Doral Hotel
Encyclopedia
Collins Avenue
Collins Avenue runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean in Miami Beach, Florida, one block west. It is also State Road A1A. Collins Avenue was named for John S...
in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
. Also known as the Doral Beach Hotel, it was named for its founder and his wife, DORIS and AL Kaskel. It was long considered the most elegant and luxurious hotel in the area. The Doral won several of the coveted Mobil Five Star awards. The hotel hosted the headquarters of George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
during the 1972 Democratic National Convention
1972 Democratic National Convention
The 1972 Democratic National Convention was the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party for the 1972 presidential election. It was held at Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida on July 10–13, 1972....
. It was the sister hotel to the Doral Country Club, where the Doral Open
Doral Open
The Doral Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament, contested from 1962 to 2006 on the "Blue Monster" course at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami....
was played until 2006. The Doral was home away from home for movie stars and presidents.
Several scenes from the 1972 hit film The Heartbreak Kid
The Heartbreak Kid (1972 film)
The Heartbreak Kid is a 1972 dark romantic comedy film directed by Elaine May, written by Neil Simon, and starring Charles Grodin, Jeannie Berlin, and Cybill Shepherd...
were shot on location at the hotel. The movie shows extensive footage of the lobby, room 1704, the pool area and beach. There is also a short clip that was shot in the bar adjacent to the Starlight Roof restaurant on the 18th floor of the hotel.
In the 1990s the Doral changed hands several times. It was first purchased from the original family in the early 1990s by a French company and renamed the Doral Ocean Beach Resort. The French OBR company then sold it to Interstate Hotels in 1997 and it briefly became a Westin
Westin Hotels
Westin Hotels & Resorts are an upscale hotel chain owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. As of 2011, Westin operated over 160 hotels in 37 countries.-History:...
. In September 1998 the hotel was purchased by Wyndham
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is a group of chains of hotels and resorts located mainly in the United States and Canada, but also in Mexico and the Caribbean.-History:...
and was operated as The Wyndham Miami Beach Resort. In 2006 the Blackstone Group
Blackstone Group
The Blackstone Group L.P. is an American-based alternative asset management and financial services company that specializes in private equity, real estate, and credit and marketable alternative investment strategies, as well as financial advisory services, such as mergers and acquisitions ,...
, a large conglomerate, purchased the Wyndham hotel chain. Some of the Wyndham hotels were merged into LXR, another chain owned by Blackstone. Today, the former Doral is The Miami Beach Resort and Spa, an LXR hotel.
The French company OBR retained a portion of the real estate adjacent to the hotel when it was sold to Interstate. Originally, a parking lot, two tennis courts and additional beach access were located on this piece of property. OBR recently built a structure on this adjacent land. The purpose for the new building is not yet public information. However it may be used for a condo/hotel. In addition to the real estate, OBR also retained the rights to the Doral name.