Open For Business, Newly Renovated Cardozo Hotel To Hold Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The celebrity owners of the Cardozo South Beach Hotel on Ocean Drive gave us a tour of the recently renovated hotel ahead of its ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"Welcome to the Penthouse", said Emilio Estefan, as he gives CBS4's Lisa Petrillo a private first tour inside the 3rd floor Penthouse House of his and his wife Gloria Estefan's South Beach hotel.
A hotel they bought back in 1992 and closed for four years for a $15 million top to bottom renovation.
The Historic Art Deco Hotel, built in the late 1930s has 41 new guest rooms and suites and the new BiCe Cucina Miami Restaurant on the first floor with an inside balcony looking over it and the modern deco bar. Just another project for this megawatt record producer, restaurateur, and all-around entrepreneur.
Petrillo asked him what drives him to be in the hotel business.
"2 things. We love Miami and we always want to get and give back to people. Number 2, the immigrant mentality we want to give back and tell people you can give dream anything. We live in an incredible country and we want them to know you can do anything with the dreams you have. I think me and Gloria have done that," he said.
They sure have and the Cardozo reflects that.
Inside the 1,500 square-foot penthouse with soft colors and a cool Caribbean vibe Emilio shows off personal items from his home.
"We have a lot of art here that came from our house, for example, that picture at the end from Brazil that's from Gloria's new album. These are things people haven't seen before," Estefan explained.
"We travel so much all over the world. We feel simplicity is good."
The master bedroom has custom floors from Istanbul and a mother of pearl headboard.
"One of the things that's incredible is we soundproofed the whole hotel. The floors are soundproof, being in the music business you want to make sure you can pound the floor and you don't hear anything," he said.
In the hallways reminders of the hotel's storied past. Pictures of movies such as 1959'S "Hole in the head" with Frank Sinatra and 'The Birdcage' with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.
"There is so much history here," Estefan said.
Robin Williams is right here in this picture at the hotel. The good thing is I did the music for the movie, so many movies that have been done here.
Emilio and Gloria say the Cardozo South Beach is a reflection of who they were and who they are today.
"We came all the way from bottom playing weddings and everything else you know this more than anyone else. We want to work hard, teach our kids and we want people to be proud," he said.
" I think they are. I know they are," said Petrillo.
The ribbon cutting for Cardozo South Beach is Wednesday, June 12th at 11:30 a.m.
The Hotel is opened for business now.
