Travel and Tourism Sector

Dream South Beach Owner, Vikram Chatwal, Arrested For Drug Possession

Hotelier Vikram Chatwal was arrested and charged with eight counts of possession of various substances, including cocaine and marijuana, earlier this week at a checkpoint at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Chatwal was flagged by behavior detection officers and was searched on April ... More >>

Asia de Cuba Closes at Mondrian, Planning Another Miami Locale

In Miami, restaurants come and go quicker than the hopes of Marlins fans. Recently, the Mondrian Hotel's Asia de Cuba shut its doors after buying out of a partnership with Morgans Hotel Group. The London and Los Angeles branches of the swanky Latin/Asian chain remain open, but Miami's outpost is no ... More >>

Raleigh Hotel Sold for $55 Million, Huge Expansion Planned

South Beach's famous Raleigh Hotel has been sold for $55 million, and the new owners are already quite familiar with the area's hospitality industry. They own some of the Raleigh's rivals. Sam Nazarian, who just opened the SLS Hotel on the same block, and David Edelstein, owner of the W South Beach, ... More >>

Submit Your Photos of Miami! Upcoming b2 Hotel Downtown Launches Contest

Back in June, Short Order told you about the new progressive B Hotel brand's plans to open two new hotels in Miami in 2013. The first will carry the b2 moniker, offering what B Hotel calls "value full-service" access to amenities, but at a more affordable price. In an attempt to draw from the commun ... More >>

Carnival Cruises Apologizes, Reverses Drag Ban on Drag Queen Cruise

Facing a growing backlash after telling passengers who were set to sail on a themed cruise featuring cast members from RuPaul's Drag Race that they themselves could not wear drag, Carnival Cruise Lines has now relented and dropped the drag ban.

Delano Hotels Opening in Moscow and Las Vegas

One day, all the big cities and luxury destinations of the world will have all the same hotels, outposts of the same five-star restaurants, and versions of the same clubs and boutiques. In fact, they practically do now. It's like a McDonald's and Starbucks for the high-end jet set.The Delano, now ma ... More >>

Delano Hotel Reportedly For Sale

Recently, Morgans Hotel Group finished a $10.8 million renovation of South Beach's Delano hotel and announced that it would be expanding the brand by opening a sister hotel in Marrakesh, Morocco. So reports that the company is putting the original Delano on the market are somewhat surprising.

Hugo Chavez Plans His Own Disney World: A Libertador Theme Park

Do you love Disney World, but wish Mickey and Minnie were a little heavier on the socialism? Why can't Space Mountain also educate kids about the glories of Simon Bolivar's revolution? Don't worry: Hugo Chavez is on the case.The Venezuelan president announced plans this week to turn the site of a ke ... More >>

Geoffrey Zakarian To Create Restaurants Onboard NCL's Breakaway

Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's Tudor House was named Best Hotel Restaurant in New Times' 2012 Best of Miami. Read our interview with Geoffrey Zakarian.When Geoffrey Zakarian announced the closing of Tudor House, he left us with a hint that new projects were on the horizon...and out to sea.Miami-based Norw ... More >>

B Hotel Releases Renderings, Details on Upcoming Downtown Miami, South Beach Locations

No, that is not a misspelling in the headline. The folks over at B Hotels and Resorts have a goal -- for the letter "B" to be as familiar in front of the word hotel as the letter "W."The company's two Broward locations opened just 18 months ago in Sunrise and on A1A, but they've already become a fav ... More >>

Hotel Drama: Setai Ousts Management at Midnight, Eden Roc Takes Theirs to Court

Big drama at two of Miami's best known hotels this weekend, as two iconic resorts had some dramatic shake-ups on the business side. The owners of the Eden Roc, a Miami Beach classic, are taking their management company to court. Meanwhile, the owners of the Setai, a member of the new guard of Miami ... More >>

Local Activists Host "Carnaval to Unmask Carnival" Cruise Lines (Updated)

​South Florida activist group 1Miami is hosting a gathering this weekend in Hialeah and Little Haiti to bring Carnival Cruise Lines to the public's attention. They say Carnival is figuratively "sinking Miami." While most associate the cruise line with family memories, bad sunburns, and tanning oil ... More >>

South Beach is Now America's Top Spring Break Destination

​Ugh, get ready for the arrival of a bunch of drunk, unruly college students (and not the FIU and UM variety we're already used to dealing with) in a few weeks, because according to a top travel agency, South Beach has now become the third most popular Spring Break location for college students. W ... More >>

Mickey Mouse vs. Micky Arison: Disney Bringing Cruises to Port of Miami

​Micky Arison's Carnival Cruise Lines has another Mickey with a cruise empire about to encroach on its turf. Mickey Mouse that is. Disney Cruise Line has announced that beginning later this year, it will be sail ships out of the Port of Miami for the first time.

Ships Ahoy! Celebrity Cruises Culinary Boat Rides to Set Sail

The Millennium's Grand Buffet​Foodies, rejoice! Miami-based Celebrity Cruises is rolling out a series of culinary-inspired boat rides set to begin in March.Celebrity Cruises' lifestyle cookbook, Excite the Senses, was the inspiration for the new food-and-wine-themed luxury cruise series aptly name ... More >>

Royal Caribbean doesn't care about employees raped at sea, a lawyer says

Guy Fieri Partners with Carnival Cruise Lines For Burger Joint

​Carnival Cruise Lines announced that it will partner with Food Network host and author Guy Fieri to bring Fieri's concept of a roadside burger joint to life.Guy's Burger Joint will feature Fieri's creations, as well as a variety of sauces ranging from chipotle mayonnaise and a special barbecue sa ... More >>

Raleigh Hotel to Undergo $20-Million Makeover

​The Raleigh Hotel already has an air of unfussy chic that's unique in South Beach, but in this town everyone needs an occasional nip and tuck to stay looking good. Signaling yet another financial move to indicate tourism is back in business after a recession-blamed bump, the hotel has secured a $ ... More >>

Free Cookies at Cocowalk: Check out the DoubleTree Cookie CAREavan

Courtesy DoubleTree by Hilton​Move over Ben & Jerry's: there's a new dessert truck tour in town (if only for a day).The Hilton's DoubleTree Hotel is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its signature chocolate chip cookie by going on the road with the DoubleTree by Hilton Cookie CAREavan.  ... More >>

Carnival cruise ships have sewage problems, say passengers

Brunch It

Jesse Marco and Random Mondays at Mokai, January 17

DJ-producer Jesse Marco.​Jesse Marco Ransom Mondays Monday, January 17, 2011 Mokai Better than: Another trip to the airport. Ransom Mondays at Mokai are supposed to be "industry" parties. That refers to the hospitality industry: bartenders, concierges, waiters, etc. It would seem, though, that t ... More >>

Travel Deal: Fly to NYC and Freeze Your Ass Off for Only $79

​Tourism officials in both New York City and Miami announced today a joint promotion to encourage travel between the two cities. In conjunction with American Airlines, flights during certain dates this winter will cost only $79 each way. That's a decent, if not exactly unbelievable deal, but we ca ... More >>

Man Dies After Eating Cruise Ship Food

​In today's surprisingly light roundup of horrible things and various crimes that happened over the weekend in our fair metropolis: The Epic cruise ship is forced back to the Port of Miami after a man dies after eating food, a greyhound bus is attacked by a gunman, and the city's bond status ... More >>

Ballroom Brouhaha

Fontainebleau Miami Hasn't Made a Loan Payment Since September, Looking to Restructure Debt

​The owners of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach borrowed about $620 million to complete its recent $1 billion makeover, but according to Business Week, they haven't made payments on any of the loans since September. Now BW says they're offering a restructuring plan to lenders. Yes, yet another Miami ... More >>

Elegant Elliot Offen had the bustier, Holiday Inn gave him the boot

Panty Problem: Howard Stern Sidekick Sues Miami Beach Holiday Inn

via Elegant Elliot Offen.Elegant Elliot Howard Stern sidekick and self-described "topnotch, prime-time, center-stage celebrity" Elegant Elliot Offen runs 14 miles a day in ladies' lingerie. In New York, he swears, people on the street cheer and salivate over his bodacious curves. "You won't see a se ... More >>

Silicon Beach: Tripatini Connects Travelers

Tripatini is international in scope but was founded here in the 305.​Tripatini, founded last year in March by Miamians Jose Balido and Dave Appell, is a unique social networking site for travelers. The website launched in late August and was dubbed "Facebook for travelers" by the New York Post. Si ... More >>

Morgans Hotel Group Food and Beverage Revenue Drops Over 25% - South Beach Is Hurting Too

via wikimedia commonsMarket Crash​It used to be that people rented a hotel room, ate dinner, got drunk and screwed. Now that people have gone back to doing that at home, it's the hotels that are getting screwed.Morgans Hotel Group Co. owns or has an ownership interest in properties around the worl ... More >>

Cruise Ship Singer Laurie Miller From Expose Gets Free Plastic Surgery

Back in May Crossfade told you about Laurie Miller, original member of the superstar girl group Expose, who brought the world hits like "Point Of No Return."We also found her website which details her current life as a performer and talks about her experience in the cruise ship industry. If you ha ... More >>

Kourtney and Khloe Really, Really Excited to Be in Miami

Despite E!'s best attempts to create programming that leaves viewers' near brain dead, this preview clip for Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami got us thinking. Why are they so damn happy to be in Miami? The 40-second clip basically consists of the sisters running around going, "OMG, We're in Miami!" Th ... More >>

You Know What The World Needs More Of? Luxury Hotels!

via PR NewswireWe know Paris Hilton doesn't have anything to do with the management of the hotel company that bears her family name, but sometimes you have to wonder. In the midst of the latest, greatest depression and economic free fall you might expect any new hotel plans to include cots, a soup k ... More >>

Naked Candy Thrower Brings His Design Aesthetic To South Beach

Val Screen Vies for Commissioner Audrey Edmonson's Seat

Look Who's Third World Now

The Boat to Perdition

Will 2006 prove friendlier for the casino cruise business?

It's Not All Glamour and Glitz

A Cabbie's Crusade

Javier Peña is a maverick cabbie on a mission to turn the notorious Miami taxi industry into a respectable profession. So far he's been threatened, shot at, fined, and fired. In other words, he's making progress.

Letters to the Editor

Letters from the issue of February 10, 2000

DeFede

The Real Micky Arison

The Deep Blue Greed

The Arison clan built Carnival into a money machine by cleverly avoiding tax laws

Miami: See It Like a Pampered, Sheltered, Spoiled-Rotten Tour Operator from Munich

Highlights from Pow Wow, a multimillion-dollar exercise in insulated extravagance

There Oughta Be a Law!

Micky Arison and other cruise industry bigwigs are pushing Congress to ship potential lawsuits overseas

Miami Makeover

Tropical paradise or violent hellhole? If you ask the wizards selected to design the city's publicity campaign, the answer is as clear as a bright summer day.

The Man with the Biodegradable Balls

Patrick Kane has a fish-friendly formula for people who hanker to swat golf balls into the deep blue sea

The Ships Hit the Fan

Corri Barrs says there's something you should know about the garbage that's washing up on the shores of Matheson Hammock

Bon Voyage!