CHIC-A-RIFFIC or KITSCH-A-DOODLE-DOO

I lived in Miami for years and am very familiar with a lot of the hotels on the beach. That said, when I travel back, this is where I chose to stay. The Pelican is definitely NOT for everyone; do not bring Mom or the kids (unless your Mom is Charo or your kids wear mood rings and Nehru jackets) because there is no pool and (unless you are lucky enough to get one of the few front rooms) no view (of course we did get a nice look at our neighbor across the alley and I might be scarred for life because of it) and there is not a lot of space in most of the rooms. But if you have a love of design and love South Beach 'hip ness', this is the place to stay. Ocean Drive and Collens Ave are filled with tiny-roomed funky motels but none can compare to the fashion, flare and fun of The Pelican.

Before you do anything, go to their website, click on the rooms tab and take a peek. Each is decorated with a different theme and one is better then the next. When we made our reservation I was told to pick my favorite 3 (that was a horrible task because I LOVED them all - my wife and I spent an hour trying to decide) and they would try to get me in one of them (our #2, People From The 50's was where we stayed this past June). Yes, the room was small... very small (old Mid-town Manhattan or Grand Canyon El Tovar small) but it was wonderful. Besides the obviously cool décor, the bed was comfortable, the shower amazing, the closet ample in size with a safe, the stereo with recommended listening a blast, the ceiling fan zanily functional, the linens luxurious, the fridge kept my 12 pack of Presidentes icey cold as did the powerful AC to the room, and everyone we dealt with on the hotel staff was ABSOLUTELY 100% TOP NOTCH SUPER FANTABULOUS.

Although we strolled up the street looking at menus, we ended up back at our front door and had a fantastic late night dinner at the restaurant in the hotel (we did go to the News Café next door for breakfast but that was more out of tradition then anything else). We also made good use of the complementary beach chairs and umbrellas. Now I should say, The Pelican is not cheap but we found it to be worth every penny!

Very Cool, Great Location

The Pelican was fantastic!

The food at the Cafe was great (especially the Bruchetta and the Chabatta Bread), as were the drinks, and fairly reasonably priced for South Beach. People there were very, very helpful. Only one young lady there was less than helpful.

The rooms are very clean, well maintained (an evening re-clean, chocolate, and weather forecast is a first!), awesomely decorated, comforatable, and quiet. They give you a couple bottles of water a day, and a very nice lounge chair when you check in at the beach. Very clean and cozy - definitly use them!

South Beach was a bit of a shock. Sex dominates the senses, from beautiful people to thongs, topless women all over the beach and well toned guys in speedos. Prepare yourself for some real in-your-face sexuality. Once you get beyond that, the underlying and more enjoyable latin flavor is great. One of the best parts of our trip was being in such a diverse environment.

I would probably stay at the Pelican again. But open your wallet. $135 a night is nothing until they add on valet parking, taxes, etx. I think we ended up paying $180 a night. Very expensive (and the food isn't much cheaper), but very cool.

Perfect respite

Never having been to Miami Beach before and relying almost exclusively on Tripadvisor, my wife and I were very pleased with the Pelican. We stayed there for one evening before driving to Key West and one evening returning home. The hotel is convenientaly located right on the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. It is stylishly different but the amenities were very good. The hotel and rooms were clean and have a crisp eucalyptus scent. The bathrooms were spacious and the showers hot and strong. The bed was very comfortable and an air conditioner unit was easily situated next to it. I agree with other reviewers that travelers seeking an extended stay in Miami Beach might enjoy another hotel with a pool and perhaps larger rooms with better views. But the accomodations at the Pelican were just perfect for us. Most worth noting was the attentiveness and courtesy of the staff. We arrived late (very late no thanks to Amtrak) Sunday evening and the staff provided us guidance and directions even before we arrived. They were very helpful in arranging a car rental. For diners, the Pelican offers a pleasant restaurant and bar. For simple meals and those on an economy budget, the personable News Stand eatery is next door and open 24 hours a day. And for those seeking a special experience, the best restaurant I have ever enjoyed is literally around the corner -- Wish located on the terrace of the former Tiffany Hotel. All in all , if you need a compact affordable yet stylish and professionally accomodating place to stay at Miami Beach, you will be just fine selecting The Pelican.

Very Cool!

Stayed one night in June. Great location, right on Ocean. Decor was retro but modernish as well. Our room was small but clean and quiet. Staff was very friendly, gracious and helpful. Very South beach. Very cool! Will stay there again.

Ideal for Pary People

We have staid at the Pelican Hotel for three nights in June 2004. While I agree with the other comments about the ideal location of the hotel on Ocean Drive and the friendliness of the staff, we found the place nevertheless not to our liking. Our room was facing a wall of the building nextdoors, you could not even see the sky which we found rather depressing. Even though the desgn of the room is very nice, it wears off quickly when you are in a beach resort. So if you are planning to do a beach holiday, pay a little more as we did after 3 nights for a hotel wih a view and a pool, if you come to Miami Beach for the clubs and the fun, the Pelican might be ideal for you!

Great style

Great hotel for a great location. Staff were great as well as soon as we were out of our taxi they came out to the street to get our luggage and direct us through the restaurant to reception.

Noise will be an issue if you are staying on the sea side but we were towards the back of the hotel and it was fine. Soundproofing between the rooms was excellent.

Each room is decorated individually and is a nice change from corporate bland. Easily the best three star I've stayed at should probably have a higher rating.

Best hotel at a good price

First of all let me express my thanks for having a site like this so we, the regular people (not B.S. travel books) could share comments.

The pelican was the best hotel i have been to in southbeach PERIOD... 6 other times, 4 other hotels both cheaper and more expensive, can,t match the pelican. The most important thing to me is cleanliness and "flavor". The Pelican had both and they did not overlook the little things. A shower with great water pressure, a bar and restaurant downstairs as good as any in NY or europe ( great italian food with a good winelist) Everynight they gave us a goodnight chocalate with the next days weater report. CD player and mini fridge so i was able to buy beer and keep it in my room. Most important was they provided a beachair and umbrella at the beach. (so i didnt get sun burnt because my boss didnt know i was in southbeach) Anyway if yor looking for a fun, trendy, no attitude Hotel, go to pelican. The staff is nice (unlike THe NASH where i never saw a smile)Its great if your 21 or 61 trust me you wont be diappointed

Style on the Strip

We had the fortune of staying in one of the suites facing the ocean.

The executive fifties was our theme. Eight windows facing the strip and ocean. A room you can get very comforatble in. The furniture was funky and memorable. Do not choose this room if you cannot sleep with noise.

The cars and people continue all night 2am or so. The fans on the ceiling are like two jet engines and don't think you will sleep with them either. Some amenities missing in the suite like a coffee machine and a clock to tell time. The one on the wall was not working and I was told was for decoration only. Also our refrigerator stopped working.

They looked at it but never fixed it. Our food did spoil - I alerted the manager via email and never heard back. Still a place to stay and enjoy in this great location.

Amazing Service !!

The Staff at the Pelican was amazing. After staying at a "five star" downtown hotel with a conference for the week and having little luck with the concierge I was surprised at the level of service I recieved at the Pelican. They booked me a convertible, restaurants, gave us information about local attractions, and genuinely seemed to care.

The rooms in the hotel were small, but funky, and you can't be the location. Two big thumbs up !!

Retro American

The Pelican is definately the place to be in Miami. Full of models and beautiful people it is for those who like to mingle and "be seen." The rooms are nicely ecentric, and remind you of a "diesel ad." Don't expect luxury and quiet time, this is in the heart of the strip. If you aren't up for the action, you'll need to make your reservations elsewhere.