A private tour of 888 Brickell Ave, the forthcoming Dolce & Gabbana Hotel & Residences, gave FIU Business students a firsthand look at how luxury branding, technology and real estate development intersect in South Florida’s evolving property market.
The visit brought together students from FIU Business’ Master of Science in International Real Estate (MSIRE) program and members of the Real Estate Student Association, offering an immersive learning experience inside one of Miami’s most ambitious branded residential projects. The tower is set to become one of the tallest buildings in the city and the first hotel globally under the Dolce & Gabbana name.
Getting an up close look at the building's external finishes
Unlike a traditional site visit, the tour centered on a state-of-the-art virtual reality (VR) system developed by Miami-based Yupix, that allows users to experience the building long before construction is complete. Wearing VR headsets, students could move through residences, amenities and common areas with striking photorealism, viewing spaces exactly to scale.
“It’s amazing how detailed everything is,” said Arrate Ziskar, an international business major and member of the Real Estate Student Association. “With the virtual experience, you actually feel like you’re there physically. That’s something not every tour offers.”
Floor to ceiling LED screens shift and move to uncover new spaces
Sales director Elliot Lee said the technology represents a growing shift in how ultra-luxury real estate is marketed. The VR system, which cost more than $1 million to develop, allows prospective buyers to visualize large floor plans, finishes and views with precision. “People are buying experience and emotion as much as they are buying an investment,” Lee said. “This puts them inside that experience before the building even exists.”
For students, the tour also highlighted the commercialization and financial realities behind luxury developments. “They can see the marketing, the production value and the numbers that go into a project like this,” said FIU Business adjunct real estate professor Clay Dickenson. “It connects what they learn in class to what actually happens in the real world.”
The Dolce & Gabbana tower reflects the broader trend reshaping South Florida’s skyline: the rise of branded residences that blend private ownership, hospitality services and lifestyle amenities. Industry experts say the model is fueled by changing consumer preferences, including longer stays, remote work and demand for hotel-level services within residential buildings.
MSIRE student Vito Strehl listens to the sales director explain pricing strategies.
“People are looking for convenience and consistency of service,” said Zeynep A. Talu-Balci (MSIRE ’22), who helped organize the tour. Talu-Balci is currently in the DBA program at FIU and writing her dissertation on luxury branded residences. “Branded residences introduce students to an entire segment of the industry that often isn’t discussed early on — especially pre-construction, which plays a major role in markets like Miami.”
As Miami continues to emerge as a global hub for branded luxury residences, industry leaders say developments like 888 Brickell are as much about innovation as they are about design. For FIU Business students, the tour offered more than a glimpse inside a future landmark — it provided a real-time case study in how global brands, advanced technology and shifting consumer expectations are shaping the next generation of real estate development.