Urbanica The Hotels’ young and thriving founders Diego Colmenero and Charlie Porchetto, have announced their latest acquisition of a $40 million undeveloped beachfront lot in North Beach, located at 6747 Collins Avenue. They purchased the 0.98-acre property from China City Construction (CCC) on Tuesday, August 27, with imminent plans to develop a 20-story, 200-room lifestyle hotel. Slated to open in approximately two years, it will boast a signature restaurant helmed by the brand’s world renown partner, Chef Fernando Trocca; a swanky indoor bar, pool bar and unparalleled beach service, to name a few.
This slice of paradise was the last undeveloped beachfront lot in North Beach, located between the Deauville Beach Resort and Sterling Condominium buildings on Collins Avenue. “We are eager to bring fresh new amenities and our distinct hospitality to this area,” says Colmenero. “Urbanica currently employs 200 people, and with our latest acquisitions we have aggressive plans to double our staff and bring new job opportunities to this community soon.”
Urbanica has been quickly expanding its portfolio in Miami since 2016. The founders have a strong focus on the cultivation of its culinary offerings thanks to its executive chef partner Trocca, who they have enlisted to spearhead the development of the brand’s food & beverage projects. “Urbanica was born out of an earnest desire to bring something new and different to the hospitality landscape,” says Porchetto. “Our mission is to make first-rate hospitality experiences accessible to everyone, with a keen focus on each individual guest. That’s why our team is constantly seeking new opportunities to fuse together the best in design, food, nightlife, location, and personalized guest experiences at a reasonable rate. This year has already been crucial for our brand, and we can finally see our mission put into action,” he adds.
After the success of The Meridian, an impeccably reimagined historic 1930s Art Deco hotel at 418 Meridian Avenue that houses a 71-room property, Regina’s Grocery, an Italian deli offering a New York-centric menu, and Minibar, an uber-chic speakeasy; Urbanica The Hotels is creating its own hospitality district in Miami Beach’s exclusive South of Fifth neighborhood with three more hotels. The elegantly remodeled pre-war Kaskades Hotel on 300 17th Street opened this summer, and is managed by Urbanica as an independent operation. The boutique property boasts the brand’s signature contemporary café, the Food Marchand, and by this fall, guests and locals will be able to enjoy fun barbeques and live music at the property’s inviting rooftop. The Euclid Hotel, located at 426 Avenue, is slated to open this October with 30 guestrooms and Orilla Bar and Grill, a culinary creation by the company’s executive chef Trocca, which will offer a full menu of South American and European inspired cuisine. The Fifth, on 803 Fifth Street, is slated to open in mid 2020 with 52 guestrooms, on-site parking, a pool and quaint restaurant.
The company’s expansion plans in Miami don’t stop there. The Biscayne, located at 3200 Biscayne Boulevard in the burgeoning Edgewater area, is scheduled to open in late 2020. The hotel will boast breathtaking views of the bay and city, 200 guestrooms, parking, approximately 5,000 square-feet of retail space on the ground floor, and an expansive rooftop pool, restaurant, bar and game room. The entertainment room located on the 20th floor will feature numerous activations each month, such as live music, art shows and parties with world-renowned DJs.
Urbanica is expanding its portfolio to have unique propositions in different locations for its distinct audiences. Even though the brand is growing quickly, the company always keeps in mind its mission and ethos. “We see Miami as the world’s next great metropolis, and our goal is to enrich the lives of both visitors and locals,” said Colmenero and Porchetto. “We have been visiting Miami since our childhoods and are drawn to city’s multi-cultural energy, scenic vistas and cool vibe. Our goal is to create warm, friendly and attentive environments in Miami’s hippest neighborhoods, where our guests feel immediately at home.”
Porchetto and Colmenero are young, ambitious and successful hospitality entrepreneurs always in the pursuit of new and innovative opportunities. They have plans to continue to bring the Urbanica lifestyle to other major cities soon, including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Urbanica The Hotels’ accelerated growth is a true testament to the brand’s genuine expression of hospitality, and its determination to make first-rate guest experiences available to everyone.
About Urbanica The Hotels
Developers Diego Colmenero and Charlie Porchetto launched Urbanica in 2000. Originally from Argentina, Colmenero and Porchetto were leading developers of residential and commercial real estate properties, who turned their focus to the hospitality industry with the opening of The Suites Hotel in Buenos Aires. This success was followed by the opening of The Libertador Hotel. In 2016, the power duo launched their first U.S. outpost, The Meridian Hotel, in South Beach’s exclusive South of Fifth area, and manages The Kaskades Hotel as an independent operation. Urbanica The Hotels has plans to open four additional hotels in Miami by 2020. For more information, please visit www.urbanicathehotels.com.
