Miamidade County Seeks Private Firm To Refurbish Operate Airport Hotel

By Tanja Edwards
The Miami-Dade Aviation Department has formally requested proposals for a private firm to refurbish, operate and maintain its 44-year-old hotel at Miami International Airport and put a national brand on it.

A pre-proposal conference is at 10 a.m. Sept. 25 at MIA Building 5A, 4200 NW 36th St., said Greg Owens, administrative assistant to aviation director Angela Gittens. Bids are due Dec. 3.

Miami International Airport Hotel, owned by the county and operated by H.I. Development Corp., was built in 1959 and has undergone a series of refurbishments, according to the aviation department’s bid request. It has 259 rooms and a restaurant on the seventh floor but only about 3,100 square feet of meeting space and no hotel-designated parking. The aviation department reports annual operating profits of $4.5 million to $6 million.

The aviation department, according to the request, wants a private contractor to renovate and run the hotel at a minimum of a three-star level with an internationally recognizable commercial brand.

The department also is making available land across from the hotel currently used for short-term parking. According to the request, the hotel could use the area for complementary facilities and added parking.

The request says the developer would not get financial assistance from the county for the project.

The county will require that the hotel be open and be fully staffed two years after an agreement is signed, the request says.Details: (305) 876-8065.