AMS Hospitality, the affiliate hospitality group of The Allen Morris Company, and Miami-based national commercial real estate investment firm Black Salmon have acquired the 97-key Circa 39 Hotel in Miami Beach for $25.5 million. Located at 3900 Collins Avenue, the Art Deco-style Circa 39 Hotel is across from the iconic Miami Beach boardwalk and housed within two buildings, which include a surface lot across the street. Melissa Rose of JLL Capital Markets arranged the financing for the acquisition. The transaction was overseen by Samuel Heskiel of Beachfront Realty and Miguel Pinto of Apex Capital Realty.

The asset will undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation which will reposition it as an upper-upscale, independent lifestyle hotel with a reimagined pool deck and new internationally recognized food and beverage concepts. It is strategically located in the growth path of mid-Miami Beach. Highgate, a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America, has been selected to provide property management services for the hotel.

“The acquisition of Circa 39 Hotel is an extremely positive step in the evolution of AMS Hospitality,” said W. Allen Morris, Chairman & CEO of The Allen Morris Company and Principal of AMS Hospitality. “We are delighted to once again be partnering with Black Salmon, as our joint teams continuously explore new opportunities.”

The acquisition of the Circa 39 Hotel marks the most recent acquisition for the group as part of its plans to acquire $300 million in hospitality assets across the U.S. The two firms have additional assets under contract throughout the southeast United States. The partnership between AMS Hospitality and Black Salmon leverages the key strengths and expertise of both firms across the disciplines of acquisitions, asset management, and capital raising.

“Miami has always been a target market of ours for investment given its long-standing, global recognition as a preferred travel destination, now reinforced by its ability to rebound quickly in the pandemic.” said Jorge Escobar, managing partner and co-CEO of Black Salmon. “Our strategy of identifying boutique, select-service hotels allow us to provide the capital to reposition the property, increasing revenue and elevating the guest stay.”

With increasing vaccination rates nationally, and South Florida’s easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the return of leisure travel is evidenced by rising hotel occupancy rates. Miami is among the top 35 hotel markets in the country and has become a popular destination for travelers from the Southeast, Midwest, and California.

AMS Hospitality has a billion-dollar acquisition and development pipeline including the recently completed $87 million UNC Charlotte Marriot Hotel & Conference Center in North Carolina and the under construction Kimpton Midtown Union Hotel with MetLife in Atlanta. Black Salmon has a nearly half a billion-dollar portfolio, which includes prime office, senior housing, and hospitality assets.