Florida resort accepts Bitcoin, rakes in $100k in 3 days

Last month, popular Miami nightspot the Clevelander South Beach Hotel began accepting Bitcoin. The decision seems to have been at least partially inspired by the 2014 North American Bitcoin Conference, which took place in the hotel in January, and may well have been part of the growing trend of accepting Bitcoin as a cheap, effective marketing stunt. According to the hotel’s staff, however, it turned out to be more than just an easy way to generate publicity.

Speaking with CBS Miami mere days after the hotel began accepting Bitcoin, Clevelander spokesman Jeff Turgeau said:

The impact has been very high. Throughout the course of three days we have generated an additional $100,000 in food and beverage and hotel room revenue.”

Florida has become a hot spot of Bitcoin-related news of recent. Last week, an attorney representing accused Bitcoin money-launder Pascal Reid challenged those charges on the grounds that Florida’s legal definition of money doesn’t apply to Bitcoin or any other virtual currency.