Roney Palace: The Hotel That Hosted Miami Beach Royalty
Few South Beach addresses carry a history like Roney Palace. Built by New Jersey lawyer-turned-developer Newton B.T. Roney and opened in 1926, the original Roney Plaza was designed by Schultze & Weaver, the same firm behind the Waldorf Astoria in New York and the Biltmore in Coral Gables. It was Miami Beach's first grand oceanfront resort, and its guest list read like a who's who of the era, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, and Desi Arnaz, whose big band broadcasts from the hotel's famed Bamboo Room and Restaurant made it one of the most talked-about venues on the beach.
A Hotel of Firsts
The Roney Plaza was the first hotel on Miami Beach to offer cabanas, tennis courts, and a nine-hole golf course, genuinely novel amenities in the 1920s that helped set the template for the resort era that followed.
Demolition, Rebirth, and a New Life as Condominiums
By 1968, the original structure was demolished and entirely rebuilt, reopening in 1971 as a new Roney Plaza. The property was renovated again in 2000, when it was transformed into the Roney Palace condominium residences it remains today, an 18-story building at 2301 Collins Avenue with studios, one-, and two-bedroom units offering ocean, bay, and city views.
How Roney Palace Fits Into South Beach Today
Roney Palace now sits directly alongside 1 Hotel & Homes and shares its amenities, with W South Beach and The Setai just steps away. Unlike South Beach's newer trophy towers, Continuum, Five Park, and Apogee among them, Roney Palace's appeal is genuinely different, a mid-rise building with real 1920s pedigree in a corridor otherwise defined by recent construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Roney Palace built?
The original Roney Plaza opened in 1926, designed by Schultze & Weaver, the firm behind the Waldorf Astoria and the Biltmore Coral Gables. The building was demolished and rebuilt in 1968, reopening in 1971, then renovated again in 2000 into today's condominium residences.
Who stayed at the Roney Plaza?
Guests included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Orson Welles, and Rita Hayworth. Desi Arnaz regularly performed with his orchestra at the hotel's Bamboo Room and Restaurant.
Where is Roney Palace located?
2301 Collins Avenue in South Beach, adjacent to 1 Hotel & Homes and within a few steps of W South Beach and The Setai.
Is Roney Palace the same building as the original Roney Plaza?
No. The original 1926 structure was demolished in 1968 and completely rebuilt, reopening in 1971. That building was renovated again in 2000 into the current Roney Palace condominium.
Contact Ashton Coleman, Broker-Associate with ONE Sotheby's International Realty, for current listings and availability at Roney Palace.
305.978.7704
AColeman@onesothebysrealty.com
ONE Sotheby's International Realty | CLHMS Million Dollar Guild | CNE | TRC | RSPS
EN
ES
FR
IT
PT
RU
GER
HR
PL
TR
HT
CN
