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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami Area HOTELS and MOTELS Historical Photos Gallery - All Years - click on image to view > 1978 - the Omni Hotel on Biscayne Boulevard at the Omni International Mall
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22-DEC-1978 Courtesy of Duane Zimmerman

1978 - the Omni Hotel on Biscayne Boulevard at the Omni International Mall

1601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida


Thank you to Duane Zimmerman for contributing this old image. The Omni Hotel was part of the Omni International Mall that was built on the north and east sides of the long-standing popular Jordan Marsh store. The hotel and mall opened in 1976 and featured Jordan Marsh as the south end anchor department store and a J. C. Penney's as the north end anchor department store. There were two levels of other national chain stores, a movie theatre, and restaurants in between the anchors. The Omni mall also had a "Treasure Island" - a children's entertainment area with a Florida-themed carousel, video games and other rides and carnival type games. Jordan Marsh closed in the early 1990's, Penney's closed afterward and the mall was in a downhill spiral, finally closing in 2000. Two floors of the Jordan Marsh are now an art school.

The hotel has changed brands several times and is now the Hilton Miami Downtown with 527 newly renovated guest rooms including 58 suites that overlook Biscayne Bay and downtown Miami.
http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/MIADTHF-Hilton-Miami-Downtown-Florida/index.do


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John Hadeed 22-Feb-2024 17:24
I stayed at the OMNI Hotel three times -1978, 1979 and 1980 , with my parents and sisters we always stayed at a corner suite . I loved to watch the planes fly overhead as they left MIA . The carousel , the shops the cinema was the best . I never wanted to leave . The best restaurant was in the mall called Lyndies - they had the biggest burgers I ever saw . we would walk across the street to a Burger King and a stand alone Sears . I would give anything to relive those summer holidays
Susan Barney 03-Jun-2021 10:51
I was a cocktail waitress at the Scaramouche Club in 1979 to 1980
Ernest Diaz 02-Sep-2020 14:56
Scaramouche
RMZ 15-Jul-2020 02:54
Hello... anyone remembers the name of the nightclub? well... they were called discos back then.
Andrew 21-Dec-2019 15:54
I still think of the Potato Place as having the best Fluffiest baked potatoes of my entire life and the Golden Greek having the best gyros. I always wonder whether that was true or it was just because I was a kid and that is what memories do to you. I wish I could go back to the arcade and play Track & Field and Sinistar all day, just once more.
John smith 03-Sep-2019 05:47
I as everyone here love the Omni Mall so much..Its a shame they gutted the mall in 2004..I recently made my way inside the old mall and shot some videos of the very few remaining recognizable things..Believe it or not the tile floor walkways are still there as of 2019 and the bench seating outside of lindys deli by jp penny..If you want to see the inside of the mall as of 2019..go to youtube and type OMNI INTERNATIONAL MALL MIAMI 2019..YOU WELL SEE A CAPITAL BLUE LETTER M.CLICK ON IT AND GO BACK TO OMNI..be warned.its in sad shape.but its still there empty for 20 yrs..enjoy
Paul 06-Feb-2018 19:53
My High School Graduation was held here in 1979, Ransom-Everglades, Janet Reno was the Graduation Speaker.
David Hiriart 16-Jun-2017 21:25
it was thge 80's and I got a job at "Potato Place" just washing off potatos before I put them in the oven. Mario was the owner and I remember that at lunch time I used to walk around the mall up and down and never got tired. I stared at the corrousel for hours and I took a lot of oics with my Pentax ME. Those pictures disappeared unfortunately. At New Year's Eve (Dec. 81) I took my girlfriend (now ex-wife) to Scaramouche and we had a great time. (It was even better on the way to drop her off in my mom's car though). Good old memories never fade away! Oh, I was 27 back then and if I had a time machine my first destination would be the Omni Mall..
Guest 22-May-2017 20:28
I was in charge of Hotel Security!!!! What an incredible experience!!!!!!!
Kelly 15-Feb-2017 07:32
I lived in a penthouse suite of the Omni Hotel in the summer of '88 and frequently visited on weekends thereafter through the early '90s. My memories are very much through the eyes of a 10 year old: I remember trying to keep my cat from climbing the carpeted walls in the hotel room, gazing at the mystical other-worldly paintings outside the penthouse while waiting for the elevator (I really wish I knew the artist's name as I'd love to get my hands on one!), and the grandeur of walking through the hotel lobby and descending the escalator by the carousel in the mall on the way out of the hotel. I do wonder, was there a Tony Roma's in the mall? I recall eating at one very frequently.
Don Boyd02-Feb-2017 21:21
Thank you Brian for remembering the name of the scientific store that Sergio Z. asked about in his comment several below yours.

Thank you to everyone else for adding your comments about the Omni, what was there, etc. They certainly add more perspective to just the photo by itself.

Don
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Brian 02-Feb-2017 17:01
Focus Scientific was the science store! It was utterly amazing to me as a child
Richard B. 16-Nov-2016 07:11
Wow! What memories. As a high school senior, and latter UM student, I worked there. First at the Potato Place, B Dalton book store, JC Penney's camera department and finally my favorite Variety Records. It was just like an 80's John Hughes movie! I visit back home often, and although the area has changed for the better (minus the terrible overcrowding), it's just not the same. By the way Retro Vic, I worked at the record store you are referring to.
Guest 04-Sep-2015 00:42
I was the asst. mgr. of the Merry Go Round clothing store! Loved it there with the arcade and movie theater.
Sergio Z. 21-Apr-2013 13:32
Does anyone remember a science store at Omni mall? As a kid back in 1978, I remember visiting this store and being in utter amazement. They showcased moving robots, high-end telescopes and the latest electrical gadgets. What an era.
F. Izquierdo 22-May-2012 20:30
I loved this place. Does anyone remember Treasure Island? I think that was the name of the arcade. Great place for kids. My friends and I would go to the OMNI all the time to catch a movie. I remember going with my wife (girl-friend then) to see Mississipi Burning. Don't know why they closed it down. My kids would have enjoyed it.
Retro Vic 25-Feb-2012 03:24
I cannot believe there are so few photos of this mall (1976-1980) which was really when it was great. Does anyone out there remember: Key West Aloe, The Time Machine, Helmut's Streudel, Per Spook, Ugo Di Roma, Focus, Wong Kai, Scaramouche? I used to spend alot of my hard earned money in these stores & many more of the disco era. There was a really cool designer jeans store across from the Greek Gyro place on the second level, and there was also a record store around there somewhere where I used to buy all of my (vinyl) disco albums & 45's can't remember the name. Then I would spend quarters by the roll in the Time Machine on Satan's Hollow, Phoenix, BurgerTime & Star Trek simulator. I remember vividly seeing the following movies at the AMC Theatres: The Spy Who Loved Me (Bond), Star Trek The Motion Picture, Logan's Run, Halloween, Friday The 13th....LOL. PLEASE if anyone else out there has pics or memories to share please post here!
Retro Vic 25-Feb-2012 03:23
I cannot believe there are so few photos of this mall (1976-1980) which was really when it was great. Does anyone out there remember: Key West Aloe, The Time Machine, Helmut's Streudel, Per Spook, Ugo Di Roma, Focus, Wong Kai, Scaramouche? I used to spend alot of my hard earned money in these stores & many more of the disco era. There was a really cool designer jeans store across from the Greek Gyro place on the second level, and there was also a record store around there somewhere where I used to buy all of my (vinyl) disco albums & 45's can't remember the name. Then I would spend quarters by the roll in the Time Machine on Satan's Hollow, Phoenix, BurgerTime & Star Trek simulator. I remember vividly seeing the following movies at the AMC Theatres: The Spy Who Loved Me (Bond), Star Trek The Motion Picture, Logan's Run, Halloween, Friday The 13th....LOL. PLEASE if anyone else out there has pics or memories to share please post here!
Edward C 18-Apr-2011 05:53
The Omni was my absolute favorite place in the whole world... I even wrote an article/editorial on it . It's such a shame it closed down.
Edward C 18-Apr-2011 05:44
Love this pic. Would love to see more pics of the Omni, especially in its heyday!
miamihulk23-Mar-2010 01:59
Hi! Do you remember the lower mall area where there was a boxing wooden ring with ropes around there and the mall BLDG's collums with ropes around them where it became a food court in 1986 at the Omni Mall. Wow that was very cool area of the mall. I felt very sad that it closed in 2000. It would be a success during the present time!! Please email me and discuss about the Omni mall how it use to be!!! I know a lot of history of the mall!! miamiblandino1978@yahoo.com Mike I was born in 1978, That's how I grew up going to the Omni!!