South Beach's Ora Nightclub Closes

Not even two years after opening at 2000 Collins Ave., Ora Nightclub served its last cocktail earlier this month. Not long after hosting a full week of parties for Miami Music Week, the team behind Ora decided to call it quits. The vision for the club was to provide a more refined, sophisticated version of the stereotypical South Beach night. Unfortunately, that plan did not work out, according to managing partner Greg See, who made this statement to New Times:

"We were truly sorry to close doors at Ora. We have had an incredible run and appreciate the support from the community. Ultimately, the concept wasn't sustainable in Miami Beach at this time, but the popular second floor Anti Social Room will live on in a new location in the future."

When Ora opened in March 2016, co-owner Ryan Van Milligen told New Times he thought it would provide a missing link for the VIP crowd. "I saw there was a niche missing in Miami nightlife for a true VIP experience in an elegant setting among a refined crowd," he said. "We wanted to create a place where we would like to go on a Friday or Saturday night. People kept asking me: 'Where can we go in Miami where we won't get pushed around and have drinks spilled on us?' And there was no good answer. We realized having a place that was all about service would be a unique concept for a high-energy night. You can get VIP service at hotels, restaurants, and yachts, but for some reason, nightclubs across the world overlook this."

Ora set out to provide a decadent experience for VIPs via Ora butlers, who would stay with customers throughout the night. So those with deep pockets who partied too hard could have someone change their reservations for the next day's brunch or perhaps push back their flight a few hours. While at VIP tables, the moneyed could have a personal mixologist create custom libations for them. The 600-person, 10,000-square-foot space was cut into two rooms. Downstairs housed a main dance floor, while upstairs was the Anti Social Room.

Though its stay in South Beach was short, Ora received its share of love, including the award for Best VIP Room in 2017 from New Times.