By Matthew Arrojas

The club was founded in 1926 on land that was previously an avocado plantation.

The Bath Club in Miami Beach will reopen later this month after an extensive renovation project.

Don Peebles, owner of the nearly 100-year-old private club at 5937 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach, updated much of the private club's members-only amenities. Allison Antrobus and Ruby Ramirez of Miami-based design studio Antrobus + Ramirez redesigned the property for Coral Gables-based the Peebles Corp.

The Bath Club features a three-acre private beach, a full-service spa, a fitness studio, a resort-style pool, cabanas, clay tennis courts, lounge areas and new culinary options. The private club also has six different venues providing a combined 26,000 square feet of potential event space for members.

Apicii Hospitality, a New York-based hospitality management and consulting firm, curated the Bath Club's new food and beverage options. Dining venues include the club's Courtyard, Veranda and the historic Parlor and Governor's Loggia. The restaurant and bars will serve seasonal Mediterranean-style menus.

Chef Jeff Masanz will serve as executive chef for the club. His experience comes from working in the industry at the Boca Raton Club & Resort and Diplomat Beach Resort.

According to a statement regarding the opening, the Bath Club is the only private club in Miami Beach not attached to a resort or hotel.

The club was founded in 1926 on land that was previously an avocado plantation. Over the years, it became a destination for notable figures including former President Herbert Hoover, William Vanderbilt II of the prominent Vanderbilt family, French jeweler Pierre Cartier and Boeing Co. founder William Boeing.

However, for years the club denied membership to Black and Jewish people. Peebles, the club's first Black member, purchased the property in 1999 with the intention to make the club a more inclusive experience.

“The Bath Club offers a sense of place, legacy and authenticity for all walks of life,” Peebles said in a statement. “This is where diversity and reinvention – past and future – come together for enriching experiences surrounded by privacy and luxury.”

Adjacent to the Bath Club stands the Residences at the Bath Club at 5959 Collins Ave. The condo building includes 112 units and was built in 2005.

Credit: South Florida Business Journal