Hotel Miami on Avenue D

The short history of Hotel Miami, which was constructed in 1897 by Julia and Harry Tuttle along today's South Miami Avenue near the north bank of the Miami River.

Cover: Hotel Miami in 1897

In early 1896, Julia Tuttle and her son, Harry, were intent on opening the first hotel in what would become the city of Miami on July 28, 1896. The mother and son duo decided to expand a building that was located on their property, on the east side of Avenue D, or South Miami Avenue as we know it today, just south of the railroad spur, to become what they would name ‘Hotel Miami’.

To earn the distinction as the city’s first hostelry, the Tuttles would need to finish Hotel Miami prior to the opening of Henry Flagler’s Royal Palm Hotel. They had a head start on Flagler’s hotel because groundbreaking for the Royal Palm did not occur until March of 1896. However, given their lack of experience in projects of this magnitude, the Tuttles under estimated the complexity of constructing a grand hotel. From the onset, there were plenty of unanticipated delays and the project proceeded at a slow pace.