As reported today on our food blog, Short Order, the Delano's basement bar and lounge, the Florida Room, will be closing right before the new year. We had heard rumors that the Lenny Kravitz-designed space was facing closure, but this is the first report we've read that confirms the news.
Florida Room opened in 2007 to much hoopla thanks to its Kravitz connection and location at the ultra-lux hotel. Celebrity sightings were common and thanks to spotty cell phone reception privacy seemed guaranteed. For the past three years, it's been the place to see and be seen during Art Basel Miami Beach thanks to its connections to Le Baron, the ultra-exclusive French club which pops up in town every December.
Lately, the promoters seemed to have been taking bigger risks, booking out-of-left-field acts like The Blow and Drop the Lime, as well as local bands like ANR and Afrobeta. It almost felt like an underground, downtown-like club, except for the $15 drink prices.
We've emailed the Delano's publicists for further information on what we can expect when the lounge opens back up but haven't heard back. We'll update this post as soon as we do.
Update: New York Post reported today that "[the] Florida Room will morph into a members-only club, sources say, to be overseen by Ingrid Casares' former right-hand man Chris Paciello."
Seriously? This just sounds like everything else on the strip and with a guy who really isn't that relevant anymore at the helm. Got to love South Beach's poorly recycled ideas.
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