The Eden Roc

What It Is

The Eden Roc opened in 1956 on Collins Avenue, designed by Morris Lapidus for Harry Mufson — reportedly a falling-out with his Fontainebleau client led Mufson to commission Lapidus to build something grander right next door. The result was a curving, glamorous MiMo tower with an opulent lobby and oceanfront pool deck. The two hotels famously feuded, and the Fontainebleau later built an addition that cast a shadow over the Eden Roc's pool — a literal piece of Miami Beach spite that became local legend. The Eden Roc has been renovated repeatedly while keeping its Lapidus bones.

Why It Matters

The Eden Roc and the Fontainebleau together made Mid-Beach the center of gravity for the MiMo postwar boom — two competing temples of leisure within walking distance of each other. The Eden Roc drew its own roster of stars and entertainers, and its rivalry with the Fontainebleau is one of the founding stories of modern Miami Beach hospitality. It is also a reminder that the city's hotel culture was built on showmanship and one-upmanship long before the LatAm-capital era turned the same instincts into a global luxury market.

Neighborhoods: Mid-Beach Eras: The MiMo / Postwar Boom Related people: Morris Lapidus