 |
| Americana Hotel and pool circa 1956, Florida State Archives |
By Jane Feehan
Laurence and Bob Tisch, operators of hotels in Atlantic City and in New York announced construction of their new Bal Harbour hotel, the Americana, in 1955. Property included 600 feet of ocean front and 10 acres of “playground” for the entire project. Designer Morris Lapidus was tapped as architect.The Americana, once queen of Bal Harbour hotels, operated at 9701 Collins Avenue. It was the third major hotel designed by Morris Lapidus (1902-2001). He had worked on the San Souci Hotel on the beach in 1949, but only to complete work already begun by another architect. The first and second achievements of his architectural trifecta were the Fontainebleau at 4441 Collins, opened in 1954, and the Eden Roc next door at 4525 Collins in 1955. The Americana, as well as the other two hotels, received praise, criticism and plenty of publicity.
The Americana design represented a departure from the European-influenced style of the previous two hotels. The Bal Harbour resort featured mostly South American elements, a “modern tropical,” idea said Laurence Tisch. Taylor Construction began work on the Americana in September 1955.
To accent his design concept, Lapidus included tiles imported from Mexico, Panama, Japan, and Italy. He was criticized by other architects for use of less luxurious—“cheap”— materials for guest rooms. Some complained about hearing noise such as ringing phones from adjacent rooms. Lapidus claimed guests came to Miami hotels for fun rather than privacy. The Tisch brothers defended their architect.
The $17 million Americana Hotel, with 850 employees, 475 rooms, the 500-seat Carnival Supper club and Bal Masque Room night club opened for guests in November 1956. Rooms, which sold for $35-$75 (expensive at that time) featured black-white and color television sets as well as closed circuit TV.
 |
| Bal Masque entrance 1957 Florida State Archives |
No doubt the NBC bash raised the profile of the new Americana. The hotel sailed smoothly through the years with different owners, including the Sheraton, which was the last owner to take the helm. The hotel was demolished in 2007 to make way for the St. Regis condo hotel where a recent listing for a two-bedroom condo advertised a price of nearly $4 million.
 |
| Hotel lobby greenhouse, circa 1956 Florida State Archives |
More on Morris Lapidus
Born in Russia, Lapidus studied drama at New York University. His specialty was scene design. He also attended Columbia University where he studied general architecture. Lapidus settled on retail design before working in Miami, where his career soared. He designed Lincoln Road Mall as well. (See: https://janeshistorynook.blogspot.com/2018/12/lincoln-road-mall-where-time-has-caught.html).
Recommendation
For an excellent compilation of the history of Miami Beach hotels and a useful chronology, see Woggles and Cheese Holes by Howard Kleinberg, published in 2005 by The Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
For an excellent compilation of the history of Miami Beach hotels and a useful chronology, see Woggles and Cheese Holes by Howard Kleinberg, published in 2005 by The Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
Other sources:
The Miami News, July 17, 1955
The Miami Herald, Aug. 28,
1955
The Miami News, July 1, 1956
The Miami Herald, Nov. 11, 1956
The Miami News, Nov. 25, 1956
The Miami News, Nov. 24, 1956
The Miami Herald, Nov. 30, 1956
The Miami News, Dec. 14, 1956
The Miami Herald, Dec. 16, 1956
Tags: Americana Hotel, Sheraton Bal Harbour, Miami Beach hotels, Miami Beach in the 1950s, Morris Lapidus, Bal Harbour, Bal Harbor hotels
