The Catalina Hotel and Beach Club in South Beach celebrated the New Year with Russian-, Brazilian-, and Japanese-themed parties within each of the hotel's three buildings (the Catalina, Dorset, and Maxine hotels), each of which was transformed to reflect its foreign destination. The $150 ticket granted guests complete access to each of the hotel's buildings for the 11-hour event that began at 8 p.m. on Wednesday and continued well into the morning hours of New Year's Day.
"As we ring in a new year we are faced with new challenges, but a tightened economy does not mean we should be forced to scale back on our fun," said general manager Linsey Harris. "Our mission has always been to offer a great value, and this year the Catalina's creative team put together a full-scale celebration where the decadence is in the offerings and not the ticket price."
Produced by Sincronia USA Inc., the Japanese-inspired party had guests sipping on Asian-themed cocktails while enjoying Japanese Taiko drummers and a dragon line at midnight at the Dorset. Just south at the Maxine, Brazilian capoiera fighters and carnival dancers performed to the sounds of flamenco guitarists, South American gaucho musicians, and percussionists reminiscent of the Gypsy Kings.
For the Russian-themed party, the property's main building was transformed into a winter wonderland (a nod to Russia's cold climate) complete with leaping dancers. The buffet of Russian delicacies featured special caviar selections for guests, and vodka flowed freely from ice luges created by Miami Ice Man. Complimentary champagne was served as New York's Times Square ball drop was shown on large projection screens throughout the venue.
Included in the ticket price were three separate dinner buffets, dessert towers, open bars with specialty cocktails, live bands, DJs, and additional entertainment throughout the night.
Special guests included Ian Ziering of Beverly Hills, 90210 fame.
