Rev it up: Florida hotelier debuts giant auto museum

The Mach 5 Speed Racer drives fans to the new Dezer Collection Museum and Pavilion in Florida.

By Mark Chesnut

For decades, a man named Michael Dezer cruised his way to iconic status on the Florida hotel scene. And this year, the developer — who runs Dezer Properties — translated one of his private passions into a brand-new attraction aimed at exciting auto enthusiasts, business travelers and anyone planning family travel or a Florida vacation.

The new Dezer Collection Museum & Pavilion is a 250,000-square-foot facility with nine exhibitions stocked with more than 1,000 vintage vehicles, ranging from European classics to electriccars, micro-cars and classic motorcycles. The museum’s “Star Car” exhibition is home to a variety of celebrity vehicles, including the 1948 Ford “Greased Lightning” from the movie Grease, a Mach 5 Speed Racer inspired by the popular “Speed Racer” animated series and the 1981 Delorean from “Back to the Future.”

Business-minded types will appreciate that the Dezer Collection Museum & Pavilion is available for private parties and corporate events, for anywhere between 20 and 1,500 guests.

Of course, it makes sense for anyone visiting the new attraction to spend their evening at one of the properties that make up the Dezer Hotels division. The company owns and manages more than 1,000 hotel rooms in the Miami Beach area, including Trump International Beach Resort, the Howard Johnson Plaza Dezerland Beach & Spa, the Days Hotel Thunderbird and the Travelodge Monaco North Miami and Sunny Isles Beach.

At the Howard Johnson Plaza, travelers can indulge in a bit of the spirt of the new museum as well, thanks to the 1950s-themed American Classics restaurant (where you can actually sit inside a modified convertible while you eat) and decor elements that evoke bygone eras — such as the large, artistic representation of a vintage mid-century convertible that graces the lobby wall. Sounds perfect for putting some extra horsepower into that next business meeting or Florida vacation.

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Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. His first car was — don’t laugh — a Plymouth Horizon TC3.

Tagged: Family time, Florida, Hotels