When developers market towers as “iconic” or “landmark,” it’s usually aspirational language. When a building is described as a supertall, it’s a technical classification with a precise definition — and the implications for buyers are real.
Delano Residences & Hotel Miami will be Miami’s second supertall tower. Here’s what that means and why it matters.
What Is a Supertall?
In architectural classification, a supertall tower is any building that reaches or exceeds 300 meters (984 feet) in height. The term is defined and tracked by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the global authority on high-rise architecture. There are fewer than 200 supertall buildings in the world.
At 90 stories, Delano Residences & Hotel Miami reaches the supertall threshold. Its observation deck alone sits at over 850 feet — meaning the upper floors of the tower, where D Residences owners live, are among the highest occupied residential spaces in Florida.
Miami’s First and Second Supertalls
Miami’s first supertall is the Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami — also developed by PMG, the same developer behind Delano. That project established the precedent for supertall residential development in downtown Miami and demonstrated that the market exists and is deep for ultra-luxury units at genuine altitude.
Delano is the second. Having two supertalls from the same developer in the same downtown corridor is not a coincidence — it reflects PMG’s specific thesis that downtown Miami is underbuilt at the ultra-luxury tier and that the view corridors, the Biscayne Bay frontage, and the improving urban infrastructure justify the premium.
Why Supertall Status Matters to Buyers
Views at supertall height are categorically different. The view from a 75th-floor D Residence at Delano is not a quantitatively better version of a 40th-floor view in a standard tower — it’s a qualitatively different experience. At that elevation, you’re above most of Miami’s existing building stock. The ocean, the bay, the Everglades, and on clear days the Florida Keys are visible simultaneously. Weather patterns — clouds, rain cells, sunsets — are visible in three dimensions around the building rather than beyond a horizon.
Scarcity is structural. There will never be a large number of supertall towers in Miami. The structural engineering required, the regulatory complexity, the land costs, and the market depth for ultra-luxury units all serve as natural limits. Owning in one of two supertalls in a growing global city is a fundamentally scarce position.
The observation deck creates permanent visibility. Miami’s first observation deck, at over 850 feet, will be a destination — meaning the building will receive ongoing media coverage, tourist attention, and cultural relevance that a standard luxury tower doesn’t generate. That visibility benefits every unit in the building over time.
How the Height Is Distributed
The 90 stories aren’t all residential. The building is organized vertically by use:
- Floors 5–8: Deeded private office suites
- Floor 9: Event and meeting rooms
- Floor 15: Resort-style pool deck
- Floor 17: All-day signature restaurant
- Floors 18–19: The Source spa and wellness
- Floors 20–47: D Collection (266 investor units)
- Floors 49–75: D Residences (155 private homes)
- Floor 78: Sky pool
- Floors 79–80: Upper pool deck, Rose Bar, Private Members’ Club
- Floors 81–82: Sky restaurant
- Floor 83: Observation deck
The result is a building where residents on floors 49–75 are genuinely elevated above a full program of amenities, hotel operations, and public-access floors. The separation is physical and experiential.
Supertall vs. Super-Luxury: Understanding the Premium
Not every supertall is a luxury product, and not every luxury product is a supertall. Delano is both — which is the relevant category for comparison.
In New York, supertall luxury towers on Billionaire’s Row (111 West 57th, 432 Park, Central Park Tower) have set a template for what ultra-height residential ownership looks like in the American market. Miami’s version of that thesis is only just beginning to develop, with Waldorf Astoria and Delano as the first two entries.
The pricing at Delano — starting at $725,000 for D Collection suites and ranging to $3.7M+ for D Residences three-bedrooms — reflects both the brand premium and the supertall premium. It is also, by global comparison with supertall luxury inventory in New York, London, or Dubai, still at the lower end of what this category commands in mature markets.
The Downtown Miami Context
Downtown Miami has transformed significantly in the past decade. The Brightline high-speed rail connection to Palm Beach and Orlando (and eventually Tampa), the continued expansion of the Design District and Wynwood, the Brickell Financial District’s growth, and the arrival of global financial and tech companies have all contributed to a downtown that functions as a genuine urban center — not just a transit point.
Delano’s location on Biscayne Boulevard places it at the center of this transformation, within walking distance of Bayfront Park, the Adrienne Arsht Center, the Pérez Art Museum, and the Brickell financial core. Being a supertall in that location — rather than in a peripheral position — is a material advantage.
Carlos Olivares is a Broker-Associate at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty, Chairman’s Circle Gold. He represents buyers — not developers — in pre-construction transactions throughout South Florida.
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