Avra Jain, the Miami developer known in South Florida hospitality circles for the restoration of the historic Vagabond Hotel and Miami River Inn, remembers going to Negril seven times as a girl with her parents. When Jain got wind of a hotel for sale in the Jamaican city, she jumped at the prospect of having
Read MoreYears before her father embarked on a campaign to reimagine America, Ivanka Trump was on the ground floor of another restoration project, this one specific to South Florida. After acquiring the legendary Doral Golf Resort & Spa in 2012, Trump Hotels poured some $250 million into the 800-acre property, transforming everything from the 72 holes
Read MoreDeerfield Beach harks back to a different era; the coastal town embodies the South Florida that people envisioned before sprawling resorts and towering condos dotted the coastline. The town’s beach, which received “Blue Wave” certification from the national Clean Beaches Council, is beautiful and not crowded, and though the city’s population approaches 75,000, Deerfield maintains
Read MoreThe Orlando World Center Marriott is just three miles south of Walt Disney World—but it feels as far from the House of Mouse as you can get. The hotel, a cluster of four towering buildings, wastes no time making an impression. The vibe—chic, clean-lined and absent of extravagant artwork and overdone production—speaks to the
Read MoreThe Great American Beach Town remains untouched by time Lauderdale-By-The-Sea has an easy time preserving its beachside charm and boutiquey ebb and flow. The entire town, steeped in mid-century modern architecture, is only 1.5 square miles. There isn’t a Starbucks or chain restaurant on its strip of East Commercial Boulevard. And though its surrounding neighbors
Read MoreBy Karen F. Buchsbaum Once a sleepy mountain town, today’s Asheville boasts an upbeat, creative vibe for every taste. Its highly acclaimed farm-to-table dining scene aside, the city’s burgeoning artistic side is gaining attention on its own. And that doesn’t mean the kinds of crafts you can find in almost every hilly Southern town and
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