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Trouble In (St. Regis Fort Lauderdale) Paradise

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd [map], Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States, 33304
July 16, 2008 at 9:45 AM | by AndrewC | 6 Comments

Uh oh!

According to a recent article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the St Regis Fort Lauderdale will no longer be a St Regis come August 11th! Yes, for those scratching your heads - this is the same St Regis that opened up to great fanfare just under 15 months ago in May of 2007.

What caused this mess? Well according to the Sun-Sentinel:

problems surfaced when there were major management changes at Starwood, creating a ripple effect at St. Regis.

Could these major management changes be Ross Klein leaving Starwood to go to Hilton? His name WAS all over the press release announcing the opening, plus St. Regis was under his watch while he was at Starwood. We're just sayin....

All Starwood is saying is that the owner, Castillo Grand, LLC, "materially breached its management contract with Starwood ... after repeated requests and attempts to reconcile". Wow. Those must have been some major breaches for Starwood to drop a brand-spanking-new property like the St Regis after a little over a year.

We checked the St Regis's website, and sure enough, as of August 11th, 2008 it will no longer be a part of Starwood. So what will happen then? No one is saying for sure, but the hotel will definitely continue to stay open, under another 5-star flag and employees will be given jobs at other Starwood properties, or may stay on with the new management.

We've just opened the HotelChatter betting windows and are taking bets starting at $50 that it will turn into a Waldorf=Astoria or Conrad. Any takers?

6 Comments

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  1. TonyT

    HotelChatter Member

    Re: Trouble In (St. Regis Fort Lauderdale)

    I heard Ritz-Carlton.

    Blackstone already submitted plans to turn Bahia Mar into Waldorf=Astoria. Conrad is an interesting thought. Maybe taking over an existing property would be easier though.

    I can't imagine how unhappy unit owners are now at the former St. Regis.

    July 16, 2008 at 10:58 AM
    #Permalink

  1. AndrewC

    HotelChatter Contributing Editor

    Re: Trouble In (St. Regis Fort Lauderdale)

    Interesting Tony!

    I also wonder how the residences owners are taking this turn of events.. I wonder how many bought there because it was to be a St Regis, and now that it wont be - are left stranded..

    July 16, 2008 at 12:04 PM
    #Permalink

  1. Stan

    HotelChatter Member

    Re: Trouble In (St. Regis Fort Lauderdale) Paradis

    It's a beautiful property in a great location. Doubtful anyone will feel stranded.
    July 17, 2008 at 7:57 AM
    #Permalink

  1. patricksw

    HotelChatter Member

    Re: Trouble In (St. Regis Fort Lauderdale) Paradis

    Anyone who owns in that building and feels trapped because the St Regis name is going... probably feels doubly trapped that they believed it when someone told them it was a good idea to move to Las Olas Beach. Can we say trash heap heaven?
    July 17, 2008 at 5:49 PM
    #Permalink

  1. patricksw

    HotelChatter Member

    Re: Trouble In (St. Regis Fort Lauderdale) Paradis

    And good on St Regis for wanting to the the eff out of dodge! Fort Lauderdale is an unfun place!
    July 17, 2008 at 5:49 PM
    #Permalink

  1. tombarnes

    HotelChatter Member

    St. Regis Fort Lauderdale

    Fort Lauderdale is "unfun" and a "trash heap?" That's gratuitously nasty.  I'll agree that there is still room for improvement, but it's definitely on the way up.  As for a brand, I never thought the St. Regis moniker was a good fit for a beach hotel anyway.  The Bahia Mar is becoming a Waldorf=Astoria?  They'd have to blow it up first....  As for what brand will replace SR, I have heard rumblings about Ritz-Carlton, but this is an equally questionable brand for the beach.  Let's not forget, however, that RC has done well in other So. Fla. locations.  More than anything, the St. Regis in Fort Lauderdale is hopelessly overpriced and doesn't have the right vibe for the beach.  The sleazy beach bars and other remaining detritus from the Spring Break years are being cleared away and will soon be a distant memory.  The big question is who will fill these expensive hotel rooms?  Far too many have been built all at once- just in time for the economic downturn.  We'll see.  
    July 20, 2008 at 12:38 PM
    #Permalink

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