CIRCA 39 HOTEL

A boutique Miami Beach refresh that reimagines a beloved hotel through strategic design and disciplined value engineering.

Circa 39 is a boutique hotel in Miami Beach repositioned for IHG’s Vignette Collection through a comprehensive refresh of guestrooms and public areas. The project required aligning a new brand experience with strict operational and financial parameters while strengthening the hotel’s warm, soulful, culturally rooted identity. The design reinterprets the property’s tropical context through layered materiality, sculptural detailing, and a relaxed boutique sensibility.

As Senior Interior Designer, I led the redesign of the ground floor public areas, developing a revised spatial strategy, material palette, and millwork direction. I worked closely with IHG brand standards and ownership to realign the concept with new budget targets while preserving the integrity of the original design intent.

Project Team: Bishop Design
Client: CL Hotels / Circa 39 (IHG Vignette Collection)
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Year: 2025
Sector: Hospitality
Size: Approx. 20,000 SF (public areas + guestrooms)
Cost: $1.4 million

Type: Interior Renovation
My Role: Senior Interior Designer — Spatial Strategy, Materiality, Millwork Direction, Value Engineering Lead, Client + Operator Coordination
Status: Schematic Design / Pricing

DESIGN NARRATIVE

When I joined the Circa 39 renovation, the client loved the original concept but the projected cost far exceeded the operational targets required for an IHG Vignette soft-brand property. My role was to re-evaluate the design from the ground up—protecting the original design DNA while evolving it into a more streamlined, cost-aligned, and operationally functional concept.

I began by reworking the ground-floor spatial strategy: improving circulation, consolidating service zones, simplifying millwork volumes, and reorganizing the plan to support both guest experience and BOH efficiency. This new layout created a more intuitive flow between the lounge, bar, café, and reception, while preserving the warmth and layered charm of the original aesthetic direction.

Working directly with IHG standards, the owner’s representative, and hotel operations, I refined the material palette to align with durability, budget, and maintenance needs. Architectural elements were redesigned to maintain richness without fabrication complexity, ensuring the final concept remained elevated, textural, and connected to the hotel’s heritage.

The resulting design retains the atmosphere of the original intent—inviting, tropical, and distinctly Miami—while aligning with the hotel’s long-term financial and operational goals.

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS

Led redesign of ground-floor public areas under new budget constraints
Developed revised spatial planning + circulation strategy
Refined material palette for durability, cost, & brand alignment
Simplified millwork + architectural details to reduce fabrication cost
Created VE-driven alternate solutions without compromising design language
Coordinated closely with IHG brand standards, operations, and ownership

EXISTING CONDITIONS

A look at the inherited spatial and operational constraints that shaped the revised concept.

ORIGINAL CONCEPT & DESIGN DNA

The hotel’s initial design direction blended Brazilian mid-century modernism with Miami’s Art Deco heritage, creating a warm, soulful, and culturally grounded narrative. The aesthetic celebrated sculptural furniture, natural textures, and minimalist layers inspired by Bossa Nova rhythm.

The concept intended to preserve meaningful architectural elements while introducing new textures and materiality—crafting an atmosphere that felt intimate, expressive, and rooted in history.