Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood
A large beachfront resort and convention hotel in Hollywood, Florida, operating under Hilton's Curio Collection.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood is a major beachfront resort and convention property in Hollywood, Florida, situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, south of Fort Lauderdale. The property combines hotel accommodation, resort recreation, food and beverage, spa services, and large-scale meetings and events. Its modern complex is organized around two 36-story towers with approximately 1,000 guestrooms, suites, pools, restaurants and lounges, and an adjacent convention center. The property traces its history to 1958, when grocery-store magnate Samuel N. Friedland opened a 150-room hotel called The Envoy. Friedland later expanded the property to approximately 350 rooms and renamed it The Diplomat. During its early period, the hotel became an important hospitality venue in the Hollywood area and attracted prominent visitors, including entertainers and political figures. Publicly associated guests included Bing Crosby, Maurice Chevalier, Woody Allen, Harry Truman, Bob Hope, and Ronald Reagan. Financial difficulties eventually led to the original hotel's closure and sale to the pension fund of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada. The older Diplomat was shuttered in 1991 and demolished in 1998. A replacement property was then planned as a large convention-oriented resort. Diplomat Properties, Ltd. engaged Nichols Architects, then known as Nichols Brosch Sandoval & Associates, to design the new complex. The rebuilt resort opened in 2002 as the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa. The project was conceived as a return to the importance of the earlier Diplomat while expanding the property into a contemporary meetings and leisure destination. The new resort contained 998 guestrooms, including approximately 100 suites, a large lagoon-style pool, an executive club lounge, multiple dining venues, and a convention center with approximately 209,000 square feet of event space. The convention center included a 50,000-square-foot Great Hall and four ballrooms, including a large ocean-view ballroom. The property later changed ownership and brand affiliations. Thayer Lodging Group acquired the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in 2014. In 2023, Trinity Real Estate Investments and Credit Suisse Asset Management acquired the resort in a reported transaction valued at $835 million. The property subsequently operated under Hilton Worldwide through the Curio Collection by Hilton franchise. Its business remains centered on upscale leisure travel, beachfront stays, weddings, corporate meetings, conventions, dining, and resort amenities.
History
The Diplomat's history begins in 1958, when Samuel N. Friedland, a grocery-store entrepreneur associated with the Food Fair chain, opened a 150-room hotel in Hollywood, Florida. The property initially operated under the name The Envoy. Friedland later expanded the hotel to approximately 350 rooms and renamed it The Diplomat. At the time, it occupied a strategically important position between Miami and Fort Lauderdale and became one of the better-known hotels in the Hollywood area. The original Diplomat developed a reputation as a destination for celebrities, entertainers, and political figures. Reported guests included Bing Crosby, Maurice Chevalier, Woody Allen, and former President Harry Truman. Bob Hope and Ronald Reagan were also reported to have visited the property in 1984. These associations helped establish the Diplomat name as part of South Florida's mid-century hospitality history. The original property later experienced financial difficulties. It was closed and sold to the pension fund of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada. The original Diplomat was shuttered in 1991 and demolished in 1998, ending the first phase of the property's history. A replacement resort was subsequently planned as a substantially larger hotel and convention complex. Diplomat Properties, Ltd. commissioned Nichols Architects, then operating as Nichols Brosch Sandoval & Associates, to design the project. The redevelopment was marketed as a revival of the Diplomat's former prominence. Even before completion, the new hotel had reportedly booked 15 conventions scheduled through 2005, although construction and permitting delays postponed the opening. The rebuilt property opened in 2002 as the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa. The new complex contained 998 guestrooms, including approximately 100 suites, and occupied nearly three million square feet when the hotel and convention facilities were considered together. Resort features included a 240-foot lagoon-style pool, an executive club lounge on the 33rd floor, several dining venues, and direct access to the beachfront setting. The adjacent convention center covered approximately 209,000 square feet and included a 50,000-square-foot unobstructed Great Hall and four ballrooms. The largest ballroom incorporated a substantial ocean-facing window. The redevelopment represented a major investment in the Hollywood hospitality market. Its construction cost was reported at approximately $800 million. The property remained associated with the Westin brand until later ownership and affiliation changes. Thayer Lodging Group acquired the resort in 2014 for a reported $535 million. In 2023, Trinity Real Estate Investments and Credit Suisse Asset Management acquired the hotel in a reported $835 million transaction. The resort subsequently operated under Hilton Worldwide's Curio Collection by Hilton franchise. The modern Diplomat therefore combines a historic local hotel identity with the scale of a contemporary convention resort.
- 2023
Ownership changes to Trinity and Credit Suisse Asset Management
[1]Trinity Real Estate Investments and Credit Suisse Asset Management acquired the hotel in a reported $835 million deal.
- 2014
Thayer Lodging Group acquires the resort
[1]Thayer Lodging Group purchased the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in a reported $535 million transaction.
- 2002
New Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa opens
[1]The rebuilt resort opened with nearly 1,000 guestrooms, extensive leisure facilities, and a major convention center.
- 1998
Original building is demolished
[1]The first Diplomat hotel was demolished as part of the transition to a new resort development.
- 1991
Original Diplomat is shuttered
[1]The original hotel closed after financial difficulties and a change in ownership.
- 1958
The original hotel opens as The Envoy
[1]Samuel N. Friedland opened a 150-room hotel in Hollywood, Florida, under the name The Envoy.
The Envoy is expanded and renamed The Diplomat
[1]The hotel was expanded to approximately 350 rooms and adopted the Diplomat name.
Products and positioning
An upscale, full-service beachfront resort combining leisure travel, conventions, weddings, dining, and large-scale event facilities in the South Florida market.
Accommodation · 2002
Guestrooms and suites
The resort's modern complex includes approximately 1,000 guestrooms distributed across two 36-story towers. The inventory includes standard accommodations and suites designed for beachfront leisure travelers, convention attendees, and extended resort stays.
Resort leisure · 2002
Beachfront resort amenities
The property offers direct beachfront access, two pools, and a large lagoon-style pool reported at approximately 240 feet in length. These amenities support the resort's positioning as a full-service leisure destination in South Florida.
Food and beverage · 2002
Dining and lounges
The resort includes multiple restaurants and lounges, with the broader property described as having six dining and beverage venues. These facilities serve hotel guests, event participants, and visitors using the beachfront resort.
Wellness · 2002
Spa and wellness services
Spa services form part of the resort's full-service offering, complementing accommodation, pools, beach access, dining, and other leisure facilities.
Meetings and events · 2002
Diplomat Convention Center
The adjacent convention center provides approximately 209,000 square feet of event space, including a 50,000-square-foot Great Hall and four ballrooms. The largest ballroom includes a prominent ocean-view window, supporting conventions, corporate meetings, weddings, and large social events.
Brand decisions
2023
Trinity and Credit Suisse Asset Management acquisitionM&ABackground
The resort remained a significant beachfront and convention property in the Hollywood, Florida, market.
Action taken
Trinity Real Estate Investments and Credit Suisse Asset Management acquired the hotel.
Aftermath
The resort continued operating through Hilton's Curio Collection by Hilton franchise, while part of the broader site was expected to be redeveloped.
Acquisition price. $835 million (2023)
2014
Thayer Lodging Group acquisitionM&ABackground
The Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa was offered as a large South Florida hospitality asset with both beachfront and convention-oriented facilities.
Action taken
Thayer Lodging Group acquired the resort.
Aftermath
Thayer became the reported owner of the property until the subsequent 2023 transaction.
Acquisition price. $535 million (2014)
1998
Replace the historic hotel with a large convention resortStrategyBackground
After the original Diplomat was closed and demolished, Diplomat Properties, Ltd. pursued a substantially larger redevelopment intended to restore the property's prominence and expand its role in the meetings market.
Action taken
The company commissioned Nichols Architects to design a new approximately 1,000-room convention-oriented resort with extensive event facilities.
Aftermath
The rebuilt property opened in 2002 as the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, with a large convention center and expanded leisure amenities.
Reported construction cost. $800 million (By the 2002 opening)
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/diplomat-resort-and-spa-hollywood · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled