The Magic Beach Motel in Vilano will be transformed into a boutique hotel
After the sale of the property to another promoter has failed following a very public battle with neighbors, the Magic Beach Motel in Vilano Beach was sold.
But the new owners — a boutique hotel management company — say they have no plans at this time to change the iconic vintage motel, other than some general repairs and renovations.
“At the moment, we are only focused on operating the property,” said Sonny Bhikha, director of Shivam Properties.
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Key International, a Miami-based developer, had planned to buy the Magic Beach Motel and turn it into the 194-room Vilano Beach Hotel. The company pulled out of the deal last December after the St. Johns County Commission voted 4-0 to deny its design request. Key International is the same company behind the Embassy Suites in St. Augustine Beach.
On May 9, Shivam Properties completed the $3.8 million transaction to purchase the 24-bedroom motorhome at 50 Vilano Road from Earl and Remy Jensen, who have owned it since 2010.
The company also operates motels and hotels in Jacksonville Beach, where it is based, as well as the Rodeway Inn on Ponce de Leon Blvd. in Saint Augustine.
Typically, Shivam Properties buys a franchise from a national chain and then renovates it with sleek, modern amenities.
“There is such a demand for hotels that are not cookie-cutter,” Bhikha said. “We saw the opportunity here and just moved on.”
Shivam Properties has already taken over the management of Magic Beach Motel and is continuing to operate as usual, including honoring previous bookings.
The Magic Beach Motel takes its name from its use as a filming location for Warner Brothers’ 1999 “Safe Harbor” television series, starring Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated Rue McClanahan. Also starring Gregory Harrison, the series was about a sheriff and father of three boys living in Magic Beach, Florida, a fictional town.
The motel, built in 1951, features an Art Deco design and has become a Vilano staple.
The neighbors founded the North Beach Community Alliance, a group of local citizens and small businesses, in 2021 to address concerns about development they believe could negatively impact the environment and quality of life.
Last August, the group started a petition asking the county to suspend permits for commercial and mixed-use developments in downtown Vilano Beach, which garnered nearly 700 signatures. Local residents also spoke at the early planning meetings where Key International pitched the idea for the 194-room hotel.
Michael Clare-Salzler, a 10-year Vilano resident who doesn’t belong to the North Beach Community Alliance but is concerned about overdevelopment, spoke to The Record on Wednesday.
Clare-Salzler said he had not heard of the Magic Beach Motel being purchased by new owners. When given a description of the new owner’s plans for the property, Clare-Salzler said, “Well, that’s good news to hear.”
In recent years, the Vilano region has developed commercially.
In addition to existing hotels and Airbnb rentals, the 50-room Holiday Inn Express has opened and a 120-room Hyatt Place hotel will open this fall.
For Bhikha, the competition is good and he can understand why tourists find the area attractive.
“All of Vilano Beach is walkable, safe and a place where people want to disconnect,” Bhikha said.
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