The Opium Group is one of the country’s most successful hospitality conglomerates, operating Miami’s top four nightclubs; Opium Garden, Privé, Mansion and SET. A driving force behind South Beach’s ongoing cultural renaissance, The Opium Group has been heralded by Harpers’s Bazaar, Travel & Leisure, People, Time, The Miami Herald, and numerous other publications for drawing A-list celebrities and the international jet-set to Miami Beach.
Three visionaries with unique perspectives and expertise, owners Eric Milon, Roman Jones and Francis Milon create a tour de force of hospitality, design and ambiance. Together they have made an indelible mark on Miami Beach’s landscape, enjoying enduring success in an industry where longevity is rare.
A top model gracing the cover of GQ and the runways for Giorgio Armani, Paris-native Eric Milon moved to Miami in the early 1990’s. Lured by South Beach’s burgeoning modeling scene, Eric soon realized the need for a chic eatery to entertain the international photographers, fashionistas and gliteratti seeking South Beach’s idyllic Deco backdrop. In 1991, he opened The Strand restaurant to unprecedented enthusiasm, creating a buzz that Miami had not experienced in decades. The celebrity elite soon flocked to The Strand, and Eric was dubbed one of the original pioneers of The American Riviera’s rebirth.
Eric’s brother Francis Milon joined him in 1996, bringing the skills he honed working at Paris and New York’s top nightclubs. One of the fashion
world’s foremost photographers by trade, Francis’s business know-how, coupled with his eye for beauty created the ideal partnership. Their newest venture, The Living Room quickly became an icon, inspiring the numerous bars and nightclubs that now populate South Beach.
Shortly thereafter, The Milons joined forces with Roman Jones, a young entrepreneur who cut his teeth in the corporate hospitality market,
overseeing the expansion of the Taco Bell, Burger King and Domino’s Pizza brands. British-born and rock and roll bred, Roman completed the trifecta. Son of rocker Mick Jones, Roman used his business acumen to parlay this experience into a career as one of the leading nightclub operators in the country.
Using 675 meters of dual illuminated custom acrylic diffused tubes, Mansion’s custom ceiling has the ability to do three dimensional lighting effects along the art deco peninsula made up of 21,600 RGB pixels. Along the ceiling’s center cove are 3600 1.5 watt RGB crystal diffused pendants, which together span 48’ X 60’ in dimension. To control these two items alone, is a Madrix Ultimate system, which drives 144 universes of DMX sectored by 19 Data Gates.
Accentuating 360 degrees of Mansion’s 40,000 square foot interior walls are 180 1.5 watt RGB crystal diffused pendants that accentuate wall finishes, and 400 meters of cove lighting placed between each panel yet each pixel is independently controllable. Show lighting alone features twenty Elation platinum 5R Beams, 4 Elation Design Beams 300 and 4 Coemar stage Light Blinders. Mansion’s stage features two grand high resolution 7mm pitch LED viewing screens measuring 9' X 10' and contain 122,800 pixels per screen, as well as 50 20 mm pitch Elation 1024 flat and curved LED panels, and 6 Elation P06 flat panels 6 mm pitch LED creating 73,728 pixels. In short, every square inch of Mansion’s surfaces can be custom lit and controlled to play off the shows taking place.
Mansion also now features a premiere Funktion One sound system that has been recently upgraded and reconfigured. F1's new F221 dual 21” subwoofers have been added under the stage on vibration platforms and F218 dual 18” subwoofers have been flown in clusters with the F1 Res4 mid/high speakers to further extend their range. Powersoft amplifiers have also been added to bring the system well over 100,000 Watts and provides for superior danceability and ultimate fidelity for Mansion’s array of celebrated international DJs.
Mansion, one of South Beach’s most iconic venues, has set the stage for some of the music world’s most heralded events, from groundbreaking DJ sets by trailblazers David Guetta, Deamau5 and Skrillex, to parties hosted by P. Diddy and Jay Z, to live performances by Britney Spears, Prince and Velvet Revolver. Grand and majestic, featuring the most technologically advanced lighting and sound in any US nightclub, Mansion can be easily configured to accommodate events of any size. Heralded design elements include two levels featuring 360 degrees of high fidelity sound and a multi-million dollar light show. The DJ booth takes center stage in the middle of the venue allowing revelers to experience the show from any vantage point in the room.
THE LOBBY
Mansion’s grand lobby entrance sets the scene for the venue’s larger-than-life interior. Featuring an original 1936 chandelier from the space’s historic beginnings as a theatre, Mansion’s lobby, features white leather tufted walls and LED lit panels and accents.
THE BACK IVY ROOM
Mansion’s Back Ivy Room, with a capacity for approximately 140 guests, is a boutique-sized space for cozy encounters and smaller parties, featuring warm Moroccan lattice work bars, sleek leather sofas, tufted cushion walls and accents, and LED lit bars.
THE MAIN FLOOR
Mansion’s famed dance floor features a towering LED illuminated ceiling, 360 degrees of three dimensional effect lighting, and light and video capability on every surface. With the DJ booth in the center of the room, VIP table seating is within an arms reach of the world’s top DJs, while South Beach’s only performance stage can be transformed into an elevated VIP section or configured for full stage shows and Cirque du Soleil style productions. Mansion’s floor is the heart of the venue, where guests can watch the action from the mezzanine above or sit comfortably on the floor itself surrounded by life size projection screens and high fidelity sound.
THE MEZZANINE
Located on Mansion’s second floor, Mansion’s open mezzanine section provides a birds eye view of the grand dance floor and an elegant retreat from the action, where approximately 250 guests can retreat on sexy beds, glamorous suede and leather sofas and cozy seating areas surrounding Mansion’s second floor bar. Elegant and distinctive, Mansion’s mezzanine features an ethereal heaven-and-hell themed ceiling mural, original brass railings and high-walled booths for VIPs seeking privacy.
