As immigrants, Estefans see 'opportunity' in hotel venture

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With the sour national economy, this isn't the optimum time to open a luxury hotel.Or is it?As an immigrant, Emilio Estefan feels a sense of obligation to do his part."That's exactly what you have to do," he said. "When the economy is bad, we need to give back ... We want to be sure that we support this country."So, you won't find him -- or his wife, singer Gloria Estefan -- curled up in a fetal position, fretting over the fate of Costa d'Este Beach Resort, their new $50 million venture in Vero Beach, Fla."We don't look at things that way," Gloria said. "If we would have thought things were scary, we never would have done half the things we've done in our life."Instead of economic gloom, she sees "opportunity."And the opportunity, she says, is for Costa d'Este to become a prime "staycation" destination for people living within a two- to three-hour drive of Vero Beach."One of our (unofficial marketing) phrases is, 'A tank of gas and worlds away,' " she said. "What we want to offer is coziness. That's what this town is about -- that's what we fell in love with."The Cuban-born Estefans have been part-time residents of Indian River County for six years. Their primary residence is on Miami's Star Island, a place where celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal, Will Smith and Madonna have called home.In February 2007, the magazine People En Espanol estimated the Estefans' net worth at $500 million.The 94-room Costa d'Este opened to the public on June 23. Rooms start at $189 and $249, depending on the season. A restaurant, bar, gym, pool and spa are on the premises."This really has a lot of our vision, a lot of our heart and soul," Gloria said. "From traveling the world, (staying in) every hotel you can possibly imagine, we know what's important to us and what we like in a hotel."What's most important? "The mattress is No. 1," she says. "We went top-of-the-line here."The prioritization should come as no surprise to those who remember the singer breaking her back in 1990, when her tour bus was involved in an accident in Pennsylvania. When on tour, she takes a foam mattress with her."I have hardware in my back," she joked. "I'm titanium-reinforced."Emilio Estefan, a founding member of the Miami Sound Machine, says a European tour will keep them away from Costa d'Este for two months. He and his wife own seven restaurants and one other hotel, The Cardozo in Miami Beach. They have about 2,000 employees."We take pride in things that we do," Emilio said. "In the end, you hope to make money, but we want to do things right."(E-mail Russ Lemmon at russ.lemmon(at)scripps.com.)