Built and opened in 1972 by brothers Jay and Greg Levine with their father, Albert, the Quality Inn at 14501 S Dixie Hwy has been a fixture in Palmetto Bay since before it was Palmetto Bay. From its humble beginning, the motel has been uniquely sandwiched between the Keys and the south end of the city of Miami. Well into the third generation of Levine family ownership and management, one might say it is more than just a motel.
With a staff that is regularly recognized online as ‘great, friendly and attentive’, you’d think the motel would be thriving, but alongside the positive words about the staff reviewers also say ‘dated, tired rooms and facilities.’ This leads to lower occupancy, and an indifference to what should be a respected family-owned local motel.
Enter the latest generation of Levines to active management.
“The last refresh was in the early 1990s, so it was very clear to us that we had to do something to freshen up,” explained Director of Operations Melanie Levine. “We like the idea of being a community fixture and so we are making a multi-million-dollar investment in the future and that ideal.”
In March 2018, Melanie got married to Kevin Levine, son of Greg. Soon thereafter, she and Kevin became the main day-to-day drivers of the motel and it is with their vision that the whole family works on a vibrant future.
“We really want to get the community back and thinking of us,” Melanie explained. “In recent years, we inadvertently got to a point where we were not meeting their needs, but with the renovations we know we will easily become the community’s go-to resource, whether it will be for visits from out-of-town friends or in-laws, a place to stay when doing home renovations, or for weddings or funerals.”
The Levines will also target local hospitals, schools and even look to entice traveling sports teams to stay with them.
Both inside and out, the renovations will touch almost every surface. Out with carpeting, in with stylish hard flooring. Update the bathrooms. New cabinetry and furniture. New TVs. The front desk, conference room (where Mike Levine runs his Comedy Inn events – see my prior stories miamihal.com/hals-blog/2018/4/22/8th-anniversary-of-the-comedy-inn), the pool area and even parking will see updates.
Once the Quality Inn nears completion, they have committed to hosting several community-related events, including one from me. I’ll be presenting my Home Seller Seminar on a regular basis. The motel is also seeking a new high-quality restaurant to take place of Romanza. It will not only be a stand-alone eatery, but serve as the breakfast venue for guests.
With 100 rooms and a full-time staff of around 30 people for front desk, maintenance and housekeeping, and as the holidays continue with the snowbirds coming for their visits, the Quality Inn remains open, working the upgrades in phases.
“We are committed to offering the best value with high quality,” said Melanie. “We are family oriented and some of our staff has a 30-plus year history with us. We want to make them proud.”
So, support local. You can contact the hotel and check out their rooms anytime by dialing 305-251-2000 or visiting their website at https://rem.ax/qualityinn.
Real Estate Update
As of January 11th, the Pinecrest market is heading back toward a neutral bias. Homes listed over $1M are at 10 months of inventory. A healthy $1M+ market has 6-9 months of supply. If you’re ready to move, let me assist you with local expertise, realistic expectations and solid guidance to get you to wherever ‘next’ is. It’s easy to get started at miamihal.com/myvalue.
Hal Feldman (MiamiHal) is a Realtor with RE/MAX Advance Realty. You can contact him with your story ideas or real estate questions at www.MiamiHal.com, Hal@MiamiHal.com or www.facebook.com/MiamiHal
