Fontainebleau Unveiled
| By Tracy Block

Star-Studded Gala Is The Hottest Ticket In Town

“If you create a stage and it is grand, everyone who enters will play their part,” Morris Lapidus once said. The project architect behind the $2.3 million Harvey Firestone mansion on Collins Avenue in 1952 always had a flair for the theatrical. Reigning as one of the most notable resort hotels of all time, the Fontainebleau on Miami Beach in its early years had it all. Regularly attracting the elite “Old Hollywood” crowd, the Fontainebleau was no stranger to such luminaries as Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Judy Garland, Elvis and the infamous Rat Pack.

Fifty-four years and $1 billion in renovations later, the Fontainebleau recently reopened its “Staircase to Nowhere,” preserving historical design elements including circular ceilings, bow-tie motifs and a poolside that would have Bond, circa Goldfinger, ordering a double this time around. In addition to restoring some of the classic features, Fontainebleau has added some high-tech strokes including touch screens for ordering room service or making spa reservations, a floor that changes colors in the lobby bar, luxury poolside cabanas with
TVs and a domed nightclub complete with couches for dancing.

“We are moving the resort into the future with a nod to its iconic past,” said Jeffrey Soffer, Fontainebleau Resorts’ executive chairman. “Fontainebleau will be infused with the sexy, glamorous, ultramodern spirit of the idiosyncratic original. With the help of a team of internationally-acclaimed architects, designers and artists, we are harnessing the resort’s storied setting and striking architectural details to create a 21st century showplace that will cater to a new generation of tastemakers.”

Mastering architectural decadence isn’t the only thing luring the lavish crowd. The restored 1,504-roomed Fontainebleau has added 11 restaurants and lounges (including three celeb chefs at the helms of Gotham Steak, Scarpetta and Hakkasan), the 40,000-sq.-ft. Lapis Spa, three grand ballrooms and the 30,000-sq.-ft. LIV nightclub.

The Inaugural Ball
In 1954, the Fontainebleau opened with an inaugural grand ball attended by 1,600 guests. The launch of the 2008 resurgence in mid- November packed every single one of the 1,504 rooms, leaving no vacancy during a
weekend-long soiree catering to local movers and shakers, international VIPs and celebrities. Kicking off the Fontainebleau: Unveiled party Friday, Nov. 14, A-listers like Paris Hilton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Diddy, Jerry Powers, Brett Rattner, Russell Simmons and Debbie Harry walked the red carpet.

Followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony administered by Soffer and the Victoria’s Secret Angels along the Staircase to Nowhere, guests toasted to the feat with a fête of their own. Invitees sipped bubbly and indulged in
treats in the Fontaine Fleur de Lis Ballroom from a fresh raw bar clad with oysters, lobster tails, stone crabs and jumbo shrimp. Soon after, the sea dispersed to the Grand Sparkle Ballroom, treated to ear candy by blue-eyed
soul singer/songwriter Robin Thicke and surprise performer, the queen of the night, Mariah Carey. “It was an honor to be here and perform tonight,” Carey said. “Especially since Frank Sinatra and Elvis performed here.”

The Beautiful People
After the inaugural ball, Victoria’s Secret Angels and personalities including Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and Kristin Cavallari made their way to the beach to work on their sun-kissed glows. As night fell, the stars and 2,000 lucky guests entered a tent erected for two showings of the sexy, exclusive invitationonly Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which was broadcast on CBS on Dec. 3. The scantily clad angelic bombshells were the stars of
the evening along with musical guest Usher. Headed by supermodels Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Neomi Lemoir, the Angels strutted their stuff on the catwalk, a stunning representation of the Fontainebleau’s legendary theatrics.

This saying bodes well for the weekend – you only LIV once. Those who attended the fashion show were invited to a sneak preview of club LIV, where Diddy’s mom Janice danced alongside Lenny Kravitz whowas busy catching up with Seal and Usher. Catering to VIPs with a top-shelf open bar and private skyboxes, the Fontainebleau truly
rang in its debut with nothing less than royal treatment. “This is a legendary hotel,” Sean “Diddy” Combs said. “To be here for the grand opening is something I wouldn’t miss.”