Locals’ hearts collectively broke when it was announced in July that Shuckers would close after more than 30 years in business. The North Bay Village go-to for casual waterfront dining was nestled at the base of a boutique Best Western hotel that had been charmingly spared from decades of Miami redevelopment waves, until now.
In perhaps one of the fastest renovations and rebrandings ever—even for Miami—Palm Tree Club is set to officially open to the public on December 21 at the former Shuckers and Best Western site. The lifestyle hospitality concept comes courtesy of DJ Kygo and Myles Shear’s Palm Tree Crew, in collaboration with Think Hospitality and New York and Miami-based Continuum Continuum.
“We’re thrilled to launch Palm Tree Club and introduce our hospitality offering to Miami,” Shear said in a statement. “This is a new chapter for our brand, and it’s all about blending the energy of live events with the laid-back spirit of this historic waterfront retreat.”
Interestingly, the 1970s-era property doesn’t look all that different than it did a couple of months ago when Shuckers closed its proverbial doors for the last time. This 115-room hotel and restaurant has been given a rapid refresh with tropical-inspired decor throughout, Art Deco-inspired room interiors, a 24-hour fitness center and an updated pool deck with complimentary chaise loungers, green striped umbrellas and automated poolside service via the Toast online ordering app. The rooms have been upgraded with Serta Perfect Sleep Mattresses, Molton Brown bath amenities, black-out shades and funky bathrobes.
Outside of the hotel, Palm Tree Club is branding itself as “a place where locals come to hang out with their families, friends come for happy hour and watch sports on the big screens, business people have casual lunches, golfers and padel players come to enjoy a cold one or simply anyone comes for live music at sunset,” according to a release. Like Shuckers, the restaurant will serve American classics, seafood and wings. The attire is “come as you are” and the vibe is laidback, not luxe—like so many new developments around here have been.
“When we acquired the property earlier this year, we wanted to preserve the essence of what this historic venue has been for North Bay Village while evolving the space into something new and special for the community,” said Allie Eichner, President of Continuum Company.
Palm Tree Club soft-launched earlier this month with a weekend of flashy Art Basel parties headlined by major DJs including Jamie Jones and Blondish, and attended by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Ivanka Trump and Diplo. Those parties have already yielded noise complaints from residential neighbors and new restrictions limiting live DJs to Saturdays until 10pm. Still, Palm Tree Club has queued up a weekend of major opening parties heading into the holidays, including DJ sets by Diplo on December 28 and Jungle on New Year’s Eve.
Palm Tree Club is located at 1819 79th Street Causeway in North Bay Village. For more information, including event schedule and hotel and restaurant reservations, visit www.palmtreeclubmiami.com.
