Sandra Del Castillo is one of many wealthy Miamians participating in a trend of buying condos near their favorite chefs and restaurants. As the founder of IPM Worldwide Properties, she owns several kitchens herself, though she doesn’t actually cook.
“I do a lot of eating out,” Castillo said. “We’ve been going for years. It’s off if I don’t find myself in Cipriani multiple times a week.”
Cipriani is an Italian hospitality group that operates luxury restaurants and clubs around the world, and the group’s Brickell Avenue location in Miami is one of Castillo’s favorite places. As a regular, she frequently orders an off-menu dish for the table when she goes out, telling the New York Post that “They’ll make a spaghetti with red sauce and fresh mozzarella that is just to die for.”
Cipriani Residences Miami and a Broader Trend Among the Wealthy
When Cipriani announced that they would be launching Cipriani Residences Miami in Brickell near their Miami restaurant location, Castillo jumped on the chance to further integrate herself with the hospitality brand. The space itself is designed with fluid lines and an alluring silhouette, an effort to join modern design with classic sophistication. Currently under construction, the 80-story 397-residence tower is an impressive one.
“I have three units in the building,” Castillo said. “Cipriani isn’t just an emblematic brand, it’s so deeply rooted in the customer experience that it feels like family.”
Castillo’s appreciation for Cipriani’s dining experience and her professional experience have led her to recommend residences in the building to her clients. Though Fortune Development Sales retains the exclusive market rights, with unit prices starting at $1.7 million, she is just that dedicated to the project’s vision.
A Range of Fine-Dining Experiences Close to Home
Overall though, Castillo is just one wealthy Miamian participating in a broader trend of living close to a favorite meal. Similarly, Cipriani’s residential venture isn’t the only new building from a high-end hospitality group designed for those who enjoy a fine dining experience as close to home as possible.
Villa Miami
One such venture is Terra and One Thousand Group’s Major Food Group-branded Villa Miami at 710 NE 29th Street in Edgewater. Aside from a bar, a movie theater, a spa, a pool, a helipad, and majordomo concierge services, the project will feature an on-site restaurant with an exclusive menu. With prices starting at $5 million for a residence, it makes sense that the purchase comes with membership to the in-building club for 50 to 100 members.
Jean-Georges Miami Tropic Residences
Superstar chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is starting his own 329-unit, 48-story branded real estate venture in conjunction with Terra and Lion Development. Jean-Georges Miami Tropic Residences will feature a dining experience personally curated by the chef, and buyers even have the option to have their kitchen appliances and the contents of their home fridges personally selected in the same way. Prices start at $1.6 million, and Vongerichten will have a unit himself.
Ora
Finally, there’s Casa Tua’s venture on 1210 Brickell Ave. Developed with Fortune International Group, Ora is a luxury high-rise mixed-use development in a 77-story building with 533 residences. The location features a 9th-floor pool, cabanas, and a 40-foot open-sky garden. Casa Tua will incorporate at least four new dining concepts at the building, including Terra, Uva, Fuoco, and Vento. Prices for these units start at $995,000.
The Potential Future of a Trend
If you’ve got the money to enjoy an eating experience every night, these kinds of residences may be the perfect place for you. It’s certainly a trend for the wealthy, but a trend nonetheless. Who knows how many Castillos there are, just waiting for their favorite hospitality brand to open a fine-dining residence catered to their personal taste.
