MIAMI -- Menin Hotels' decision to convert a former nursing home here into a chic, Collins Avenue hotel arose from a philosophy that has helped make the development company so successful.
Principals Keith Menin and Jared Galbut look at Miami Beach a little differently than other hoteliers do, perhaps because the homegrown cousins have been around long enough to recognize market trends before outsiders can.
One of the niches they have found is developing properties away from the beach.
Keith Menin had the foresight in 2007 to build the Mondrian, a hotel on the bay side of South Beach and far from the swankiest, oceanfront properties on the Atlantic. The property, run by the Morgans Hotel Group, quickly became one of the hottest spots in town and still attracts the glitterati.
Before that, Menin Hotels developed the Sanctuary, also off the beach on James Avenue, and now the Gale and Regent South Beach, which are located on Collins Avenue but not on the beachfront side.
This off-beach niche is one that other upscale developers have been slow to capitalize on.
"We are trying to keep our secret, but it seems to be getting out," Galbut said. "Yes, we do like some unique properties that are off the beach. We look for character and location, both very important factors when we do our space planning and feasibility studies."
He also pointed out that Menin "loves oceanfront properties" and has both the Shelborne, which is undergoing a multiyear renovation, and the Bentley, on Ocean Drive, in its portfolio.
The Gale is a love letter of sorts to Miami Beach history and pays tribute to the deep roots planted here by the Menin/Galbut family.
The lobby, hallways and rooms are adorned with postcards and photos of the last century on the Beach. To gather the memorabilia, Menin Hotels enlisted local historians and family members who supplied postcards, mailed decades ago, and mementos from this Miami Beach property and others.
Guests requesting a tour of the display will find that many of the items are from members of the Galbut and Menin families, as seen in draft cards, family photos and mementos from almost a century of uninterrupted Miami living.
The Gale was originally built in 1941 as two hotels. The entrance on the James Avenue side still says Regent, while the Collins Avenue facade is all Gale.
Menin preserved the look of both sides of the property by recreating details such as exact replicas of each property's neon signs, and reclaiming the limestone and terrazzo flooring from the original structure.
While the Gale pays tribute to its past, its amenities are all modern. The property's 87 rooms are certified green and feature a high-tech TV system that can be connected to one's personal iPad. The rooms are well designed; balconies are spacious and private, and even in the smallest rooms the bathrooms feel ample. The one downside of the rooms here are small closets, but the Gale offers guests a portable closet should they need more space.
The hotel's crowning achievement might well be its huge roof deck. The front end features a sparkling blue pool drenched in daylong sunshine. As anyone who has stayed in the tall hotels along Collins knows, that is nothing to shrug at.
The back of the roof offers a restaurant with a unique feature: a direct view of Miami's new Frank Gehry-designed New World Symphony, where a huge outdoor screen and speakers project concerts from inside the hall for the public. Gale guests don't have to picnic in the park to see the show. The best views are here on the property's roof.
The Gale side of the lobby houses the family-style, Dolce Italian restaurant by night, a casual indoor/outdoor breakfast and lunch spot during the day.
The Regent entrance is home to the Regent Cocktail Club, already a favorite among locals with its decidedly un-Miami feel; the classic lounge could be at home in New York or Chicago, with its wood-paneled walls and dark leather accents.
Below it all is one of Miami's newest hot spots, the Rec Room, a nightclub concept people might recognize from New York's No. 8. Designed to feel like a 1970s basement, that is aptly where the Rec Room is situated, and where a DJ spins vinyl till the wee hours. LDV Hospitality operates all of the Gale's restaurants and bars.
Tip: Menin Hotels also owns the beachfront Shelborne Hotel, one block away. Gale guests have access to the Shelborne's beach club, with free beach chairs and umbrellas.
Follow Johanna Jainchill on Twitter @jjainchilltw.