MIAMI - May 29, 2002 -- Orlando based ZOM Development, Inc. will break
ground this week to restore and expand the historic Victor Hotel, located
on Ocean Drive in the heart of Miami's vibrant South Beach. The new Victor
Hotel will open to guests in Fall 2003.
The
hotel will be owned and developed by ZOM, which recently completed the
35-story Waverly residential tower in South Beach and will be operated
by Chicago based Hyatt Hotels Corporation. ZOM Development Inc. has
won numerous regional and national awards for design and development excellence.
The original Victor Hotel, designed by Art Deco architect L. Murray
Dixon, originally opened in 1937. The projects revival has been pursued
by many over the last decade, but now made reality through the collaborative
efforts of Steve Patterson, ZOM C.E.O and Nicholas J. Pritzker, Chairman,
Hyatt Development Corporation.
Internationally renowned interior designer, Jacque Garcia will be designing
the hotel's interiors. Based in Paris, France, Mr. Garcia has been
instrumental in the design of several landmark hotels in Europe, including
the stylish Hotel Costes in Paris. He has also been involved with interior
design of many restaurants and lounges, including Danube in New York City
and Le Passage in Chicago.
"Having a presence in this exciting market is something new to Hyatt
and we look forward to being associated with this vibrant community and
the people at ZOM who we believe to be capable of creating a truly special
place on the beach. We are looking to deliver our traditional high level
of service in a very non-traditional format at the Victor that will attract
new customers to this upscale boutique hotel," said Nick Pritzker.
The Victor Hotel is situated on Ocean Drive, adjacent to the famed
Versace mansion. The Victor Hotel's construction lender is an affiliate
of ING Bank, based in the Netherlands, and the contractor is Milton Construction.
The architect spearheading the project is the Miami office of Perkins and
Will.
"The Victor Hotel is in a choice location and the chance to develop
this project with one of the most respected hotel companies in the world
represents a great opportunity for us," said Steve Patterson. "It has been
a difficult road in bringing this project to fruition and the news of the
Victor's repeated death have not always been exaggerated. Persistence and
a commitment to recreating an historic space with a fresh look unique to
South Beach have prevailed. The Victor will offer an unusual amount of
lobby and terrace level space that will present retail, pool, spa, lounge
and dining venues quite unique to Ocean Drive. The 91 guest rooms will
offer a level of comfort and finish currently missing in the South Beach
market."
Currently, there are 202 Hyatt hotels and resorts around the world.
The Victor will be affiliated with this family of hotels, but operate as
a one of a kind luxury boutique.
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