$800M Marriott Coming to Miami Worldcenter

Developer MDM Group has big plans for the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo, slated to be the largest hotel in South Florida when it opens in late 2021.

The expo center fronts the four large, curved towers that are very dramatic and vertically oriented. At night, the horizontal stripes on the development will light up. NBWW is the architect on the project.

“Many don’t realize how big it is,” the architect said, citing the Fontainebleau Miami Beach’s 1,500 rooms.

Exhibit space will include a 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall ground floor, a 65,000-square-foot main ballroom, a 45,000-square-foot junior ballroom, 390,000 square feet of other meeting space, and a 10,000-square-foot, 1,500-seat lecture hall — all for a total of 610,000 square feet.

The hotel will be located within steps of Miami Worldcenter’s shopping mall, which will include a Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. 

The 27-acre development is within a quarter of a mile of All Aboard Florida and Tri-Rail stations.“All Aboard Florida is the linchpin,” the developer said. “This whole area is going through a massive change. We’re excited to be around it.”

Developers received approval from the city of Miami for the first phase, which will include the 765,000-square-foot mall, the 470 unit Paramount Miami Worldcenter condo tower and a newly announced apartment tower. 

The hotel and expo center will generate the need for an additional 2,400 hotel rooms in the area.

Bill Talbert, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the development will complement, not compete, with the planned Miami Beach Convention Center renovation and expansion, which includes an 800-room hotel. “These are complementary. Miami Beach has four halls, this has one. There are some folks who want to be in a downtown environment,” Talbert said.

The Marriott brand, he said, “is the No.1 brand in this community. Marriott sells.”

The hotel will offer 1,800 rooms on levels six through 54, and valet parking for 1,094 spaces.

The hotel and expo component is expected to create more than 1,300 permanent jobs, $175 million in annual revenue and $14.8 million in annual city and county tax revenue through 2045.