DoveHill Capital Management and Wurzak Hotel Group have opened The Dalmar in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, FL. This new-build lifestyle hotel launches as part of Marriott International’s Tribute Portfolio. Standing 25 stories tall and conceptualized by the DoveHill team, The Dalmar features interior design and branding by global design firm DesignAgency; five distinctive food and beverage concepts, including a rooftop bar; an infinity pool; a fitness center; 14,000 sq. ft. of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and event space; and Yoga Joint.
Inspired by the vibrant culture of south Florida, blended with a distinctively California mid-century vibe, The Dalmar offers guests a uniquely relaxed and tropical environment in an exciting downtown location. The hotel’s public areas express a fresh and playful character through their layering of textures and finishes, vibrant jewel tone colors and dynamic contemporary art. Capitalizing on the natural beauty of Fort Lauderdale, the hotel’s indoor-outdoor design offers visitors an authentic downtown experience with ocean views.
“To drive the Dalmar’s distinctive aesthetic, we took inspiration from the golden age of American travel, drawing on a lexicon of references from south Florida and West Coast mid-century modern design,” said Allen Chan, principal/founding partner, DesignAgency. “In particular, we were inspired by the Case Study House experiments where the boundaries between the interior and exterior spaces were blurred to a point of indistinction.”
Beginning at the arrival level, Rose’s Coffee Bar offers guests a first taste of the culinary outlets. Upon arrival on the sixth floor, visitors are treated to a wraparound, lushly landscaped sky deck with ocean and downtown views. The Lobby Lounge and Bar offers a relaxed atmosphere with live music on weekends and a specialty cocktail menu.
The pool area features cabanas fitted with custom furnishings, a sound system and Sip N’ Dip a high energy pool bar. The centerpiece of the action, the Lobby Bar, mixes an array of tropical style references, including terrazzo floors, an array of comfortable lounge seating options and a luminous pink onyx bar with a custom-designed stained-glass mural.
The property has 209 guestrooms, including 33 suites, outfitted in neutral tones, rich leathers, natural woods and marble bathrooms. There’s curated artwork inspired by photographer Slim Aarons, exclusively scented bath amenities curated and designed by the hotel, rainfall showers, 55-in. HDTV flat screens and 65-in. TVs in all suites, as well as Sferra bedding and linens.
The hotel’s signature restaurant, The Terrace Grill, is a classic American grill, fused with hints of Italian flair. Led by Chef Craig McNeil, guests are graced with an “armoire style” oak paneled bar topped with Calcutta marble and plush navy velvet seating.
“The design process was very involved and included branding as well. A lot of our process relies on research—research on the competition both locally and globally, the neighborhood, south Florida in general, trends, etc. These insights allowed us to craft a design inspiration/narrative that guided the remainder of the project,” Chan said.
He added, “Our client, Wurzak Hotel Group, was very involved in the process, and we were more than happy to collaborate with them. Our design moves all reflect the narrative from the overall planning of the programmatic spaces, to the material transitions from the interior to the exterior. We also consulted on some facade elements with regard to colors and proportions of elements, and collaborated with the local architect, Sol-Arch, to execute those changes. After four years, the project is complete and we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”
Opened in May, Sparrow, the hotel’s rooftop bar, has city views from the 25th floor. Sparrow was created and is operated in collaboration with Proprietors LLC. The Dalmar has 9,000 sq. ft. of indoor event space located on the fourth and fifth floors for groups and events of 10-300 attendees.
Celebrating the beautiful year-round weather in south Florida, the hotel also offers another 5,000 sq. ft. of outdoor venue space that features a unique area nicknamed The Garden, featuring a picturesque tropical setting for events and ceremonies up to 200 guests. The hotel’s various outdoor spaces, including Sparrow and the pool deck, can also be utilized for private gatherings.
“As the first urban lifestyle hotel in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, The Dalmar is an urban counterpart to conventional Fort Lauderdale beach hotels that channels the character of south Florida as a sunny destination with its heart close to the beach,” Chan said. “Our goal was to create a unified vision for the hotel as a topical urban oasis where business and pleasure travelers can come together with local residents in The Dalmar’s laid-back, open-air surroundings. For example, in the public areas, indoor-outdoor connections and sun-washed, pastel hues create a tropical vibe reminiscent of beachside resorts, while expansive views of the city infuse the hotel with a powerful sense of place.”
