1663-22 Art Deco/Preservation SAT JAN 29 1994 ED: FINAL
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 1C LENGTH: 25. 34" LONG
ILLUST: photo: Limousines and taxis and buses line up outside
the Miami Beach Convention Center (TELEVISION)
SOURCE: ANTHONY FAIOLA Herald Business Writer
DATELINE:
MEMO:
IN A RERUN OF COMPLAINTS,
TV EXECUTIVES PAN HOTELS
Michael Richards, wacky Kramer from TV' s Seinfeld, found himself more in
character than he expected during a TV convention on Miami Beach this week.
The Alexander Hotel where Richards was staying didn't have his suit
cleaned in time for a party at the Fontainebleau Hilton. So he attended the
gala anyway -- in his bathrobe.
"It started as a joke, but when the suit still wasn't ready later in the
evening, Michael was genuinely embarrassed, " said Lisa Cole, the
Fontainebleau' s director of public relations. "We thought it was sort of
hysterical. "
In truth, it ' s no laughing matter. As Dade tourism leaders dissect the
past week' s conventions, the region' s biggest tourism surge since the high-
profile murder of a German tourist in September, they may not like_what they
see.
The week drew close to 17 , 000 visitors to Miami for the star-studded
convention of the National Association of Television Programming Executives on
Miami Beach, the FoodPack of the Americas trade show in Coconut Grove, and a
convention on pediatrics at the Sheraton Bal Harbour.
But just as visitors arrived with leery images of tourist crimes -- they
departed with a different negative notion: inferior hotels and spotty service.
"The hotels were bad, bad, bad, " said Dan Zifkin, a Hollywood syndicator
in town for the NATPE event. "Everyone was talking about it. The rooms were
dirty, but the service was worse. They couldn't take messages right.
Sometimes, they wouldn ' t take messages at all . This just doesn't work for
people used to professional hotels in Los Angeles and New York. "
For the most part, visitors raved about the town' s restaurants and
nightlife. Indeed, they said, the crab at Joe ' s was delectable -- as was the
dancing at Van Dome.
At the NATPE convention, a record 12 , 000 stars and TV bigwigs turned
out. The bulk of visitors came from Los Angeles and New York, and many
convention-goers said the California earthquake and poor weather in the
Northeast played a factor in their decision to come.
Some, however, said they wouldn' t return.
"Our hotel had burn holes in the bed covers, " said Glenn Otte, a
representative with Cash Plus Inc. , a Minneapolis media buying firm. "Need I
say more?"
Such complaints aren't new.
Dade hasn't had a major new hotel built in more than 20 years, and
complaints about the size and quality of its hotels have been the bane of the
region ' s tourism industry for a decade. During the region' s last two big
conventions -- the American Booksellers Association and National Association
of Realtors -- talk of poor rooms and service was rampant.
"Just like last time, people said they loved South Beach, " said Stuart
Blumberg, president of the Miami Beach Resort Hotel Association, which
represents 52 properties . "But there were problems at some hotels. The people
at NATPE were very intensive in their need for phone calls, faxes, packages. I
think a lot of hotels were overwhelmed. "
Tourism leaders have tried to address the problem. After the Realtors
conference in November, 21 of Dade ' s most prestigious hotels agreed to
"mystery inspections" to rate their quality.
Tom Hewitt, chairman of the sales development committee for the Greater
Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, said seven out of the 21 were rated below
average after the inspections.
"Everyone in Dade has been working to improve quality, but there ' s no
question that some hotels still aren 't up to par, " said Hewitt, president of
Coconut Grove-based Continental Cos. , adding that the bureau is developing a
program to help smaller hotels increase employee training. "Many properties
are undergoing renovations right now. That didn't help either. "
Still, the NAPTE convention ushered in its fair share of good news
for Miami: Viacom Entertainment Group, the production arm of cable giant
Viacom Inc. , promised to shoot a new drama in town called The Drive. The 30-
minute show, set for 65 episodes, will follow the lives of South Beach
denizens -- fashion designers, photographers, models. It would begin
showcasing sun-drenched South Beach in 1995 .
This week, fear of crime caused many conference-goers to take cabs
instead of rent cars while in town. And some who rented cars regretted it
later.
Harold Debrovner, owner of Union Rebuilt Machinery, came from New York
City for the FoodPack trade show at the Coconut Grove Exhibition Center. From
the airport, he and his wife got lost in Overtown after missing the Interstate
95 south exit on State Road 836 .
"There were no lights on the highway signs, and the signs were
obstructed by dirt, " Debrovner said. "I was so upset, I felt like writing a
letter to the county. "
But for many convention-goers, complaints about hotels overshadowed
initial fears about crime. In fact, after spending almost a week in town, many
said Miami had a bum rap.
"I was joking with my friends before I left, telling them that I 'd be
sure to pack my Uzi for Miami, " said Suena M. Williams, a manager with
Multimedia Entertainment in New York. "But it turned out be very safe. One
night, our salesmen had a little too much to drink and started wandering the
streets. They all came back intact. "
PATRICK FARRELL / Miami Herald Staff
TRAFFIC JAM: Limousines, taxis and buses line up outside the Miami Beach
Convention Center to drop off and pick up passengers .
ADDED TERMS : reaction mi and image mb
END OF DOCUMENT.