There are few names in luxury hospitality that carry the weight of Faena. Since Alan Faena and Len Blavatnik transformed a derelict stretch of Miami Beach into one of the world's most celebrated cultural destinations in 2015, the Faena name has become synonymous with a particular kind of unapologetic, maximalist luxury — art-infused, hotel-elevated, deeply theatrical. Now, Faena is bringing that vision to a new scale on the Miami River, with twin 68-story residential towers that will redefine what ultra-luxury living looks like in South Florida. This guide covers everything serious buyers need to know.
The Development: Twin 68-Story Towers on Miami's River
Faena Residences Miami represents the brand's most ambitious residential project to date — a 14-acre private riverfront site along the Miami River, just south of Brickell, with twin glass towers rising 68 stories each. The development encompasses 434 residences spread across the two towers, connected by a dramatic Sky Bridge at the 45th floor spanning 45,000 square feet — itself one of the most remarkable architectural features in any Miami development currently under construction.
The architectural vision for Faena Residences Miami reflects the brand's commitment to creating buildings that function as cultural artifacts rather than mere residential containers. The project brings together a design team of international caliber, with an exterior that makes a statement on the Miami skyline and interiors curated with the same obsessive attention to detail that defines every Faena property globally.
The site's position on the Miami River is significant beyond its visual drama. The riverfront location provides genuine waterway access, direct connectivity to Brickell by water, and the kind of natural setting — mangroves, river views, the constant movement of the river itself — that complements rather than competes with the building's scale.
"There are buildings that are in the city, and then there are buildings that become the city. Faena Residences Miami is the latter."
Unit Types and Pricing: What You Get at Faena Miami
Faena Residences Miami offers a unit mix that spans from exceptionally appointed one-bedroom residences to full-floor sky villas, with every unit reflecting the brand's signature commitment to finish quality and spatial drama.
- One-Bedroom Residences: Starting from approximately $1.3M, these are among the most accessibly priced entry points into genuine Faena-branded living in Miami — an opportunity that does not exist anywhere else in the market.
- Two-Bedroom Residences: Ranging from approximately $2M to $3.5M, the two-bedroom collection represents the core of the development's unit mix. Generous square footage, floor-to-ceiling glass, and river and bay views define these spaces.
- Three and Four-Bedroom Residences: Priced from $4M and above, these larger residences offer the kind of square footage and finish quality that typically requires a standalone home in Miami — here delivered with full hotel services and vertical elevation.
- Sky Villas and Penthouse Collection: The upper floors of both towers and the Sky Bridge level offer a collection of full-floor residences and sky villas that represent some of the most extraordinary residential real estate in the United States. Pricing and availability by private appointment only.
A critical point for buyers to understand: Faena residences come fully furnished and finished by the Faena design team. This is not an option — it is the standard. Every fixture, furniture piece, artwork, and finish is curated as a unified whole. For buyers who have purchased in buildings where "fully finished" means a developer-selected package of commodity materials, the Faena experience is a different category entirely.
The Amenity Program: Faena Hotel Services at Home
The Faena Residences Miami amenity program draws directly from the brand's hospitality DNA, delivering hotel-caliber services to permanent residents in a way that few developments in the world can credibly claim to match.
The Sky Bridge — A 45,000 SF Social Level
The Sky Bridge connecting the two towers at the 45th floor is not merely a circulation element — it is a destination in its own right. Spanning 45,000 square feet at elevation, the Sky Bridge houses an infinity-edge pool with panoramic views of Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline, curated lounge and social spaces, and a series of experiences drawn from Faena's global hospitality playbook. There is nothing like it anywhere in Miami, and very little that compares globally.
The Faena Spa and Wellness Sanctuary
Faena's approach to wellness is distinctive. Rather than assembling a collection of fitness equipment and calling it a wellness center, Faena designs its spa environments as genuine sanctuaries — drawing on its experience with the acclaimed spa at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach. Residents will have access to treatment rooms, hydrotherapy, meditation spaces, and a fitness facility staffed by the same caliber of wellness professionals that serve the brand's hotel guests globally.
Beach Club and Waterfront Access
The 14-acre riverfront site allows for a waterfront amenity experience that tower developments in Brickell cannot offer. The development includes direct river access, private boat docking, and a waterfront social space that makes the Miami River — long underappreciated as an amenity — central to the residential experience.
Private Concierge and Faena Services
Faena Hotel is consistently rated among the finest hotel experiences in Miami. Residents of Faena Residences Miami will have access to a concierge services platform operated by the Faena hospitality team — covering everything from private transportation and restaurant reservations to art acquisition assistance and cultural programming. For buyers accustomed to the Faena Hotel experience, this is the natural extension of that relationship into a permanent home.
Get Current Pricing & Floor Plans for Faena Miami
Faena Residences Miami is in an active pre-sales phase. I provide buyer representation at no additional cost — and can connect you with current pricing, availability, and the team behind the project directly.
Contact Ryan McQuaidThe Miami Beach Market Context
While Faena Residences Miami is situated on the Miami River rather than Miami Beach proper, the brand's power and the buyer profile it attracts are deeply connected to the Miami Beach luxury market — and understanding that market context is essential to understanding the investment case for Faena.
Limited Inventory at the Ultra-Luxury Tier
The ultra-luxury tier of the Miami condo market — defined here as $5M+ — is characterized by structural supply constraint. The number of truly exceptional branded residences being developed in Miami in any given cycle is small, and the number that carry a globally recognized hospitality brand with genuine aesthetic credibility is smaller still. Faena is one of perhaps three or four developments currently under development in South Florida that qualify as true ultra-luxury branded residences. That scarcity is a fundamental component of the investment thesis.
The International Buyer Profile
The Faena buyer profile is distinctly international. The brand's cultural profile — its arts programming, its connection to the global art world through Art Basel, its curated approach to hospitality — resonates with a buyer segment that travels globally, collects art, and seeks residential experiences that reflect the same aesthetic values as their other life choices. These buyers come from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and increasingly from Asia, where Faena's profile has grown significantly in recent years.
No State Income Tax: The Florida Advantage
Florida's status as a no-income-tax state remains one of the most powerful financial arguments for Miami real estate ownership at the ultra-high-net-worth level. For a buyer earning $5M+ annually and relocating from California (13.3% state income tax), New York (10.9%), or Massachusetts (9%), the tax savings alone can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year — making the acquisition cost of even an ultra-luxury Miami residence look like a relatively modest investment against the tax savings horizon.
This calculation is well-understood by the buyers who make up Faena's core clientele. Miami's net migration numbers tell the story: the city has absorbed an extraordinary influx of high-net-worth individuals over the past four years, and the demand side of the luxury condo market has been permanently and materially changed as a result.
The International Buyer Process at Faena Miami
For international buyers — who represent a substantial share of Faena Residences Miami's anticipated buyer pool — the purchase process has several important nuances worth understanding before beginning the conversation.
No Restrictions on Foreign Ownership
Florida law places no restrictions on foreign nationals purchasing real estate in the state. International buyers can purchase in their individual name, through a domestic or foreign LLC, through a trust structure, or through various other holding structures depending on their estate planning and tax optimization goals. I strongly recommend that international buyers engage a Florida real estate attorney with international transaction experience before contracting — the structuring decisions made at the outset of a transaction have material long-term implications.
Financing Options for Foreign National Buyers
Cash purchases are common at the Faena price point, but financing is available to qualified foreign national buyers through several Miami-based lenders with specialized international programs. Foreign national mortgage products typically require larger down payments (generally 30–40% of purchase price) and documentation of international income and assets. Rates are generally higher than conventional U.S. mortgages but competitive relative to many international markets. For buyers who prefer to preserve liquidity, this financing availability is significant.
Wire Transfers and Currency Considerations
Pre-construction deposit payments are made via international wire transfer to a U.S. escrow account held by a licensed Florida escrow agent. Deposits are fully protected in escrow under Florida's Condominium Act (Chapter 718) until the developer has met certain conditions, providing a meaningful legal protection for buyers. Currency risk should be considered by buyers not denominated in U.S. dollars — the staged deposit structure means currency exposure is spread across the construction period.
Tax Considerations for International Owners
Foreign nationals owning U.S. real estate are subject to FIRPTA (Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act) withholding on eventual sale proceeds, as well as potential U.S. estate tax exposure on U.S.-sited assets. The appropriate ownership structure can mitigate or eliminate both exposures. This is another reason to engage a qualified advisor — the right structure, established at the time of purchase, can have an enormous impact on the after-tax economics of the investment. Your attorney and U.S. tax advisor should review this before contracting.
Why ONE Sotheby's International Realty for Faena Miami
The buyer profile that Faena Miami attracts — international, ultra-high-net-worth, accustomed to world-class service — is exactly the profile that ONE Sotheby's International Realty was built to serve. With 86 countries of active offices, a 700,000-person Sotheby's auction client database, and marketing reach through the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Architectural Digest, and Robb Report, ONE Sotheby's brings a network that matches the global ambition of the Faena brand itself.
As a Global Real Estate Advisor at ONE Sotheby's, I represent buyers at Faena and across Miami's most coveted new developments at no additional cost. The developer pays my commission — you receive dedicated, expert buyer representation whose interests are entirely aligned with yours, not with the developer's sales targets.
For international buyers in particular, I serve as the primary point of coordination across the entire transaction: introducing you to qualified Miami real estate attorneys, connecting you with foreign national mortgage specialists, providing detailed neighborhood and market context, and ensuring that your purchase process — from reservation through closing — is seamless regardless of where in the world you are located. I have facilitated purchases for clients in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East, and I am accustomed to managing transactions across time zones and languages with my ONE Sotheby's colleague network.
Explore the full Faena Residences Miami listing page on Reserve Miami Residences, and compare with The Standard Residences Brickell and St. Regis Residences Miami for a complete picture of Miami's ultra-luxury new construction market. For the broader context on Miami pre-construction buying, read our complete 2025 buyer's guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Faena Residences Miami expected to be delivered?
Faena Residences Miami is currently targeting a 2028 delivery. Pre-sales are actively underway, and buyers who move now are entering at the most advantageous stage of the pricing cycle. Construction timelines are subject to revision — contact me for the latest project status.
What are the HOA fees at Faena Miami?
As a development with full hotel services including concierge, spa access, and Sky Bridge amenities, HOA fees at Faena Residences Miami will reflect the cost of maintaining that service level. Estimated fees are in the range of $1.50–$2.00 per square foot per month, consistent with comparable ultra-luxury branded residences. Final fees will be specified in the condominium documents.
Is the Faena brand proven in residential real estate?
The Faena Hotel Miami Beach, which opened in 2015, quickly became one of the defining luxury addresses in South Florida and is consistently ranked among the best hotels in the Americas. The brand's existing residential offering at the Faena District (Faena House on Miami Beach) has demonstrated exceptional price appreciation and resale strength. The Faena name carries genuine premium in the Miami market.
Get Exclusive Access — Contact Ryan McQuaid
I represent buyers at Faena Residences Miami and across Miami's ultra-luxury new development market. International inquiries welcome. Buyer representation at no additional cost to you.
Schedule a Private ConsultationPricing, availability, deposit structures, and project timelines are subject to change without notice. All information provided is believed to be accurate but should be independently verified. This content is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Ryan McQuaid is a licensed Florida real estate agent with ONE Sotheby's International Realty.
Also read: The Standard Residences Brickell — Complete Buyer's Guide 2025 · Miami New Construction Condos 2025 — The Complete Buyer's Guide