Everglades Hotel

Everglades Hotel was a historic 16-floor 1926 hotel tipped by a Giralda tower in Downtown Miami, Florida. It was once the largest hotel in the city. The building was demolished on January 23, 2005, to make room for new construction. The new hotel was originally named Everglades on the Bay; it was later renamed Vizcayne. The hotel was designed and built by New York City based real estate developer Fred F. French's company.

History

Construction of the hotel was completed just before the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, which flooded the lobby.
Television station WTVJ originally had its transmitter atop the hotel when it signed on the air in 1949.
In September 1957, Miami real estate developer Vaughan Connelly bought the hotel for $2 million. He subsequently took out a mortgage on the property from the Teamsters Union, who foreclosed on the mortgage and acquired the property in 1960. By April 1963, Connelly was bankrupt. In May 1964, Connelly testified in court that he was required to pay 10% of the amount he borrowed from the Teamsters, then led by Jimmy Hoffa, as under-the-table commissions. Hoffa was convicted of fraud for his involvement with loans and kickbacks, including for the Everglades Hotel.
The building was demolished on January 23, 2005, to make room for new construction. The new hotel was originally named Everglades on the Bay; it was later renamed Vizcayne.