Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons at The Surf Club furlough 850 people

Hotels are across South Florida are laying off thousands of employees

Mandarin Oriental in Miami, Four Seasons at The Surf Club
Mandarin Oriental in Miami, Four Seasons at The Surf Club

More South Florida hotels are reporting layoffs due to the economic effects of coronavirus.

The 326-room Mandarin Oriental Miami at 500 Brickell Key Drive furloughed 488 employees. The furloughs are expected to be temporary, according to a WARN Notice filed with the state.

Four Seasons at The Surf Club Hotel and Private Residences at 9011 Collins Avenue in Surfside furloughed 360 people, according to a WARN notice. The luxury hotel and condo complex is also closing its restaurants and bars: Le Sirenuse Miami, Champagne Bar, Mare by Le Sirenuse, and Winston’s on the Beach. It expects the furloughs to be temporary, according to the WARN notice. The Surf Club includes 150 condo units and a 72-room Four Seasons hotel. The oceanfront project was designed by New York architect Richard Meier, along with Miami-based architect Kobi Karp.

Earlier this month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order requiring people to stay at home, except for essential businesses. The order followed previous decisions by individual counties and municipalities to close down non-essential businesses, including hotels. Two weeks ago, Monroe County prohibited tourists from entering the Florida Keys.

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The latest layoffs join others in previous weeks. Among them, Brightline, the high-speed train service that runs from Miami to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, said it was laying off 250 employees after it suspended operations, according to a spokesperson.

Last week, Sugarcane Raw Bar & Grill at 3252 Northeast 1st Avenue in Midtown Miami closed and laid off 93 workers.

The hospitality industry in South Florida has been particularly hit hard. Earlier this month, the 221-room Four Seasons Hotel Miami at 1435 Brickell Avenue furloughed 312 people.

The industry is also facing over $4 billion in debt payments on Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) loans. The loans are harder to restructure than conventional loans and are more likely to head to foreclosure, according to industry experts.