The San Juan Hotel, a 1948 Art Deco fixture on Collins Avenue, is gearing up for a serious glow-up. Owners have filed plans to restore the historic structure and tack on more guest rooms and amenities, a move that kicks off a local review process and reopens the long-running tug-of-war between preserving Miami Beach history and courting higher-spending visitors. The pitch keeps the building’s signature stepped parapet and vertical center bay, while reimagining the interiors and adding a poolside café and upgraded services.
According to the South Florida Business Journal, San Juan Hotel LLC has asked the city to sign off on a plan that restores the property’s historic elements and adds rooms and amenities. A January 20 letter from the Florida Division of Historical Resources notes that architect Henry Hohauser designed the hotel in 1948 and that it is a contributing resource in the Miami Beach Architectural District, a designation that tightly limits how far structural and accessibility changes can go.
Plan details and accessibility waiver
Public records show the owners want to layer new features onto the existing footprint, adding extra guest rooms and a poolside café while keeping the Art Deco façade largely untouched. Minutes from the Florida Building Commission’s February 10, 2026 meeting indicate that commissioners recommended granting a vertical-accessibility waiver for the café planned at the pool, finding that putting a lift into the current stairwell would mean tearing out load-bearing walls. The hotel’s own site confirms its Collins Avenue address and references past renovations that would shape how this next round of work is phased.
Preservation and market context
Along Collins Avenue, historic hotels are in a constant cycle of facelifts as owners chase luxury travelers and premium nightly rates. The San Juan joined that club in 2016, when it underwent a redesign, as reported by The Real Deal. It is not alone. Miami’s 2026 hotel lineup is packed with restorations and reopenings, underscoring how much demand there is for refreshed historic properties, according to Haute Living.
What’s next
Because the San Juan is recognized as a historic resource, its makeover plans will have to clear the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board along with other city departments before any construction crews show up. The South Florida Business Journal reports that the owners have already submitted the required applications. City staff are expected to push the proposal through the usual sequence of reviews and public hearings as it moves through the permitting pipeline.
