Pelican Grand Beach Resort - Fort Lauderdale, FL Review

A few months ago my husband and I booked a 4-day cruise out of Miami and decided to fly down a few days early to extend our vacation to a week and stay in Ft. Lauderdale.  After booking the flight I began my search for the perfect hotel which would be right on the beach but not too expensive and found the Pelican Grand Beach Resort which turned out to be so perfect that we are already planning our return trip.

At about $200 a night in May, Pelican Beach was a bit high for my taste but after reading the description, the amenities, and looking at the pictures I bit the bullet and booked it.  A few days after booking to inquire about the AAA discount I booked with and was met with a snippy attitude by the gentleman who answered the phone.  This worried me a bit but I fell in love with the place based on the reviews, amenities, and description so I ignored and figured he had had a bad day or something.  In general the staff at Pelican was fairly friendly and helpful so I cannot complain.

We booked the Intracoastal Waterway room which was supposed to have a partial water view and one king bed but we were upgraded at no extra charge to a room that I cannot really explain as none of the descriptions on the website quite describes it.  It was huge!  The main room had two huge king beds separated by a nightstand.  The bed was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. There was an armoire with a TV inside that had plenty of drawers to store all our stuff and also a desk.  The bathroom was huge as well.  The sink and vanity area was separated from the toilet and shower by a door so one person can do their thing behind closed doors while the other was getting ready at the sink.  There was also a separate sitting room with a loveseat, chair and a half, coffee table, 2 end tables, and a small dining table with 2 chairs.  A larger armoire was also there which housed another TV, a microwave oven, and a small fridge. 

There are about 150 rooms in the hotel and i think it is 11 stories.  Our room was located on the second floor and had a door which led out to a balcony that overlooked the ocean.  The balcony was shared with all the oceanfront rooms on that floor but we never saw anyone else on the balcony.  Once in a while we saw wet towels or swimsuits draped over chairs out there but never any people.  It was like having our own private balcony with a great view of the ocean, the beach, and the vessels sailing in the ocean.

Pelican Beach is one of the few hotels on Route A1A/Fort Lauderdale Beach which is directly on the beach.  It is located toward the north end of the beach in a section that appears to be mostly residential so it is quieter and much more convenient.  The hotels at the south end are across the street from the beach so those wishing to go to the beach must run across four lanes of traffic to do so.  Not my idea of fun and relaxation. 

Not only is Pelican Beach directly on the beach, it is literally just a few steps from it and it is private.  No sharing the beach with all those people at the south end who have to run across the street or just park along the main drag and walk in.  From the expansive veranda which runs the length of the hotel, one simply has to walk across a small deck and down about 10 steps and he or she is on the beach.  There are plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas available. What's more, the waitstaff from the Postcards bar (the pool bar) service the beach so all you have to do is flag one of them down and they will bring you a drink.

Besides for sleeping in that comfy bed I spent most of my time at Pelican Beach at the pool.  There is a zero entry heated pool which was fairly large in size and not very busy.  I think this is because of the lazy river tube ride right next to it.  The river pool winds thru a grove of palm trees and the water moves in a counter clockwise direction by the use of some strong jets located in the sides of the pool.  I'd just lay in my tube and let the current propel me along the river for hours.  It was so relaxing and fun and I cannot wait to go back just for the lazy river ride. 

The pool area had plenty of chairs, tables, and lounge chairs every time I went down there and the Postcards waitstaff were always on hand to deliver a cold drink.  There were also dry beach towels available at the towel hut.

The main floor of the hotel consists of the lobby which has lovely views of the ocean and plenty of places to sit, Postcards, the dining room, a small store, and a small computer room. 

On Saturday we had a few drinks and appetizers at Postcards while we watched the Kentucky Derby.  Drink prices were a bit on the high side ($6 for a beer & $9 for mimosa) but the food prices seemed fairly reasonable there and service was great.  There were 4 computers in the small office which were free to use and were even hooked up to a printer.  The small store offered Pelican Beach logo'd items, personal things such as aspirin and other toiletries, gifts, and snacks.  There is also an ice cream parlor inside.  The only place we did not really check out was the dining room.  We received vouchers for free breakfast so we came down about 9:30 AM on Sunday and found a huge line and over 30 minutes wait time so we just grabbed a few bagels and coffee from the gift shop and ate on the beach.

Pelican Beach is not really within walking distance of anything so we took advantage of the valet parking ($16 a day) and drove a few miles down A1A to find stores and restaurants.  Usually a quick call down to the valet resulted in our car being out front within about 5 minutes.  Twice it took significantly longer which annoyed me as I had called down beforehand, waited five minutes, then went down but still waited more than 15 minutes for them to bring my car (I think they forgot about me) but on average the valet service was quite efficient.  I would prefer to park and retrieve my car myself, but that was not an option.

Bottom Line:  All in all our stay at Pelican Beach was very enjoyable.  The room was great, the pool and beach were great, it was fairly quiet, and the location was perfect and totally met our needs. We will definitely be back soon.