Pharrell Williams has announced a new lifestyle and design venture with Miami-based hospitality and nightlife entrepreneur David Grottman: Elsewhere, a new resort will be part of Atlantis Paradise, the world-famous Bahamas destination known for its coral flower. Towers and marine landmarks.
Scheduled to open in January 2024, another venue will feature nearly 400 rooms and suites, several restaurants and bars, and bungalows with recording studios—focusing on indoor and outdoor flows with lush and free landscaping.
In an exclusive joint interview with Grotmann, Williams said the concept of “tropical modernity” is being reimagined for this new space, hinting at a more modern feel. “Oftentimes, when we talk about tropical aesthetics, there is a return to another time,” Williams said. “He’s like, ‘Man, let’s let that time go. “We’re going into the future here.”
Pharrell Williams and nightlife entrepreneur David Grottman have revealed plans for a new design resort. credit: Seth Bruernick for Groot . Hospitality
Led by a design team led by Sean Sullivan, partner at David Rockwell’s Rockwell Group, Somewhere Else promises a languid, smooth visual line – from cascading pools that draw the eye toward the sea to multicolored room concepts with accents of color found in dashes throughout the property . Sullivan, speaking on a call from New York, also noted that “when you stop, you’ll come across a densely landscaped park, and that park continues down and through the building.”
Elsewhere, it will be anchored by a pink flamingo-adorned building that was hitherto known as the beach. It was the first hotel built on the Atlantis Paradise Island, and was designed by the late Maurice Lapidus. Lapidus was a popular mid-century figure, and the leader of the prolific “Miami Modern” style.
As it happened, he designed the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, home of Grutman’s owned LIV nightclub (there’s a noteworthy carousel at this resort for Williams, too: He grew up in a housing project of the same name.” he said with a smile.
Located in a quiet corner of Atlantis Paradise Island, the beach is completely remodeled.
Pharrell Williams and David Grotman launched The Goodtime Hotel in Miami in April 2021. credit: Courtesy Groot Hospitality
“What we did as an approach was to abstract a lot of the architecture,” Sullivan explained. “We open the structure to the landscape and the sea. Warm weather resorts often have abundant natural elements, but they are usually very controlled. We are excited about allowing nature to permeate the space.”
Sullivan also added that the team thinks of art and sculpture not as something decorative, but as entities that could – perhaps – be integrated into the architecture of the space. Given Williams and Grotman’s group of friends, which includes artists JR and Speto, it’s likely to be taken into account.
Another venue is the third joint hospitality endeavor between 13-time Grammy Award winner Williams and founder of Groot Hospitality Grootman; They are also partners in Miami-based restaurant Swan, and The Goodtime Hotel, which opened with fanfare in 2021 (Kim Kardashian, David and Victoria Beckham were in attendance).
As of now, the Bahamas project is the pair’s largest and most complex project to date, and this is the first time the mega resort Atlantis, owned by Brookfield Properties, has stopped expanding its brand into a hotel near it. Williams and Grotman will retain 100% of the intellectual property for Somewhere Else and have been given carte blanche on how to implement it.
The Goodtime Hotel promised an escape from reality and an Art Deco aesthetic. credit: Courtesy Groot Hospitality
“We want to do this differently from what Farrell and I are used to,” Grotman said, (Both current locations, Swan and The Goodtime Hotel, have a tropical feel—yet they retain notable throwback elements and a kitsch and nostalgic vibe.)
He continued, “We really focus on the outdoors, and the experiences you can have on the property, whether in a fun filled feel or in finding a quiet corner to relax.” “What we won’t have is a nightclub, for example.”
Elsewhere it won’t fall within the more expensive resort price range, but it also won’t be priced in the highest luxury segment. In fact, according to Sullivan, the resort team is rethinking what “luxury” really means today.
“The word luxury is evolving, and it’s an interesting expression, because from a development perspective it meant you count the number of fixtures, or the square footage, or the specifications of the marble,” Sullivan said. “We believe that true luxury now lies in what one experiences. Both are well versed in design, but between David’s ability to create high-energy and memorable places and Pharrell’s focus on wellness and mindfulness, it’s a perfect balance. And while I say this with caution, I think we do. Something that was never done.”
Top photo: Watercolor view of plans for the new resort, elsewhere.
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