The Grand
Edgewater

The Grand

A massive condo-hotel time capsule with incredible bay views and a DoubleTree in the lobby. You come here for the value and the location, not the luxury.

2.0
1717 N Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL 33132
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The Rundown

The Grand is one of the original mega-developments in the Edgewater/Arts District corridor, built in 1986 by legendary Miami developer Tibor Hollo. At 42 stories and 810 units, it is one of the largest residential buildings in Greater Downtown Miami. It operates as a condo-hotel alongside a very active DoubleTree by Hilton, and the entire complex includes a marina, retail mall, restaurants, and a full range of on-site services. Walking into The Grand feels like stepping into the Bermuda Triangle. The atrium lobby, designed by Atlanta firm Toombs, Amisano and Wells, is a relic of 1980s Miami. Nearly everything is original. The building had a partial renovation in 2004, but the common areas, pool, gym, and most units remain firmly stuck in the era they were built. If you are looking for large, affordable units with bay views in a prime Edgewater location, The Grand delivers. If you are looking for anything resembling modern luxury, keep walking.

Who Lives Here

The Grand has a transient, mixed population that reflects its condo-hotel nature. You will find long-term residents who have been there for decades and love the space and views, investors who rent units through the DoubleTree program or on their own, short-term renters and hotel guests who are passing through, and a handful of people who bought units as a land play hoping for a future buyout. There is no strong residential community here. The building feels more like a hotel with some permanent residents than a residential building with a hotel attached. The crowd skews toward value-seekers, not luxury-seekers.

The Neighborhood

The Grand sits at the southern edge of Edgewater on Bayshore Drive, directly on Biscayne Bay with its own marina. It is close to the Arts & Entertainment District, the Adrienne Arsht Center, and Margaret Pace Park. The Metromover is within walking distance, and the Venetian Causeway to Miami Beach is nearby. Edgewater is rapidly developing with new luxury towers, restaurants, and retail, but The Grand itself is a relic of the pre-development era.

Margaret Pace Park

5 min walk

Beautiful bayfront park with tennis courts, basketball, volleyball, and a dog park. One of the best public parks in Miami.

Adrienne Arsht Center

5 min walk

Miami's premier performing arts center for opera, ballet, and Broadway shows.

Sea Isle Marina

On-site

On-site marina with boat slips available for residents and guests.

Metromover - School Board Station

7 min walk

Free automated transit connecting to Downtown, Brickell, and the Omni area.

Edgewater restaurants and shops

5-10 min walk

The neighborhood is rapidly adding new dining and retail options along Biscayne Boulevard.

What's Changing

Edgewater is one of the fastest-developing neighborhoods in Miami, with multiple luxury towers under construction or recently completed. The Grand sits on prime bayfront land that will only become more valuable as the neighborhood transforms. The building itself is an obvious redevelopment candidate, but the sheer number of units (810) makes a condo termination and buyout extremely complex. Expect the building to continue operating as-is for the foreseeable future, with increasing pressure from surrounding development and rising land values.

What You Get

Pool & Recreation

Heated pool (shared with hotel)Hot tubSaunaPool deck with bay views

Fitness & Wellness

Exercise room (dated equipment)Spa facilities

Water & Marina

Sea Isle Marina with boat slipsBayfront accessDock available for residents

On-Site Services

DoubleTree by Hilton hotelRetail mallGrocery storeConvenience storeRestaurantsBeauty salon & barbershopDry cleanerLiquor store24-hour business center

Building Services

24/7 front deskValet parkingGarage parkingConcierge services

Elevator Experience

Elevator Density Rating

68units per
elevator
Good
More WaitLess Wait

12

Passenger

3

Service

~20

Units/Floor

810

Total Units

No private elevator access

Resident Intel

The real tea from people who actually live here

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Ryan's Intel

🍵The Tea

The Bermuda Triangle of Miami Condos

Walking into The Grand is like walking into the Twilight Zone. The massive atrium lobby, the dated retail mall, the DoubleTree hotel guests rolling suitcases through the common areas. It is a sensory experience that is hard to describe until you see it in person. Everything is basically original to 1986. The pink marble, the brass fixtures, the frosted glass. It is as Miami Vice as it gets, and not in the ironic, trendy way.

🟠Heads Up

You Are Sharing Your Building with a Budget Hotel

The DoubleTree by Hilton that operates inside The Grand is one of the cheapest hotels in the Edgewater area. That means you get spillover from South Beach. The crowd here is value-oriented, not luxury-oriented. You will share the pool, the lobby, and the common areas with hotel guests. On busy weekends, it can feel more like a hotel than a residential building. If that bothers you, this is not your building.

🟢Win

The Units Are Huge, But They Are of Their Era

One of The Grand's genuine selling points is unit size. You can find two-bedrooms over 1,400 square feet and some units pushing 4,000 square feet. That is a lot of space for the price. But these units are products of the 1980s. Some have been touched up with new paint and appliances, but very few have been truly renovated. Expect older layouts, dated bathrooms, and kitchens that need work. The bones are there if you want a project.

🟢Win

The Views Are the Real Asset

From the upper floors, The Grand delivers genuinely spectacular bay views to the east and north. You can see across Biscayne Bay to Miami Beach, and the northern views up the Edgewater coastline are beautiful. The wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass in many units maximizes the panorama. If you are buying here, buy for the view. It is the one thing this building does exceptionally well.

🟠Heads Up

Do Not Come Here for the Amenities

The pool is shared with the hotel and feels like a hotel pool. The gym has dated equipment that would not pass muster at a modern building. The sauna and spa facilities are relics. The Grand has amenities on paper, but in practice they are nothing to write home about. If you need a modern fitness center or a resort-style pool deck, look at literally any building built after 2005.

🟢Win

The Location Is Legitimately Good

The Grand sits on Bayshore Drive with direct bay frontage, a marina, and walkable access to Margaret Pace Park. The Metromover is nearby. You can walk to Edgewater restaurants and shops. The Adrienne Arsht Center is close. For a building this affordable, the location is genuinely excellent. You are paying 1986 prices for a 2026 location, and that is the entire value proposition.

🍵The Tea

The Redevelopment Clock Is Ticking

At 810 units on prime bayfront land, The Grand is one of the most obvious redevelopment candidates in Greater Downtown Miami. The land value will continue to appreciate as Edgewater develops around it. In 10 to 15 years, this building will likely be torn down and replaced with something modern. But getting 810 unit owners to agree on a buyout is a monumental task. If you are buying here as a land play, understand that you could be waiting a very long time and paying assessments the entire way.

💡Insider Tip

Ryan's Bottom Line: Value, Not Luxury

I do not normally recommend The Grand. It is not a building I would send someone to unless they specifically need the combination of location, unit size, and price that no other building in Edgewater can match. If you want modern finishes, go to Paraiso or Elysee. If you want a renovated mid-range option, look at Blue on the Bay or Quantum on the Bay. The Grand is for people who prioritize square footage and bay views above all else and are willing to live in a building that time forgot. For that specific buyer, it works. For everyone else, there are better options.

The Good & The Not-So-Good

Wins

  • +Some of the largest and most affordable units in Edgewater
  • +Spectacular bay views from upper floors with floor-to-ceiling glass
  • +Prime bayfront location with marina and Margaret Pace Park access
  • +Walking distance to Metromover and Adrienne Arsht Center
  • +On-site retail, restaurants, grocery, and full-service marina
  • +Short-term rentals allowed, including nightly through DoubleTree program
  • +Strong long-term redevelopment potential on prime land

Watch Out

  • Building is essentially original to 1986 with minimal updates
  • Common areas, pool, and gym are severely dated
  • Shared amenities with a budget DoubleTree hotel and its transient guests
  • Most units have not been truly renovated, just touched up
  • Massive building with 810 units means crowded elevators and common areas
  • Recertification and structural maintenance costs will be significant
  • Redevelopment buyout could take decades with 810 owners to coordinate
The Verdict

Ryan's Final Take

2.0

The Grand is one of those buildings that is hard to explain until you walk through it. It is massive. It is dated. It feels like a time capsule from 1986 Miami, complete with a DoubleTree hotel in the lobby and a retail mall that looks like it has not changed since Reagan was president. But here is the thing: the location is legitimately excellent. The bay views from the upper floors are stunning. The units are enormous for the price. And the on-site marina, grocery store, and walkable access to Margaret Pace Park and the Metromover make daily life convenient. The problem is everything else. The amenities are dated. The pool is shared with budget hotel guests. The gym is a joke. The common areas feel like the Bermuda Triangle. And the building will need significant money for recertification and maintenance. If you are looking for value and do not care about luxury, The Grand can work. If you have any other option in Edgewater, I would take it. This is a building for a very specific buyer who prioritizes square footage, views, and price above all else.

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