Early this June, popular nightlife figure and Miami Beach commission hopeful Tony Guerra will open Amika Discotheque, a new night club in the old Shadow Lounge space at 15th & Washington on South Beach.

Intended as an upscale alternative to the existing group of venues such as Mynt, Prive, Pearl and Skybar, Amika will aim to attract what Guerra classes as “bottle buyers and young professionals with credit cards.”

The space has been completely gutted since the Amika group took over in January, and will be modeled with a New York loft feel, featuring décor reminiscent of swinging 50’s and 60’s London; curvy but without the Austin Powers factor, as Amika’s designer is quick to point out.

Gone are the exposed brick, club offices and elevated DJ booth, and in their place will be tables, sofas, an intimate lounge area adjoining the main room, and large staircases leading up to the second floor ‘loft,’ which overlooks the main room with floor to ceiling glass windows.

Music will vary during the week, but initially the plan is to open on Fridays and Saturdays with house and open format, with a dedicated house night planned to follow soon after launch.

The layout of the main room is designed to encourage a natural flow of people, with bars on both sides of the room, a DJ booth at the opposite end to the entrance, and seating placed in the middle of the floor and in front of the booth. On DJ oriented nights the furniture can be moved to create a full dance floor and more dedicated club feel.

On the staff side several prominent locals have been drafted in to ensure that the venue launches smoothly, although these appointments will be publicized at a later date. Initially all nights will be promoted in-house with extra hosted nights expected to be added to the roster soon after opening.

Guerra’s background in upscale nightlife in addition to a prominent Ocean Drive party in the launch schedule is sure to guarantee a packed house during opening week, but as many hopeful owners have learned it takes a lot of work and a little luck to stay the course in the notoriously fickle world of South Beach clubbing.

Will Amika have what it takes to enjoy more than a season of life in the major league? At this point the competition is fierce, however Mynt and Prive have both been around for long enough to be past the novelty phase and it gets rather sweaty in the open air during summer, so it would seem that the beach is primed for an exciting new indoor venue.

We’ll be there on opening night to check out Amika in all its glory, and we’ll update with a full report soon after. Until then rehearse your lines for the door staff and try to clear the balance on your platinum card…