The fate of a noteworthy Miami Beach hotel is unknown, the world’s largest indoor waterpark is set to open in New Jersey, and a fashion icon passes away. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
$100 million indoor waterpark coming soon to Atlantic City
An aerial view of the Atlantic City Boardwalk
Ground has been broken on the world’s largest indoor beachfront waterpark. Located on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the attraction, dubbed Island Waterpark, will be part of the Showboat Hotel and is anticipated to cost $100 million. The new entertainment venue will span 103,000 square feet and feature 11 waterslides, pools, outlet shops, and numerous F&B options, according to TimeOut. Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein, who owns and operates the Showboat Hotel, is behind the tourist destination’s latest addition, which will operate year-round, thanks to a retractable glass roof. “Showboat is committed to bringing non-gaming, family-friendly entertainment back to Atlantic City, and the waterpark is one more to that puzzle,” says Blatstein.
Marriott taps into the world of TikTok
The Alaia Belize resort, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, features a design by architect Debora Aguiar
Marriott has kicked off a contest geared toward travel-loving content creators on social media platform TikTok. Winners of the 30 Stays, 300 Days initiative will become “correspondents” and stay at 10 of the hotel company’s many properties over the course of 300 days while sharing their travel experience via Marriott Bonvoy’s TikTok account, Thrillist reports. The trip is estimated to be worth over $30,000 and each of the three chosen correspondents will also receive a $15,000 stipend. Social media experts must apply by March 18th, and up to 10 finalists will be notified by April 1st.
A historic Miami Beach hotel is in danger of being demolished
Photo by HMBSoFL Photography/Flickr
The Deauville Beach Resort in Miami Beach, a place that once hosted The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, President John F. Kennedy, among other notable guests, now faces the possibility of demolition, writes the New York Times. Since closing its doors in 2017 after an electrical fire, the hotel fell into further disrepair from Hurricane Irma that same year. The owners attest that they do not have the funds necessary to repair the hotel. The potential destruction of the nearly 540-room property, which was built in 1957 and is an example of Miami Modern (or MiMo) architectural style, has also stirred up conversations about the city’s appreciation—or lack thereof—for its past.
Moynihan Train Hall ups its F+B offerings yet again
A view of the Metropolitan Lounge; photo courtesy of Amtrak
Amtrak has debuted a full-service bar within its Metropolitan Lounge on the upper level of Moynihan Train Hall, the newly introduced $1.6 billion expansion of New York’s Penn Station. Although the bar will be open seven days a week, only those with first-class tickets and those who buy day passes to the travelers lounge will be able to enjoy its offerings, reports Eater. The bar will be stocked with wine, cocktails, and beers from local breweries, and Colombe coffee, salads, sandwiches, and “complimentary snacks” will also be available during the day. Blue Bottle, Magnolia Bakery, and H&H Bagels also operate outposts within the transportation hub.
Former Vogue editor André Leon Talley dies
Photo courtesy of DOC NYC
On Tuesday, it was announced that former Vogue editor André Leon Talley had died from a heart attack at the age of 73. Tally, a native of Washington, DC, was known for his “grand pronouncements, extravagant capes, and friends in design studios from New York to Paris,” writes Nicole Phelps, director of Vogue Runway, in an obituary published on Wednesday. Talley’s fashion career began with an unpaid apprenticeship to Diana Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, and he went on to work at Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, and the New York Times before landing at Vogue in 1983. He was named creative director by editor in chief Anna Wintour in 1988 and continued to work at the magazine until 2013.
