MCR, owner of the Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon, is advancing plans to significantly expand the hotel by adding 1,000 new rooms on the property. The company intends to redevelop portions of the existing surface parking area at 5101 Blue Lagoon Drive with new vertical construction, reshaping the site while keeping the current hotel in place.
The expansion concept calls for two 14-story hotel buildings positioned near the existing Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon. According to the plans, the original hotel would remain in operation while the two new hotels are built nearby, allowing MCR to maintain ongoing lodging operations during construction. Architecture firm Behar Font & Partners has been engaged to design the project, guiding the look and layout of the new towers.
Each of the planned towers is expected to feature a sixth-floor pool deck and amenity spaces overlooking Blue Lagoon, adding elevated outdoor and common areas to the complex. In conjunction with the new rooms and amenity levels, the project also includes a seven-story self-parking garage intended to replace and modernize the parking capacity currently provided by surface lots. The combination of new structures and structured parking represents a comprehensive reconfiguration of the site’s existing land use.
Florida YIMBY reports that the two additional hotels would operate alongside the existing Hilton, expanding the overall key count at the airport-adjacent location while preserving business continuity. This incremental approach enables the property to serve guests as usual during the build-out of the new towers and parking facility.
MCR purchased the Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon in 2023 for $118,300,000, reflecting the firm’s investment focus on airport-proximate lodging assets. The company’s broader portfolio includes approximately 150 hotels across 37 states. Among its holdings are the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, The High Line Hotel in Manhattan, and the Pasadena Hotel & Pool in California, underscoring MCR’s experience operating branded and independent hotels in major gateway and lifestyle markets.
By layering a large-scale room expansion onto an existing asset at 5101 Blue Lagoon Drive, MCR is positioning the Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon property for a substantial increase in on-site capacity. The program of two 14-story towers, new amenities overlooking the water, and a seven-story garage marks a notable evolution of the site’s hospitality footprint while retaining its established brand and location adjacent to Miami’s primary airport.
