Miamians didn’t take kindly to quarantining in condos. Since the spring, South Florida saw buyers scramble to buy spacious single-family homes. But now, condo developers are luring back buyers with amenities and services designed to impress even the most seasoned luxury consumer.
“Creating wow experiences is now a must,” says Daniel Kodsi, the developer behind Paramount Miami WorldCenter, a 27-acre mixed-use super project and condo tower, where prices range from $750,000 to $11 million. “Chilled Champagne does not impress this crowd, but a surprise engagement celebration with candles and rose petals on our rooftop? That will.”
Kodsi — who recently organized the aforementioned proposal for a resident, lighting up the building with hearts and the phrase “She said yes” — notes that his 60-story building is actively upping its service game to mirror the surprise-and-delight-style services found at the best hotels in the world. That goes even for prospective buyers, who’ve recently been fêted with sushi dinners in the penthouse units.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences Sunny Isles Beach, a 52-story, 212-unit condo tower, is taking a similar approach with experiential treats for residents and prospective buyers, including dramatic Champagne sabrage, live entertainment, bell-ringing at sunset, beach butler service and private chef’s dinners. All four penthouses in the building have now sold, while remaining units start at $2.25 million.
Meanwhile, at nearby Arte in Surfside (where prices start at $7.9 million for a three-bedroom), developer Alexander Sapir has created a wow-factor service amenity that harkens back to the Gilded Age. Call buttons have been installed throughout public spaces in the Antonio Citterio-designed, 16-unit, 12-story tower, allowing residents to summon one of the building’s full-time butlers in an instant.
“Our team of butlers gives buyers five-star service that they would normally only find at the finest hotels in the world,” says Sapir. “The whole experience at Arte is unique to South Florida.”