by Peter Williams
Needing a weekend break, but wanting to stay stateside. Somewhere warm preferably, but not overly crowded.
I narrowed my destination to Fort Lauderdale, with miles of sun-kissed coastline and inland waterways, earning it the moniker, the Venice of America. Zooming down to Fort Lauderdale using google maps, a property came into sight that peaked my interest. Tucked away from the busy A1A, with no roads separating its rooms from the ocean and just a few minutes drive from the vibrant Las Olas scene, the Pelican Grand Beach Resort stood out amongst its peers, with its perfect beachfront location.
Decorated in the fashion of fashion of an old southern home, with comfy sofas and arm chairs with colourful cushions, the Pelican Grand Beach Resort imbues with the charm of Old Florida.
A fifteen minute drive from Fort Lauderdale’s International Airport, I pulled up under the porte-cochère leading up a flight of stairs to the reception area. Decorated in the fashion of an old southern home, with comfy sofas and arm chairs with colourful cushions, the Pelican Grand Beach Resort imbues with the charm of Old Florida grandeur.
The reception area adjoined a long veranda running the entire front of the building, with unobstructed views of the ocean and 500 feet of beachfront for guests to kick back and relax. Rocking chairs on the veranda gave a feel of grandma’s home, where time seems to slip away over lazy days. With a pre-dinner cocktail in hand from O2K Lounge – located just off the veranda — I watched a flock of pelicans skim the ocean for their last meal of the day, and beach lovers walking through the shallow surf, enjoying the last flickers of sunlight. As staff lit lanterns, lining them along the veranda, a waft of herbs and spices began to fill the air.
Ocean2000, the signature ocean-front restaurant at the hotel, opens on to the veranda and offers both indoor and outdoor dining from a refined seafood menu. Inside exudes the ambience of an American bistro with its plush leather seating, as starry chandeliers glow overhead and candles flicker on the tables, while attentive waiters serve up a la carte dishes in this most intimate of settings. Starting with a Spicy Tuna Tartare, then a main of Seafood Mushroom Risotto, closing with a Key Lime Tart, I retired to my 7th floor suite early after a hectic day of air travel. Flipping through the in-room reading material I picked up a copy of a magazine and learned the Pelican Grand Beach Hotel is a member of the Noble House Hotels & Resorts. They manage a collection of boutique hotels across North America that includes a selection of beach front properties, ski lodges, golf courses, marinas, and even gourmet train dining cars.
The Sky Suite penthouse, offering the very best views of the ocean with its 1,000 sq. foot balcony, which they described as a private paradise, perfect for honeymooners and special occasions.
The next morning, I pulled back the drapes and the brilliant sunshine flooded my suite with the radiant blues of the ocean below offering views of paddle boarders near the coastline and fishing boat charters heading out to deep sea.
Starting the day refreshed from a good night’s sleep and showering with Lather aromatherapy-based soaps and toiletries, I had a light in-room breakfast before heading to the hotel’s roof top Pure Spa for Scandinavian inspired pampering. While completing my spa profile, I met guests in town for a colleague’s wedding. They shared with me the excitement and happy memories of the exchange of vows held at the hotel’s beachside Atlantic Ballroom, followed by a dinner reception at the 11th floor Ocean View Ballroom. They had booked the Pure Suite — a sanctuary of peace and calm – just steps away from the Spa, for a weekend of continuous pampering to decompress and indulge in the its natural treatments. The newlyweds booked the Sky Suite penthouse, offering the very best views of the ocean with its 1,000 sq. foot balcony, which they described as a private paradise, perfect for honeymooners and special occasions.
My therapist led me to an airy treatment room with ceiling to floor windows and arresting views of the Atlantic Ocean. With a calming kneading massage, she used aromatic oils and warm-hot lava stones in a therapeutic ritual that helped me to relax and destress in the spa’s well-appointed Swedish style.
In the afternoon I headed off property for some retail therapy at the nearby Galleria Mall with a trip to Neiman Marcus, the flagship department store in the complex, before heading back to the Pelican Grand Beach Resort to have an evening out on the town in nearby chic Las Olas, a lifestyle mecca of tropical glam and glitz.
Taking the scenic route, I hopped on a Water Taxi at stop number 11 at Shooters Waterfront, and took a leisurely late afternoon boat ride with a narrated tour on Fort Lauderdale’s IntraCoastal Waterway. Some 2 hours and 9 stops later, I learned about the city’s illustrious past, and present day rich and famous as we passed Millionaire’s Row, lined with mansions, some with superyacths in dock. The number of boats in sight would certainly earn the city the title ‘Yachting Capital of the World’. As dusk set in, the boat pulled into the number 3 stop and I hopped off to take a leisurely stroll on Las Olas Boulevard with its more than 60 boutiques. I browsed through Daniel’s Antiques, then Sienna’s Fine Art, and the National Geographic Art Gallery, before joining friends at the Wild Sea Oyster Bar & Grille in the Riverside Hotel.
Booking a table on the street side veranda, we had front row seats to see throngs of fashionable pedestrians and fancy cars pass by, as we caught up on each other’s lives. Dining over delectable Alaska king crab claws, I heard about my friend’s adventures on a recent camping trip with his young family to the exotic Fort Lauderdale Everglades. This natural wonderland with reclusive animals include panthers, manatees, alligators, and wading birds in dense foliage. My other friends shared with me Fort Lauderdale’s thriving music, dance, and theatre scene. The BB&T Centre, home to the Florida Panthers (ice hockey team), and Broward Centre for the Performing Arts, renowned for its musicals, were among the must go to places to visit to experience the best in live entertainment and sports.
The following morning – I had a late start and took a seat on the veranda with tasty servings from the signature Sunday buffet brunch, before heading out on the beach. With the feel of the warm sun on my face, powdery sand between my toes, and buoyant waters of the ocean, I looked up from my float towards the iconic yellow and white hotel. From here I could see the motifs of pelicans on the building’s façade and reflected on their symbolism of the spirit of kindness and generosity, friendliness and teamwork.
Packing my luggage for my return trip home after this weekend of laid back luxury — at my new found chic-coastal waterfront retreat – I picked up a copy of the in-room Noble House Collection of resorts magazine. The first page I turned to was entitled ‘Noble Giving — For us, the natural environment is a stakeholder too’, with a corporate statement on their commitment to community and charity. This was the link with the pelican motifs I was looking for. It so perfectly pairs its symbolism with the hotel’s values, embracing the protection of this small but important stretch of Fort Lauderdale’s eco-system for its guests to enjoy and experience their hospitality for many years to come.
JP•S/18