “interactive resident information system”
anticipates every need. Residents will also have the option to
upgrade their units with a finishing package designed by Yoo by
Starck. The Classic and Culture upgrades bring Starck’s
internationally acclaimed style into their private homes. Inspired
design makes Icon Brickell feel like a world apart. Starck’s
signature style, famous for the designer’s playful sense of scale
and bold mixing of periods, makes the exotic a part of everyday
life. Monolithic Moai-style statues, like those found on Easter
Island, flank the entrance, leading to a whimsical lobby, where
guests can linger beneath the serene gaze of enormous gold masks. A
life-size chess set and rooftop fireplace adorn an outdoor living
room at the end of a 300-foot-long pool. A massive chandelier hangs
above the plunge pools in the spa that overlooks Biscayne Bay.
Icon Brickell
Tower 3 will feature the amenities of
VICEROY Resorts and Residences,
a division of Kor hotels. What distinguishes Kor
hotels and resorts from other destinations on the
accommodations map?
Legendary
locations are just the beginning. From a chic suite
in the city's center to a sumptuous villa on a
secluded Caribbean beach, from an urbane lounge for
cocktails at dusk to a private cabana for two hours
of massage, every setting is one-of-a-kind. They
reinterpret our sense of history, modernity,
tradition and innovation in uniquely timeless
fashion. Yet within each very individual
environment, certain qualities are welcomingly
consistent. Creativity, comfort and advanced service
are always the signatures of a Kor boutique hotel
experience, with guests' needs innovatively
anticipated and accommodated. Equally constant are
the accolades our distinctive boutique hotels earn
on annual CondéNast Traveler Gold Lists, Departures
Readers' Surveys, and in the pages of Wallpaper,
Gourmet and Vogue.
From arrival to
departure and back again, it's this blend of the
indispensable, unexpected and imperceptible that
makes each Kor boutique hotel a choice among many -
and a destination unto itself. Behind the amenities
and beyond the design details lies Kor Hotel Group's
signature service philosophy. At the ready before
guests call, invisible when privacy is prized, it's
an intuitive approach with very tangible advantages.
Service starts with guest needs innovatively
anticipated, then uniquely accommodated. Warmth is a
given, discretion an essential. Options for
personalizing and streamlining your stay abound,
with preferences assured on return visits. With a
mantra to overlook no detail or desire, the entire
Kor staff is focused on delivering a seamless
experience - for each guest and every request.
Kor hotels and
resorts are home to luxuriant personal necessities,
inventive leisure experiences, and up-to-the-moment
conveniences. Indulgence and access underscore guest
rooms - from deluxe linens and opulent bath
appointments to wireless Internet access and
personal media centers. Inventive dining and
drinking, including signature cocktails and
critically acclaimed menus, beckon locals and guests
alike. And secluded niches, sumptuous spas and
notable social spaces become gathering points for
personal and professional pursuits. |