Brian Scheinblum views the Clifton as a template for his other Cambean hotels.

Brian Scheinblum, the head of Cambean Hospitality, views his Clifton South Beach hotel as a magnet for tourists seeking a travel experience based on sustainability. A 35-room boutique structure in the city’s Art Deco district in which Scheinblum invested $2.5 million, the Clifton is the first LEED Gold Hotel in Florida and the first LEED-certified hotel in South Beach. Scheinblum wants to make sustainability sexy. The Clifton is his vehicle—for now.

Certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council at the end of August, the Clifton features organic cleaning supplies, LED lighting, energy management systems, water-saving, dual-flush toilets, carpet and fabrics manufactured from recycled products, and high-efficiency faucets. The rooms are small, the lighting not expansive but sufficient. It’s a happening, earthy place, one of four Cambean properties on South Beach. The others are the Carlton, the Majestic Hotel—and Lords, the Cambean property targeting the gay market. Scheinblum is a big believer in market differentiation.

Getting the Clifton its unique certification took years of work, Scheinblum said in a recent interview at the Carlton. “When we started the project in ’08, our goal was to be one of the first 10” Gold LEED-certified hotels in the world, he said. But hotelier isn’t the only hat Scheinblum wears. As chairman of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce’s sustainable business council, he aims to develop sustainable tourism in a city best known for skin, pastel colors, inviting and expensive beachfront—and partying.

There are signs South Beach is ready for “green,” like the Clifton—and Decobike, Miami Beach’s bike sharing and recreation program. In addition, the Environmental Coalition of Miami & the Beaches (ECOMB) has been attempting to keep the beaches clean since the non-profit formed in 1994. Scheinblum also cites a slow foods program working with local growers and restaurants. And the delights of bird watching.

The Clifton is Art Deco to the hilt. And green, too.

“People don’t have to believe they have to go to Costa Rica,” he says. “There’s opportunity to have a sustainable vacation right here.”

Scheinblum is beginning to stress the Clifton’s unique status in his marketing. “We’re charging a higher rate because it’s a new product in Miami Beach,” he says, and while people are very cost-conscious, they still look for value. He’s pricing the Clifton 25 percent to 30 percent higher than his other properties, he says, noting that in the past nine months, there’s been an increase in ADR in the local market and signs of an occupancy increase.

Clifton ADR increase has outpaced that of the other Cambeans. A standard room with two double beds starts at $149 a night in season, a junior suite at $199. According to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, ADR in the Miami market has grown by 6 percent year over year to $198.

“I want people to realize there is a sustainable vacation to be had in South Florida,” Scheinblum says. “They’re still in South Beach, there’s that sexy feel and fun, but they’re doing it being mindful and respectful of the environment.”

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