So to celebrate Chiminazzo's 30th birthday this past spring the pair decided to party in Miami Beach. They threw a grand fete at the Edition, Miami's hottest new hotel, brought in superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold to provide music and flew in 75 of their closest friends.
However, things didn't go off without a hitch. Their watches, worth a combined total of almost $80,000, were stolen from their hotel room, they claim. The couple says the hotel's doors malfunctioned, leaving their valuables unprotected inside. They're now suing the hotel for $800,000.
The birthday sounded lavish, otherwise. According to the New York Daily News, the couple rented out Basement, the hotel's nightclub that includes an ice rink and bowling alley, and had Oakenfold spin. Guests from Italy, England, and New York were in attendance. Luxurious celebrations aren't out of line for a couple who married in a three-day, Great Gatsby-themed bash in Lake Como, Italy, back in 2013.
It's no surprise that the couple chose the Miami Beach Edition to host the celebration either. Opened just in time for last year's Art Basel, the Edition is currently the Beach's most notable new hotel. It's a partnership between Marriott International and Studio 54 co-owner turned hotelier Ian Schrager. Schrager's past projects include the Delano and the original Mondrian in West Hollywood.
Schrager is known for creating an urban oasis that reflects the pulse of nightlife, but according to the lawsuit his newest hotel didn't have a big emphasis on security. Chiminazzo and Ripley claim that on the night of the party they closed the door to their $800-a-night room, but it didn't properly close behind them. That left a three-and-half hour window where anyone could go in, and someone apparently took the chance. The couple discovered that their Audemars Piguet Women’s Royal Oak Offshore Limited Edition and Jacob & Co. Brilliant Half Pave watches were missing. The wedding and birthday presents were worth about $40,000 each.
The suit claims that the malfunctioning door problem was known to the hotel, and Ripley found that a neighboring room also had the same problem. They also claim that there are no security cameras in the hallways.
“This is more than a dispute about a couple of watches. This is a lawsuit about a hotel that markets itself as a modern and sophisticated facility where its guests can feel safe and secure,” attorney Lauren Rudick told the Daily News. Rudick also added that it's lucky the security failures only resulted in theft and not physical harm to a guest.
The couple is now seeking $880,000 in damages, and both Marriott International and Schrager are named as defendants in the suit. New Times has asked Marriott to comment on the allegations; we'll update this post if we hear back.
Update: A Marriott spokesperson says the company won't comment on the allegations because of the pending lawsuit.
