tl;dr – Hilton, to AKA Hotels, to Marriott – where will it end!
Miami’s AKA Brickell recently rebranded as the Brickell Arch.
As part of this transition, the property will leave AKA Hotels and join Marriott Bonvoy as part of the Luxury Collection.
The kicker to all of this? The property used to be the Conrad Miami before being purchased by AKA Hotels in 2021.
Located in the bustling part-financial-part-shopping-part-nightlife-part-regular-neighborhood of the same name, the Brickell Arch features over 220 spacious rooms and condominiums. The property includes amenities such as a rooftop pool, two restaurants, a spa, and a fitness center.
Rates bottom out at $440 per night. Points rates are live yet.
You might be inclined to think this is a solid pickup for Marriott, and perhaps it is, but Marriott’s Miami portfolio, much like the entirety of Miami’s hotel scene, has always been a bit underwhelming to me. I think that’s mostly to do with the vibe of Miami versus the willingness for hotelieries to introduce good brands into the market. It just feels like every property – no matter what brand it is – suffers a bit in terms of service and experience when compared to other cities.
It’s unclear why the property has ridden the hotelier chain carousel the last few years. That said, I’d imagine joining a soft brand in the Luxury Collection will 1) afford the owners more leeway to run their hotel as they see fit or 2) pass off the day-to-day operations to a Marriott-appointed management company.
