For Europeans Miami has it all - it's a gateway city, a technology center and a tourist destination "par excellence""

Miami has it all

"Miami will undoubtedly become a technology center for Latin America,” says Manny Medina, a Cuban-American entrepreneur from Miami who in 2011 sold his company Terramark for 2 million dollars and is now dedicated to fund projects and new technology companies.

The government sector has joined with academia and industry to offer young technology entrepreneurs with advice, contact with investors and with industry leaders, plus free office space. “This is the center that connects technology, people, culture and logistics as well,” said Marcelo Ballona, a Brazilian who in 2005 created the web sales company Submarine and was also one of the founders of Yahoo Brazil.

Miami's geographic location not only allows direct daily flights to major Latin American capitals, major cities of the United States and Europe, but also houses a culture that mixes the Anglo and the Latino and makes Hispanics feel at home, and the institutional and legal security of a developed nation that facilitates doing business with greater predictability. These are only some of the advantages of south Florida and Miami highlighted by experts.

But not only science and technology makes Miami an interesting place to invest. It's great weather, beaches and all the important infrastructure needed for quality tourism also make it one of the best known and most famous tourist locations on earth.

The Pestana South Beach Art Deco Hotel opened just this morning (April 8) in Miami where the old Hotel Milejan used to be, becoming the first Portuguese-owned hotel to open in the States.

The property offers 97 rooms and suites throughout four historically preserved Art Deco buildings, a retro cafe and a pool bar set on a 1940’s inspired patio with an outdoor pool

Pestana picked South Beach for the location of its initial US property because of the area's existing reputation and popularity among its current clients in Europe and South America. “North America is a very attractive and strategic market for the Group Pestana. "This is our first investment in this market and Miami is a natural starting point, because to us Europeans it is a gateway for Europe and South America where our brand is quite strong,”said José Roquette, Pestana’s development director for the North American market.

Yes indeed, Miami is a "gem" of a city and will remain so for many years to come.

EU-Digest