Developer Daniel Pena Giraldi walks through the Langford, pointing out 1920s-era molding, marble and design of the historic property he is converting into a boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Miami.
Pena, principal of Miami-based Stambul, has led the restoration and construction of the 126-room hotel. “When you walk through the hotel, you get the feeling that it’s been there since 1925, when it was originally built, to now,” he told The Real Deal on a construction tour of the property. “Can you tell I’m in love with it?”
When completed in November, the Langford Hotel, at 121 Southeast First Street, will include the PB Station restaurant, as well as the Pawn Broker rooftop bar and terrace managed by the Pubbelly Restaurant Group. Stambul began the structural restoration two years ago and received building permits for the hotel conversion in December. The company bought the site in 2013 for $2.7 million, according to Miami-Dade property records. About 90 percent of the building’s structure was deteriorated at the time, Pena said.
Daniel Pena
Trust Hospitality will operate the hotel, which was previously the Miami National Bank. The property, built in 1925, was designated a historic site by the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Part of the hotel conversion includes original and replicated moldings, antique-style trunks and boudoirs, Pena said. Design company Bloom Miami replicated the Beaux Arts exterior façade.
The Langford will also feature a sky lobby on the second floor with a coffee bar, lounge and curated library. PB Station is a concept by the Pubbelly Boys partners – Andreas Schreiner, director of culinary operations, James Beard-nominated chef, Jose Mendin, and Sergio Navarro – and executive chef Guillermo Concha.
Hotel rates will average about $180, excluding the two-story penthouse, which will also be used for events. With its close proximity to the courthouse and a number of office towers, Pena said he’s targeting business travelers during the week. On the weekend, tourists.
Commercial properties in downtown Miami have been selling at a premium. All Aboard Florida is building a mixed-use complex called MiamiCentral, set to open in 2017. This year alone, investor Moishe Mana has spent more than $110 million on buildings near the Langford and on Flagler Street. He has yet to release his plans.
“We’re a city of status that needs a strong downtown. The nice thing about downtown Miami is that [the transformation] is happening organically. Locals are making it better. This is going to help a lot,” he said. “That’s what I’m banking on.”