In 2020, Estate Cos. paid $15.3 million for a shuttered 258-room Ramada in Hialeah; 2 years later, it reopened as 251 apartments

A shuttered Ramada hotel in Hialeah, Florida, has taken on a new shape and form as a residential community. The Estate Cos. bought the 258 room property in 2020 for $15.3 million and later turned it into an apartment complex. The redevelopment replaced the hotel with two hundred fifty-one apartments and some retail space. This gave the five-acre site a purpose. The site is near the Palmetto Expressway and Westland Mall. The project, called Alture Westland, marked the first property under The Estate Cos.’ Alture brand. The information is taken from Commercial Search, Rebusiness Online and Monique Warmington.

How did The Estate Cos. acquire the former Ramada hotel

The Estate Cos., a South Florida developer known for its Soleste rental communities, acquired the former Ramada Inn at 1950 W. 49th St. in Hialeah in August 2020. The purchase price was reported at $15.3 million, with one account listing the amount as $15.25 million.


The company financed the acquisition with an $11.5 million loan arranged by LV Lending. According to Miami-Dade County property records, the sellers were UCH1 LLC, Miami Corporate Partners LLC, Bidart Dairy II LLC, Kern Land Partners LLC and Kern Land Holdings LP. Urban Commons held a 45 percent stake through its affiliate UCH1 LLC.

The property covers about five acres and sits near the Palmetto Expressway and the 103rd Avenue exit. It is also close to the West 49th Street retail corridor, including Westland Mall.

The hotel was built in 1970. Followed by expansion in 1973, 1979 and 1988. It took damage during Hurricane Irma in 2017. After the storm the hotel was rebuilt with money from insurance claims and a $9 million loan from West Bay Capital. By the time The Estate Cos. purchased the property, the hotel was no longer operating.

How did the hotel become 251 apartments

The Estate Cos. began construction on the adaptive reuse project in April 2021. The former hotel was redeveloped into Alture Westland, a four-story, garden-style residential community with 251 apartments and 5,522 square feet of retail space.

The project shows how an older hotel property can be repurposed for housing rather than continuing to sit unused.

Alture Westland offers studio and one-bedroom apartments. Residents also have access to a swimming pool with a sundeck, a fitness center and a clubhouse.

According to the property's website, the community is 85 percent leased, with rents starting at $1,636. Panera also plans to open a 2,036-square-foot restaurant on an outparcel, with a drive-thru facing West 49th Street. The redevelopment became the first property to carry The Estate Cos.’ Alture brand.

What does the project mean for The Estate Cos.

The Hialeah development adds to The Estate Cos.’ residential portfolio across South Florida. The company is also known for its Soleste-branded rental communities, including Soleste Twenty2, Soleste Bay Village, Soleste Alameda and Soleste Blue Lagoon.

The developer has also planned projects in Miami’s Spring Garden Historic District, North Miami Beach and Dania Beach. In reporting on the hotel purchase, The Real Deal noted that principal Jeffrey Ardizon declined to discuss the plans for the site at the time, saying an announcement would come soon.

The completed Alture Westland project ultimately turned the former Ramada into a community with hundreds of homes and space for a new retail tenant. What was once a 258-room hotel now serves a different purpose in the Hialeah area.