Retro Style at the Montmartre Hotel
The Montmartre Hotel was located in Miami Beach, Florida and opened in February of 1959. The estimated costs to build and furnish it were between 5 and 6 million dollars. The names of the clubs within the hotel clearly reflect the French theme throughout the hotel: Les Girls Supper Club, Si Bon Café and the Bardot Bar. The name “Montmartre” made reference to the historic district in the north end of Paris, also known as the nightclub district. It was a popular studio location for artists such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet.
Shown here are several photos that were taken around the time the Montmartre first opened. In its heyday, the Montmartre was a luxury resort hotel with 300 rooms and 500 feet of beachfront located right on Miami Beach. The resort included every amenity conceivable, from three swimming pools, a salon, restaurants, lounges, a gift shop, a health club, tennis and golf. Rooms originally cost $12 to $24 per night per person, based on double occupancy (remember these are 1959 prices!).
The interior design throughout the Montmartre Hotel reflected a European flair, but with modern style and all the conveniences you’d expect in a luxury American hotel. As the hotel brochure said, “If you dream of Paris . . . and you like the sun, fun and frolic . . . you’ll love the Montmartre!” The hotel lobby is a great example of the very latest in interior design in 1959. There are geometric patterns in the fabrics and wall coverings and much of the furniture reflects a Scandinavian influence with its clean lines.
But there are European-inspired flourishes found throughout the hotel too, like the table lamps in the bedrooms and the cherub sculptures in the lounges. The chandeliers are strikingly modern and would have great contemporary appeal today. Their organic, glass and metal shapes are a far cry from the authentic European styling of a stuffy crystal chandelier. The famous American artist and sculptor, Elmo Gideon was commissioned to create paintings and sculptures for the Montmartre, in addition to many other hotels in Florida and throughout the US and Caribbean.
The Montmartre Hotel was known for their stylish clubs with jazz music, fun in the sun and great Miami Beach nightlife. It was a destination hotspot in the 1950s and 60s. But over the years, business at the hotel began to decline. By 1980 the Montmartre Hotel was in a terrible state of disrepair and cancellations were outnumbering reservations. In 1981 the Montmartre was torn down to make room for a complex that included a hotel, condos and shopping.
These photos are fond memories of a beautiful hotel that once hosted Hollywood notables like Jayne Mansfield. Like her, we hope the Montmartre Hotel is gone, but not forgotten. Send us your comments and please share any memories you may have of the Montmartre and its great retro design.
