Miami Beach Hotels Already Back To Business

MIAMI BEACH, FL — While thousands of people evacuated Miami Beach ahead of Hurricane Irma, a small group of top executives were checking into the iconic Eden Roc Miami Beach Resort just steps away from the churning Atlantic and Hurricane Irma's disastrous potential. A few brought spouses. Some even brought dogs.

But over the coming days, these 18 people would work around the clock to save the 630-room luxury hotel from Irma and assure that its 500 employees would have jobs to return to after the storm. The nearly empty hotel cast an eerie specter in a city known for its celebrity sightings, pulsing nightlife and large crowds.

"To know that we have people depending on us, that’s why we did stay. I wanted people to have jobs," Eden Roc General Manager Laurence Dubey told Patch as she walked the well-appointed lobby checking on guests while her hotel sprang to life. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Miami Beach.)

Also See: Florida Is Turning Hurricane Irma Wreckage Into Power For Its Grids

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Among the skeleton crew were the directors of food and beverage, engineering and security. Dubey personally took charge of the operation.

"Our people wanted to get back to work. They don’t have the luxury of waiting," Dubey acknowledged.

This was a scene that played out not only at the Eden Roc but hotels around the city. It was herculean efforts like these that allowed Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine to proclaim "the beach is back" just 24 hours after Hurricane Irma departed this resort town. Tourists account for $82.6 million in resort taxes each year, so even one month of lost revenue can hurt the city and its tourism industry.

"I would say, #TheBeachIsBack, that we are open for business. Our hotels are open. Our people are coming back in right now. Our hotels have been cleaned up," Levine told Patch. "We’re going to do everything we can to let the world know and the country know that Miami Beach is back in business."

Eden Roc already hosted three large groups last weekend, and more than a dozen other hotels are fully operational. But with more than 22,000 hotel rooms in Miami Beach, the industry is sure to have taken some economic hit from Hurricane Irma, though it is still difficult to say exactly how much of one.

"We have barely missed a beat," assured Miami Beach tourism director Eva Silverstein, who said that many hotels were back up within 48 hours after Irma. "And the City of Miami Beach is dedicated to providing all of the support and collaboration necessary to ensure that this vital industry continues to thrive within our urban island."

Here is a list of hotels, restaurants and attractions that had reopened as of Sept. 21:

Hotels:

• Dream South Beach, 1111 Collins Ave.
• Delano, 1685 Collins Ave.
• LS South Beach, 1701 Collins Ave.
• The Betsy Hotel, 1440 Ocean Drive
• The Setai, Miami Beach, 2001 Collins Ave.
• Soho Beach House, 4385 Collins Ave.
• Fontainebleau Miami Beach, 4441 Collins Ave.
• Loews Miami Beach Hotel, 1601 Collins Ave.
• Freehand Miami, 2727 Indian Creek Drive
• Gale South Beach, 1690 Collins Ave.
• Shelborne South Beach, 1801 Collins Ave.
• The Redbury, 1776 Collins Ave.
• The Confidante Miami Beach, 4041 Collins Ave.

Restaurants:

• Yardbird Southern Table and Bar, 1600 Lenox Ave.
• LT Steak and Seafood, 1440 Ocean Drive
• Prime 112, 112 Ocean Drive
• Hakkasan, 4441 Collins Avenue
• Nobu, 4525 Collins Ave.
• Icebox Cafe, 1855 Purdy Ave.
• Spris, 731 Lincoln Road
• Carrot Express, 1755 Alton Road
• Dolce Italian, 1690 Collins Ave.
• Bird & Bone, 4041 Collins Ave.
• Halves & Wholes, 1600 Alton Road

Attractions:

• Bass Museum of Art, 2100 Collins Ave.
• Bachata Bliss Monday Nights, 1672 Collins Ave.
• New World Symphony’s Sphinx Virtuosi, 500 17th St.
• 21st Brazilian Film Festival of Miami, 1130 Washington Ave.
• Regal South Beach Stadium 18, 1120 Lincoln Road
• Effusion Gallery, 1130 Ocean Drive

More than a dozen Miami Beach hotels have already reopened thanks to herculean efforts by staff. Photo courtesy Miami Beach.