Sunny Isles Beach, the narrow barrier island municipality wedged between Bal Harbour and Aventura, has undergone a remarkable identity shift. Once known informally as Little Moscow for its large Russian-speaking population, the city has reinvented itself as the epicenter of branded luxury tower development in South Florida.
The crown jewel of this transformation is Bentley Residences Miami, a 749-foot tower under construction at 18401 Collins Avenue. Developed by Dezer Development in collaboration with Bentley Motors, the project secured a $630 million construction loan in November 2025, the largest financing deal in South Florida that year. The tower will house 216 residences with completion expected in Q1 2028.
In November 2025, Bentley Residences completed the largest residential mat foundation concrete pour in Florida history, a construction milestone that underscored the projects scale. The tower will feature the patented Dezervator, a car elevator system that allows residents to park their vehicles directly in their units, a technology first introduced at Dezer Developments Porsche Design Tower next door.
Porsche Design Tower, completed in 2017 at 18555 Collins Avenue, established the automotive-branded residential concept in Sunny Isles. The 60-story tower has 132 units, with current resale listings ranging from $3.99 million to $11.5 million. The Dezervator remains its most distinctive feature, and the building has attracted collectors and enthusiasts who treat the in-unit garage as a display case for their car collection.
The branded roster extends beyond automotive. Armani Casa Residences, designed in collaboration with the Giorgio Armani fashion house, offers a refined Mediterranean aesthetic at 18975 Collins Avenue. The Ritz-Carlton Residences Sunny Isles Beach, a 52-story tower with 210 units developed by Fortune International Group, brings five-star hotel branding to the oceanfront. And St. Regis Residences is also in the pipeline, further deepening the branded footprint.
What distinguishes Sunny Isles from Brickell or Downtown Miami is its direct oceanfront positioning. Every major tower sits on Collins Avenue with unobstructed Atlantic views. The beach is wide, the water is turquoise, and the density is lower than Miami Beach. For buyers who want resort-level branded living on the sand, Sunny Isles offers the most concentrated selection in the hemisphere.
The buyer demographic has diversified significantly. While Russian and Eastern European buyers remain active, the market has attracted growing numbers of Latin American, Middle Eastern, and domestic American purchasers. Many are drawn by the combination of new construction quality, branded services, and price points that, while not cheap, remain below comparable product in Miami Beach.
With Bentley Residences set to become one of the tallest beachfront residential buildings in the United States upon completion, Sunny Isles Beach has firmly established itself as a destination, not a stopover.
Photo: Hector Falcon / Unsplash
