Bentley’s Newest Project Isn’t a Car

Rendering of the Bentley Residences in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, near Miami Beach.

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE | Jan. 21, 2022

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida; a town once filled with low-rise, mid-century modern motels is now awash in condo towers. But newest one promises to be one of the most alluring – at least for car enthusiasts.

It’s the Bentley Residences, the first Bentley-branded luxury residential tower. The 749-foot high, 60-story condominium is slated to be the tallest residential tower on any U.S. oceanfront. Developed at a cost of $850 million, Bentley Residences range in size from 4,200 to 6,500 square feet with Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal views and priced from $4.2 million.

The sales office is opening this month (January 2022), with completion expected in 2026.

Constructed by South Florida-based property developer Dezer Development working with the world-renowned architectural firm Sieger Suarez Architects, the Bentley Residences is not the first automaker-affiliated condominium In Miami. That honor falls to the Porsche Design Tower, which opened in 2017 and was also constructed by Dezer Development in Sunny Isles Beach.

Artist’s rendering of one of the apartments. Note the glass wall of the garage of the right.

Both car brands are owned by the Volkswagen Group.

"When they saw the success of the Porsche Design Tower, and I saw how great it was to work with these guys, I said, ‘well, what other what other brands can we work with?’ And they opened up a whole buffet to me,” said Gil Dezer, president of Dezer Development.  “So I said, ‘right now the best fit is Bentley; they're definitely a hot, amazing, and sexy car brand.”

Opulent condominium towers are nothing unique in South Florida. In fact, Dezer co-developed the Trump Grande Ocean Resort and Residences, the Trump Towers and the Residences by Armani/Casa, all in Sunny Isles Beach.

But the Bentley Residences and the Porsche Design Tower offer something unique: the Dezervator.

It’s an automobile elevator, created and patented by Dezer that allows unit owners to park their luxury vehicles in their private multi-car garage adjacent to their apartment. It’s an innovation first seen at the Porsche Design Tower. “When we started the project, I said, ‘why can it just be a freight elevator that we toss a few cars on?” Dezer said. “And all the governing bodies looked at me and just started laughing. And so I said, ‘Okay, well, what are we going to do?’

The result is a system designed for ultimate expediency and minimal fire risk, with each cab fitted with a built-in sprinkler system. And it’s effortless.

Owners drive into a room and shut their vehicle’s engine off, again to prevent the risk of fire. Next, a large rectangular plate slides out of the elevator to transfer the car into the Dezervator cab. Once inside, the door closes and the cab climbs to the unit owner’s floor. Upon arrival, the vehicle is mechanically transferred by the same system to one of the spaces in their in-unit, multi-car garage. The Bentley Residences has four elevators, all situated at the core of the building, as opposed to the three fitted in the Porsche Design Tower.

It’s certainly a cool, convenient feature – not to mention pricey. But to Dezer, it pencils out.

“Typically in a building where 100% of the building is available, 55% is lost for things like lobbies, hallways, common areas, and of course parking. Of that 55%, about 40% is parking,” Dezer said. “Every other developer gives away parking. In our buildings, it’s included in your unit and we’re charging for it. So from a financial standpoint, it’s more efficient.”

Of course, to those who can afford these units, the quality and convenience are worth the extra cost. It comes with the Bentley lifestyle, one that’s interwoven throughout this building’s design. “Porsche was more of a stylized kind of thing; with Bentley it’s more of a timeless elegance,” Dezer said. “And so, we're going for that look and feel.”

One of the essential elements is the use of the knurling detail used in a Bentley’s interior. It’s used on touchpoints throughout the apartment, and even on its exterior, where hurricane-proof diamond faceted, triangular-shaped glass recalls the same texture. Each unit indulges its owners, much like a Bentley. Its kitchens are fitted with German-made Gaggenau appliances, while its baths have warming drawers, rather than the ineffective heating racks. There are also the expected touches, like heated floors, large soaking tubs and an open layout throughout the main living space. But it’s the balconies that could seal the deal. Measuring up to 1,700 square feet in size, each comes with its own pool, private outdoor shower and adjacent Florida room, all seen through the apartment’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

But that’s just the start, according to Dezer.

“We really not just slapping the Bentley name on the building. We're really getting immersed in the brand and trying to breed a Bentley condominium,” Deezer said.

But the one option you can’t get is a car, although he isn’t ruling out doing some sort of tie-up. “Once we get to a critical mass of buyers, we're going to make our own special edition for the tower. Maybe some special triple white convertibles or something that just resonates.”

Just don’t expect one as a sweetener with your residence. “For the price of the apartment, I am sure they can afford the Bentley,” Dezer said.