Forbes profiles Pier Sixty-Six

Forbes Travel Guide published a May 18 profile of Pier Sixty-Six that framed the Fort Lauderdale resort’s latest chapter as a mix of preservation and expansion. The piece, written by Jesse Scott, said the property had “reemerged with a renewed sense of wow” after a redevelopment that accelerated after Hurricane Irma in 2017 and culminated in a 2025 return. It also revived one of the hotel’s oldest selling points: Pier Sixty-Six as a local landmark with decades of social history attached to it. ### Why is Pier Sixty-Six getting fresh attention now? May 18 is when Forbes Travel Guide published the profile, putting a national travel-media spotlight on a property that had already reopened in stages earlier this year. Forbes said Pier Sixty-Six had long served as Fort Lauderdale’s “social harbor,” and presented the current version as the result of a years-long redevelopment rather than a simple hotel refresh. (forbes.com) April 8 is when Visit Lauderdale described the resort as reborn after a multibillion-dollar transformation, while noting that some parts of the property were still receiving final touches. That timing helps explain why coverage is still arriving months after reopening: the project is large, phased, and still being fully rolled out across hospitality, dining and residential components. (forbes.com) ### What history did Forbes emphasize? Forbes said Pier Sixty-Six was once “beloved by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli,” using celebrity history to place the resort in Fort Lauderdale’s older social map. The article also pointed to the 1965 completion of the spire-crowned tower and revolving Pier Top lounge as the moment when the hotel became a defining part of the city skyline and waterfront culture. (visitlauderdale.com) 1965 also remains central to the hotel’s own branding. On its website, Pier Sixty-Six says the original 17-story hotel debuted that year as the tallest in town and that Pier Top became a draw for high-profile visitors and special occasions. ### What does the rebuilt property include? Forbes said the current property combines hotel, residences, marina and lifestyle offerings on a 32-acre campus. (forbes.com) The article listed 325 guest rooms, 88 private residences, 12 restaurants and bars, and a members club as the core pieces of the new layout. Visit Lauderdale described a similar footprint, saying the resort has 325 guest rooms and suites, three pools and a first ownership offering of residences across four buildings. (piersixtysix.com) The resort’s own press page also said the redevelopment brought 325 rooms, a 15,000-square-foot spa and 12 dining options, while separate property materials describe the marina and event spaces as part of the full resort package. (forbes.com) ### Which parts of the renovation are being used to sell the new era? Colm O’Callaghan, identified by Forbes as vice president and managing director of the property, said local attachment to the hotel remains strong. “There’s a history here that resonates deeply with locals,” he told Forbes. Marc Geller, the property’s director of marketing, said the goal was to “pay homage and respect the history” while putting “a very modern, new interpretive spin on the property.” (visitlauderdale.com) Pier Top appears to be the clearest symbol of that approach. Forbes highlighted the restored rotating 17th-floor venue, and the resort’s press materials later promoted it as South Florida’s only revolving rooftop bar. Other dining venues named in current materials include Calusso, Sotogrande, Garni and the Nectar Room. ### What should readers watch next at the property? (forbes.com) February 2026 and March 2026 press items on the resort’s site show that Pier Sixty-Six is still adding attention around specific components, including Pier Top, spa offerings and its residences. One February item said the final penthouse at Pier Sixty-Six Residences was being marketed at $16 million, while another March item focused on Pier Top’s caviar service. (forbes.com) Fort Lauderdale remains the center of the next steps. The resort’s current materials continue to market bookings, dining, family programming, marina access and residential sales from the 32-acre waterfront campus near Port Everglades, suggesting the post-reopening story is now shifting from construction to ongoing operations and sell-through. (piersixtysix.com 1) (piersixtysix.com 2)