JMH Development and Lightstone's Aloft South Beach Named Hotel Development of the Year

NEW YORK, March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aloft South Beach, a hotel development led by JMH Development and Madden Real Estate Ventures, a Lightstone affiliate, has won the 2015 Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) Hotel Development of the Year. The award was presented on January 26^th at the ALIS conference in Los Angeles.

The award is based on categories including: outstanding business performance, novelty, project magnitude, size, complexity, timeliness, budget adherence, economic impact, sustainability initiatives, innovative design and public relations.

Aloft South Beach has all the character of a boutique while operating under Aloft, a Starwood brand. Building on the foundation of the historic 1954 Ankara Motel, the Aloft South Beach is unique as JMH and Lightstone took great care to preserve Art Deco-inspired architecture on the exterior while breathing fresh life into a newly constructed interior, melding retro chic with a contemporary touch.

Located at 2360 Collins Avenue in Miami, Aloft South Beach offers the complete Starwood experience, but caters to those looking for a certain design and culture, including an array of modern amenities. The hotel is located a short walk from Ocean Drive, South Beach's vibrant nightlife, and from the Atlantic Ocean.

"Aloft South Beach struck the right chord with visitors and Miami. Being the first ground-up hotel since the recession, we put tremendous thought into design, amenities, and guest offerings," said Jason Halpern, Founder and Managing Partner of JMH Development. "We expect continued success in South Beach."

"By providing amenities guests would experience at a Starwood-branded hotel, but maintaining a boutique quality, Aloft South Beach is in a league of its own," said Mitchell Hochberg, President of Lightstone. "We look forward to seeing Aloft South Beach grow and evolve as a trendy destination for travelers from around the globe."

The hotel encourages guest to socialize in lively spaces like the re:mix^SM lounge. The lounge serves as a hub for guests and locals to mingle over drinks or a game of pool, and flawlessly connects to W XYZ^SM bar. The bar transitions to the pool deck by way of a 36-foot sliding glass wall, where the splash pool offers a cool respite complete with private cabanas nestled between the pool and the lake. On the third level is the hotel's Plunge Deck & Bar, outfitted with daybeds under a canopy of Strawberry Guava trees and a four-sided infinity edge water feature, serving as a visually intriguing design element. Moreover, the plunge deck offers a backdrop of an art wall, which displays rotating street art by rising artists from Miami's artsy Wynwood neighborhood. This unique art program extends to other areas in the hotel with a variety of appealing photographic prints and murals.

The Aloft South Beach also features fusion dining at Stephen Starr's Continental Miami, stylish lounges and vibrant outdoor spaces showcasing work by local artists. As an Aloft Hotel, guests enjoy a multitude of the brand's signature benefits and programming, including Starwood's Preferred Guest loyalty program where they can earn rewards with every stay.

About JMH Development
JMH Development is a leading, full-service real estate development company with experience as a developer or owner of major residential and commercial properties across the U.S. With an innovative approach to creating distinct properties in the luxury category, JMH has been a pioneer in the development of the most unique and well-positioned properties in highly desirable markets like Manhattan, Brooklyn and Miami Beach.

About Lightstone
Lightstone is one of the most highly-regarded and diversified real estate companies in the United States. It is developing seven Moxy hotels for Marriott in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. Moxy is a fresh, bold, energetic, micro-format lifestyle hotel with smartly designed and technologically advanced rooms coupled with amplified and energized socially activated public spaces. It's an accessible product with the soul of a boutique hotel; where affordability is not a sacrifice of style or comfort.

Since 1988, founder David Lichtenstein has grown Lightstone to one of the largest privately-held real estate companies in the country, with holdings in 21 states. Operating in all sectors of the real estate market, Lightstone's $2 billion portfolio currently includes over 6 million square feet of office, retail and industrial commercial properties, 11,000 residential units and 3,200 hotel keys. It also owns over 12,000 land lots across the country. Headquartered in New York City, Lightstone continues to grow its local presence with $2 billion worth of projects currently under development in the residential and hospitality sectors.

Contact:

Christopher Bastardi for Lightstone
212-729-2495
chris.bastardi@edelman.com

Casey Riordan for JMH Development
786-600-3954, ext. 11
criordan@quinn.pr

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160314/343835 

SOURCE Lightstone