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| Pompano Beach 2024 |
Space Satellite Hotel
By Jane Feehan
The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union
was in full orbit by the late 1950s. The U.S. announced plans in 1955 to launch
the first satellite* into space, but the Soviets launched the first one Oct. 4,
1957, kicking off competition and sparking imaginations across the globe.
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| Explorer 1 - U.S launched Jan. 31, 1958 NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Broward County builder Otto Milbrand incorporated a space theme
in his plans to build a new ocean front hotel in 1959 at 1450 South Ocean Boulevard
in Pompano. Construction began in July 1959 for an unusual building—perhaps “one
of the most unusual in the country”— according to Milbrand.
The 60-room hotel, designed by Boca Raton architect Carl A.
Petersen, featured a 36-foot- high dome. Walls in the dome depicted a moonscape
of mountains and water flowing from ceiling to floor. A twinkling Milky Way scene
from above added to “weird surroundings designed to represent life on the moon.”
Three levels within the dome held a lounge and two dining areas,
according to reports, for more than 200 guests. The bar area or Outer Space Room
held seating for 80. Blue carpeting with planets, the sun and, of course, the
moon and a satellite, greeted hotel and dining guests.
Space Satellite Hotel opened in January 1960. The hotel was popular with vacationers and a long list of area civic clubs for dining and special events. Summer newspapers advertised “Out-of-this World” vacation packages. Double occupancy on weekends included two dinners, two breakfasts and two cocktails per person for $16.95.
A resident of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea at the time, Cindy Geesey, remembers it well.
"I remember going there when I was about 14 to 16. Television host and funny man Durwood Kirby's mom stayed at the Space Satellite often. I met all the entertainers who played the Dome back in the day and dated Kirby's son. It was quite the place for this teen!"
Maybe the hospitality business was not for Milbrand. Or a bigger
profit could be made selling the place in an area growing in popularity with real
estate developers. Whatever the reason for Milbrand selling the hotel, businessman Gene Harlan purchased the Space Satellite Hotel
in November 1964. He expanded its footprint to include property he bought adjacent
to and south of the hotel. He also had plans for entertainment.
Restaurateur Jimmy Fazio of Fazio’s Fireside Steak Ranch and
other dining establishments took over management of Space Satellite’s food and
beverage operations and added entertainment. He installed a dance floor, booked
music acts like Les Paul and kept doors open until 4 am. Fazio also brought his
chef, Alex Rondeau, from his steak place on Las Olas to present a similar menu.
Ownership changed hands again in January 1965. Harlan sold
the Space Satellite to Dean Vezos and leased its land to Vezos for 99 years. Vezos
owned the Sherwood Motel and Tale O’ the Tiger on Federal Highway in Fort
Lauderdale. He also owned and operated Ranch House restaurants in Broward
County.
It wasn’t known if Fazio planned to continue to lease the dining
and beverage operation when the hotel sale was announced but ads appeared in local
papers that he booked entertainment for March 1965. But, by late March it was
reported by Fort Lauderdale News that Fazio had recently “relinquished his
food and beverage” lease. (see index for more on Fazio and his restaurants).
By 1965, local interest in the space race theme seemed to have
waned. Vezos had other plans for the Space Satellite Hotel. He refurbished it with
a “Pan-American theme” and renamed it the International hotel.
Today the Surf Rider Resort sits near the old hotel site and
the Europa By-the-Sea condos at 1460 South Ocean Boulevard lies to its south.
Though interest in the space race receded through the decades, a resurgence in popularity grows with each SpaceX launch (and rescue mission) and Elon Musk’s vision of a Mars landing. Maybe someone will open an interstellar entertainment venue with a life-on-Mars theme one day. Elon?
* The Soviet satellite was about the size of a basketball. The U.S. successfully launched its first satellite, Explorer 1 Jan. 31, 1958 pictured above. It was about three or four feet long.
Sources:
Fort Lauderdale News Aug. 15, 1959
Fort Lauderdale News, Jan. 9,
1960
Fort Lauderdale
News, July 20, 1960
Fort Lauderdale
News Nov. 13, 1964
Fort Lauderdale News, Dec 23, 1964
Fort Lauderdale News, Jan 19, 1965
Fort Lauderdale News, Feb. 3, 1965
Fort Lauderdale News, April 9, 1965
Tags: Space Satellite Hotel, Pompano Beach hotels, Pompano Beach in the 1950s, Pompano Beach in the 1960s Ranch House restaurants, Sherwood Motel
