MIAMI—Downtown Miami’s luxury hotel scene just got another player. Enter Casa Moderna, a 56-room boutique property with views of Biscayne Bay in the epicenter of the Magic City’s arts and entertainment district.

Less than 18 months old and under new management, the hotel is sporting a new name and a new face. Located at 1100 Biscayne Blvd., Casa Moderna is part of the 67-story Marquis Residences.

"Our location is ideal for pre- and post-cruise stop-overs, the Miami Heat plays across the street at American Airlines Arena, South Beach is a short hop over the causeway, Adrienne Arsht Center, the heart of the city's performing arts scene, is our next door neighbor, and Miami's financial district is only a few blocks away,” Matt Fenn, general manager of Casa Moderna, said in a statement.

The hotel spans seven floors. Rooms and suites feature elegant rain showers, free-standing soaking tubs and bidets. Electronic luxuries include bathroom mirrors with built-in flat screen televisions, button-push draperies covering the floor-to-ceiling windows and 42-inch flat screen televisions. The makeover that is Casa Moderna is all part of the Miami hospitality renaissance, which has included a number of high-profile trades.

“Miami Beach has experienced a strong first quarter with several hotel trades taking place, but no additional properties are being marketed at this point because competition is stiff,” Boaz Ashbel, managing director at Aztec Group, tells GlobeSt.com. “South Beach is a very hot market right now and the trades that we have seen so far are reflective of that huge demand.”

Casa Moderna hopes to compete with South Beach with its 44-seat restaurant, Amuse. Amuse serves organic produce and fresh-caught seafood. Casa Moderna also features an 8,000-square-foot spa and fitness center. And the hotel's 6,000-square-foot first floor gallery space has been renamed Tag Moderna as part of the effort and will showcase the talents of new, fresh faces from Miami's burgeoning street art scene.  

“There are barriers to entry, both physical and economic, for new competitors in this market because of the lack of available land and, more importantly, the high premiums,” Ashbel says. “Demand at this point is exceeding the supply, so these are good times for existing hotel owners who have endured the downturn and are still here operating hotels.”