Tech execs are buying up Florida buildings that ban phones
South Florida is a magnet for tech billionaires, with companies like Citadel, Nvidia and Tesla among those expanding in the Sunshine State.
But the latest luxury residences under way in the Miami area are all about unplugging from electronics, socializing with humans instead of machines, connecting to nature.
“Tranquility in a city center is so hard to find,” said Michael Stern, CEO of JDS Development, the company behind Mercedes-Benz Places, twin 67-story towers rising in Brickell expected to be completed by 2028. “This will be an entirely new neighborhood that prioritizes the health, well-being and the in-person connection of its residents.”
To that end, the amenities, “which engage the senses without tech,” according to Stern, will include a Japanese onsen ritual bathing circuit, meditative cabanas, a Himalayan salt room, an aromatherapy room and fitness center. At the ground level will be Southside Park, the largest green space in Brickell, with a canopy of trees, native vegetation, strolling pathways, and padel and basketball courts.
“There is a difference between normal outdoor space and an actual park,” said Ryan Serhant, the building’s sales agent. “This is a place to really decompress before or after work.”
The Four Seasons Residences in Coconut Grove, the brand’s first all-residential project in Florida (due in 2027), will be surrounded by parks and water. It will also have the Caesar baths that evokes ancient Rome.
“The ultimate in luxury is to disconnect, and this is supposed to be immersive, not tech-friendly. In fact, technology wouldn’t survive the circuit,” said Christine Martinez de Castro, chief of marketing and sales for co-developer CMC.
The area was even kept co-ed to encourage everyone in the 70-unit building, where units start at $6 million, to interact.
Despite integrating oodles of smart-home tech, developers are also starting to accept that home should be a haven from the computer.
“In today’s world, where we are inundated with digital overload, and our attention spans are shorter, mental well-being requires us to disconnect — it’s not just as an amenity,’’ insisted Andrew Kraynak, chief sales and marketing officer, handling the Residences at 1428 Brickell, due in 2028.
The building will have a wellness club and meditation room on the 66th floor, with expansive views of the city and bay.
“There is no technology there,” he said. “We want home to be a safe space.”
The entire fifth floor of the Sage Intracoastal, a 44-unit condo due to open in 2027, just north of Miami in Fort Lauderdale, will be a tech-free zone.
“We created a relaxation area to recharge and calm, so not even phones are allowed,’’ said Veronica Gorson, a managing director for the developer.
The building will also have a yoga lawn facing the ocean, and two-bedroom apartments will have 1,200-square-foot terraces with outdoor living areas and kitchens.
No phones will be allowed in the restaurant, the pool or the cabanas at the Perigon on Miami Beach, expected to be completed in 2027, with units ranging from $5.5 to $37 million.
“It was created to be a respite for our buyers from their busy lives,” said Philip Freedman, the building’s director of sales.
The dining room will be overseen by Shaun Hergatt, whose restaurants have received Michelin stars. There will be a guardhouse, along with a private beach club, and the landscape designer who just redid the green space around the Eiffel Tower has been brought in to make the gardens look like the Tuileries.
“He created beautiful seating areas for reading,” said Freedman. “This is about divorcing from all connections including phones. It’s a sanctuary.”
Human connections are encouraged via a room serving complimentary breakfast each morning. “It’s a great way to meet neighbors,” he said.
The Cipriani Residences premiering on Biscayne Bay in 2028 with 397 units, is adding a library, a private restaurant and a speakeasy on the 37th floor so that owners, who shell out between $1.8 and $30 million for a home, can interact over cocktails.
“The DNA of Cipriani is very social and about engagement on a personal level,” said Michael Patrizio, managing director for the developer, Mast Capital. “The speakeasy will look like a condo and only owners will know about it. You don’t want to walk in and see people on their phones or laptops.”
At Rivage, due in 2028, oceanfront condos in Bal Harbour are being set back to the water to make room for Zen and yoga gardens at the building’s entrance.
“The idea is to meditate in nature and completely unplug.” said Yansy Checa of Douglas Elliman, which is handling sales at the project, adding that it has a country club vibe.
A Zen garden is also a feature at Ombelle in Fort Lauderdale along with cubbies to lock away cell phones.
“We want people to know they can connect with themselves, think and focus on life,’’ said Isaac Schlesinger, a partner at Dependable Equities, developers of the building, which is breaking ground this year, and delivering in 2027. “A lot of temples have these lockers for phones. I am Orthodox Jewish, so the idea of turning off technology to rest is totally natural, and not new to me. We do it every Sabbath.”
Residents won’t even need to an app to call a ride at Shoma Bay in North Bay Village, where condos, set to be unveiled in 2026, have units ranging from $750,000 to $5.3 million. They will enjoy a Rolls-Royce house car to drive dwellers around town within a 10-mile radius.
“Why have to deal with a phone, when the ultimate luxury is having a chauffeur on standby?” asked Stephanie Shojaee, president of Shoma Group.
