South Beach Hotels: Where the “Stars” Have “Slept”

Walking down the narrow halls of the Mercury hotel - lit only intermittently by single ceiling lights and punctuated by musty carpets – the moans sound a little faked.

Yes, it could possibly be a woman brought here on vacation pretending to enjoy herself.

But when you live in South Beach, you know better.

More likely than not it’s one of our local adult film companies, hard at work contributing to the South Florida economy.

MIAMI, BIRTHPLACE OF REALITY PORN

In this particular room at the Mercury, Dommy B and D Sanchez, pioneers of Miami-born reality porn, are shooting a few scenes for Pleasure Dynasty’s new “South Beach Pickups” title. A premise where adult actresses pose as naïve tourists, lured up to the hotel from the beach for a little sex on camera.

This is not their first time in the Mercury, nor will it be the last.

“I’ve probably shot in 200 hotels in Miami over the years,” Dommy B says as he looks out from the suite’s top-floor balcony with its view of many of South Beach’s finest hotels. “If you’re staying in a room in South Beach, chances are there’s been some porn in there.”

When pressed for specific names, Dommy lists off the cast of usual suspects: The Tides, The Delano, The Loews, The Shelborne. But the list is too long for him to specifically recall.

“Sometimes they (the people who contract to make the movies) want it to look like a nice suite. Sometimes is doesn’t matter. We’ve filmed everywhere.”

New starlet Sidney Cross, filming a solo scene this afternoon at the Mercury, is already filming in her fifth hotel.

“I’ve been in the industry a couple of months,” she says. “This is my first time in Miami and we’ve shot all over.”

NEW STYLE MEANS NEW LOCATIONS

Miami being the sexy backdrop for adult features is nothing new, dating back to the filming of “Deep Throat” in Coconut Grove. But the setting has shifted now. And while few if any will ever set foot in the gaudy “Deep Throat” mansion, any tourist with a couple hundred dollars to spend could find himself sleeping in the same bed where Sasha Grey shot her last scene.

The frequency of porn shot in Miami hotel rooms may well stem from its status as the capital of “Reality” or “Gonzo” porn. Departing from the low-production value and laughable dialog that marked porn for the previous thirty years, this new type of porn brought fantasies of picking up random girls everywhere and having sex with them to life. Whether it was in the infamous “Bang Bus” or a luxury hotel in South Beach.

“Miami is perfect for it,” Dommy said. “You got beautiful women, you got beautiful weather. We got the beach. And they’ll let you film everywhere. So we can shoot all year and we got a million hotels to use.”

LOOKING THE OTHER WAY. BUT STILL LOOKING

The hotels themselves either don’t know or don’t care that adult films are shot there. A girl at the front desk at the Mercury shrugs when asked if she knew a porn shoot was going on that day.

“Maybe,” she says. “They shoot that stuff here all the time.”

Another former hotel employee said it’s common knowledge among hoteliers that the rooms are used for porn.

“You’d see them come in, and you knew they were shooting a porno,” he said. “Hookers don’t come in with a camera crew, ya know? So you can tell. The managers didn’t care, they paid for the rooms.”

Our hotels may see this business increase significantly. Because of Los Angeles’ new law requiring all adult performers to wear condoms, the industry is shifting more and more to South Florida. Meaning the chances of sex-on-camera in the room next to you are getting better.

“The condom law,” said Carlos Cavero, President of Pleasure Dynasty, “it means a lot of companies are going to be shooting more out here. We’re doing a lot in Florida now.”

Dommy is a little more blunt.

“People don’t want to see people (having sex) with condoms,” he said. “So they’re looking for other places to go.”

IT MAY BE MORE THAN THE ROOM THAT LOOKS FAMILIAR

While researching to see if porn has been shot in your room may give your computer a virus, it is always surreal to see a familiar view in the background. Or, even worse, a familiar face.

The ubiquity of the adult industry in South Beach extends past the hotels. Many performers who fly in to work stay in South Beach, and Miami is home to hundreds more. Dommy put the odds of the person standing next to you at a bar or club having some connection to porn at about 1 in 20.That pretty girl you were chatting up at Nikki Beach or that chick who told you she “modeled” while you were drinking at SET could be the face you see next time you’re doing some solo surfing.

So if you hear intermittent moaning throughout the day coming through the walls, don’t just assume it’s an inconsiderate couple. It may well be a camera crew with paid performers, making something you’ll someday see on the Internet. Before you call the front desk to complain, remember that this is an important part of our local economy. And a story you couldn’t tell many places but Miami.

Related Links: Sex on Vacation in Miami, Florida A Day On A Porn Set: Real Housewives of South Beach Related Categories: Miami: Travel News, About the Author: Matt Meltzer is a featured columnist at Miami Beach 411. See more articles by Matt Meltzer. See more articles by Matt Meltzer Was This Post Helpful? Please Share It With Others! Tweet

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