GETAWAYS • Staycation
The Shelborne returned to Collins Avenue last month, reopening after a 22-month, $100 million makeover by Proper Hotels. With so many of its contemporaries currently closed and in various states of redevelopment — The Raleigh, Delano, Shore Club, and most recently SLS — The Shelborne now stands as the paragon of the iconic 1940s-era Art Deco glamour that’s come to define South Beach.
It’s a big responsibility. After all, what’s South Beach without its Art Deco hotels, exemplars of effortless style, shrugging excess, and a touch of depravity? I’m happy to report that the newly reimagined Shelborne by Proper is more than up to the task.
Beyond the familiar white concrete facade and port-cochère, with its massive, space-age disc swirling with neon lights, the expansive flow-through lobby retains its terrazzo and marble tile floors in shades of pink, coral, and cream. It sets the stage for interior designer ADC Atelier’s voluminous, playful furnishings, sculptural decorative art, and enormous terra cotta planters bursting with flora. Originally designed by Igor Polevitzky and Thomas Triplett Russell in 1941, MiMo master Morris Lapidus made updates in the 1950s, including his signature “stairway to nowhere” (more typically associated with the Fontainebleau) at the rear of the lobby that I’ve always loved.
The spacious lobby bar acts as a central gathering place with understated glamour, and a sophisticated menu of cocktails and light bites. I stopped in with a friend before dinner one night and sampled their two signature martinis: one Vesper-style with avocado oil-washed vodka and dry gin, the other, an espresso martini with reposado tequila and Cherry Heering, both excellent. The menu includes artfully plated crudités, a selection of ceviches, caviar service, and heartier “con pan” selections, like zucchini and chorizo on flatbread with egg yolk and cotija. (The hotel’s main restaurant Pauline and speakeasy bar Little Torch haven’t opened yet. Judging by the quality and attention to detail in the bar, I have high hopes they’ll be excellent.)
Stellar hospitality was a throughline throughout my two-night stay. From front desk to pool and waitstaff, service was anticipatory, smart, and genuinely friendly. They’ve tapped Miami Beach hospitality vet Crispy (formerly of The Standard) as director of guest services and her presence in the lobby gives the whole place the feeling of a homecoming.
The hotel is home to one of Miami Beach’s great classic Art Deco pool decks, with an original diving platform and an oasis of a deep end, framed by a chic turquoise, green, and blue color scheme covering dramatic double plush lounge chairs, towels, and umbrellas around the pool.
While rooms are somewhat tight due to the historic preservation of the hotel’s original footprint, they’re beautifully decorated in a neutral color palette of taupe and what could fairly be noted as seaworthy green, featuring low-slung, mod, built-in furnishings with natural wood and stone finishes. (For more space, consider a suite or multi-room villa along the pool.) With an oceanfront room on a high floor, I found the original long, narrow windows — which might otherwise feel dated and claustrophobic — charming. They perfectly frame ocean views as if you’re on a ship, a hallmark of Miami Beach’s deco design aesthetic.
With the Proper touch, The Shelborne has catapulted from tired Art Deco relic to one of Miami Beach’s premier luxury stays. –Shayne Benowitz
→ The Shelborne by Proper (South Beach) • 1801 Collins Ave • Rates from $489.