Inside the Palm Club: The Most Exclusive Miami GP Space You Can’t Buy Your Way Into

Motorsport photo

You can purchase a ticket to just about anything at the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, except The Palm Club.

Nestled alongside the Paddock Club with the best direct sightline to the podium, it is the most exclusive space on the Hard Rock Stadium campus, and there is no price of entry because the guest list is fully hand-picked.

F1 The Movie's Javier Bardem in the Palm Club

F1 The Movie's Javier Bardem in the Palm Club

This weekend, the Miami GP gave three select journalists a tour of the space, led by Melanie Cabassol, VP of Hospitality and Curated Experiences; the woman who brought the Palm Club vision to life.

The guest list is personally curated by Miami Dolphins CEO and Miami GP Managing Partner Tom Garfinkel, alongside Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium.

NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes enjoys the Palm Club

NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes enjoys the Palm Club

Guests arrive at a private valet tent and are loaded onto Mokes — small electric vehicles — that ferry them directly to the entrance so they never have to navigate the general campus. From there, the rules are simple: no entourage and no private security. If additional team members show up unannounced, there is a dedicated holding area waiting for them. The space seats 218, and today it was at capacity, an early sign Sunday’s race day will look the same.

Over 1,000 plants fill the club, including critically endangered palm species maintained by a specialist who transports them back to his private nursery after every race, nurses them back, and returns them the following year. Some of those palms have been making the trip for three to four years running.

On race day Sunday, seating is fully reserved. Friday and Saturday run open seating as guests flow in and out throughout the day. Trackside boxes offer direct views of the podium, and the food and beverage program is handled by Major Food Group in close collaboration with ownership.

View of the track from Palm Club

View of the track from Palm Club

The signature cocktail is the Spicy Palm — Garfinkel’s personal favorite. There is also a candy bar, which, based on the crowd inside today, is the favorite activation in the space.

On Saturday, the Palm Club hosts its annual fine and rare wine lunch, now in its fourth year. Around 40 guests are asked to bring a top shelf bottle of wine from their personal collections. It started as a way to draw the Saturday crowd in early and offer a more exclusive experience outside of the main event on Sunday.

The Record Room, an uber-exclusive spot for A-list attendees

The Record Room, an uber-exclusive spot for A-list attendees

Before heading up to the Palm Club, journalists were also given a peek at the Record Room — a lounge space hidden behind the busy energy of the Paddock, offered to team principals and A-list guests. This is a private place they could take meetings and connect near the action, away from the noise of the paddock. It hosts between 100 and 150 guests per day and, like the Palm Club, is not a ticketed space.

For those who don’t receive an invite, the 72 Club sits one floor below the Palm Club and offers its own premium experience — trackside views, reserved race day seating, and four to five restaurant concepts from David Grutman’s Groot Hospitality, including Komodo, Gekko, and Papi Steak. Tickets run between $10,000 and $14,000. It is the closest thing to the Palm Club that money can actually buy.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.