When Lee Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF), was first presented with the idea to host one of SOBEWFF’s exclusive intimate dinner series at the luxury lifestyle condominium complex Continuum, he was faced with a marketing risk that made him hesitate to move forward.
“We were a bit reluctant because one of the criteria [to host at Continuum] was that their residents were able to buy tickets before anyone else,” Schrager told me over the phone. “The good thing was, we had a dinner for 100 people that we knew would sell out. The bad thing is, if it didn’t, we’d have to open it up late to the public.”
But that never happened, nor has it been a concern again in the six consecutive years Continuum’s private restaurant, The Patio, has hosted one of the dinners. “We’ve been there for five or six years doing events that are exclusively for their residents,” Schrager added. “And they’ve always sold tickets immediately.”
Such is the nature of Continuum, where I recently found myself for the latest SOBEWFF Intimate Dinner Series, surrounded by fascinating company comprised mostly of Continuum’s international jet-setting residents. Over a four-course dinner featuring Southern-style barbecue from grill master Tom Jackson of All Things BBQ, Jeff Bud of Apocalypse BBQ, and Claudio Lobina, executive chef of The Patio, the complex’s managing director, Rishi Idnani, filled me in on how Continuum’s “pursuit of perfection” has consistently met their residents’ passionate pursuit of luxury.
Idnani credits much of Continuum’s success to seven key strategies, or “secrets” as he called them, the complex uses to continually surprise and delight residents while motivating would-be buyers to invest in any rarely available unit from the 521 condos across Continuum’s two towers. These “secrets” are closely guarded—so much so, I had to work hard to persuade Idnani to reveal just three.
Living the Luxury Lifestyle Secret #1: The Art of Hospitality in Residential Living
Anticipating and exceeding expectations isn’t much of a secret in the world of luxury, but Continuum achieves it in a way that sets it apart from most residential properties: all employees are recruited from the luxury hotel industry, starting at the very top with Idnani. He joined Continuum almost a decade ago, having learned the art of predicting what a customer wants before they know they want it during his tenures at several Ritz Carlton properties worldwide, The Miami Beach EDITION and as Private Estate Director at COMO Parrot Cay on the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“We’re not a branded property in terms of a hotel flagship such as The Four Seasons or Rosewood,” Idnani said. “But we hire individuals who have come from that type of experience.”
In hiring from the ranks of high-end hotels and branded residences, Continuum assures every team member supports residents with the same top-tier service standards learned from their predecessor employers Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz Carlton.
“We integrate them in our service standards here to really develop a unique management leadership team,” Idnani continued. “We take our time recruiting our employees and our management team to really blend a hybrid of various luxury hospitality pedigrees to achieve that ultimate standard. The team we have here really understands what great service means.”
Idnani’s vision when he became managing director was to bring a hotel-like experience to residential living. “We wanted to integrate that luxury hospitality experience into a condominium,” he says. “It’s not just about having great amenities. It’s about delivering that level of service that makes residents feel they are living in a five-star hotel every day.”
Residents can text the concierge team through a fully integrated app and receive a response within five minutes or less. Whether it’s arranging a last-minute dinner reservation or anticipating a resident’s needs for the upcoming high season, the concierge team is “always three steps ahead,” according to Idnani. But it’s not just about those hard-to-get dinner reservations — the concierge team is also proactive about planning unique travel experiences for the residents. One such experience was a wine-tasting trip to Portugal, entirely planned and organized by the team, who also accompanied residents to ensure nothing was left to chance.
“Although [the residents] are not here during the summer, we became part of their lifestyle experience,” Idnani shared. “Even while they’re away from here traveling to private wineries.”
Living the Luxury Lifestyle Secret #2: Prioritize Mental, Physical and Emotional Well-Being
Wellness is another pillar of Continuum’s success, creating a living experience centered on holistic well-being. Beyond traditional fitness amenities, residents have access to everything from state-of-the-art fitness facilities to on-site medical services, including private Botox and PRP treatments. During the pandemic, Continuum became the first location to offer antibody testing to residents with a dedicated COVID-19 medical clinic, working in partnership with Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach and Pure Pharmacy. The concierge team even went as far as scheduling vaccine appointments for residents, their extended families and visitors, including nurses and housekeepers.
“Residents are busy people, so when we offer these services, we do it with the expectation that they’ll feel truly cared for and relaxed here,” Idnani said. Continuum’s Wellness Club, offering 65 fitness classes a week, is just one part of a comprehensive regimen extending throughout the property. Idnani’s team has partnered with Florida’s robust spa industry to offer customized wellness programs, making Continuum one of the few residential properties where residents can enjoy the luxury resort experience without ever leaving home.
“We really focus on mindful living,” Idnani continued, “Whether it’s through fitness, nutrition, or relaxation. Everything we offer is designed to help our residents feel like they are living their best, healthiest life.”
Living the Luxury Lifestyle Secret #3: Bring In the Global Talent and Culture
What makes Continuum’s marketing model particularly effective is how it intertwines luxury real estate residential living with exclusive experiences catering to its affluent residents — which brings us back to the SOBEWFF dinner series that brought me to Continuum.
The intimate dinners, which have featured top chefs from around the world (including six-time Michelin-starred chef Michael White, Michelin Guide favorite Dario Cecchini of Hong Kong’s Carna by Dario Cecchini, and Food Network’s Chopped judges Marc Murphy and Amanda Freitag) are a prime example of how intimate dining affairs can deliver the best form of loyalty. Idnani credits these experiences as an integral part of the community’s marketing strategy to attract buyers who value such comforts.
“As a brand, we don’t just offer a place to live,” Rishi concluded. “We offer an experience that goes beyond what’s typical. That’s what truly sets us apart.” The dinners bring residents together in a setting designed exclusively for them to offer access to global culinary talent—no plane ticket or jetlag required.
And for Schrager, this six-year partnership with Continuum has been a risk he’s very happy he took. “We don’t do this with any other property,” he revealed. No other real estate residential property has ever been given this same opportunity Continuum receives to be part of SOBEWFF. “We don’t make it exclusive to any one property, but we did it with Continuum. And we’ve been happy to continue because it’s been successful for everyone since year one.”
The Ultimate Secret to Luxury Lifestyle Real Estate Success
Continuum’s concept of offering affluent clients lifestyle enhancements beyond just a property purchase is key for any developer looking to plant a flag in Miami’s competitive real estate landscape. By blending luxury real estate with exclusive, curated experiences, Continuum has crafted an approach offering a new interpretation of traditional lifestyle offerings.
Combining wellness, hospitality, and exclusive experiences into residential living sets the 12-acre complex with direct beach access apart from other properties in the region – in addition to being the only Miami property at the most southern tip of eastern Florida with an unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean. With on-site medical services, curated travel experiences, and exclusive intimate dinners featuring global and celebrity chefs, Continuum shows luxury living can be more than just bricks and mortar.
As Miami continues to be a global real estate and entertainment hotspot, developers looking to appeal to the affluent market would do well to emulate Continuum’s approach. This is the ultimate secret to attracting and retaining the most discerning buyers who value exceptional living spaces, personalized services and global connections in their luxury lifestyle living.