Best Western Pelican going condo

I had read earlier that the Beat Western Pelican Beach had been sold and was going condo- the few details I have now seen is that it will be a ';hotel-condo'; rather than a ';condo-hotel'; - whatever that means ( maybe an emphasis on buying and renting out a unit rather than living in it???). The lowest priced unit will be about $500,000. Good news for the owners I guess, but one less choice for folks looking for a nice hotel on the beach. Can%26#39;t help but wonder what this bodes for it%26#39;s neighbor to the north- Ireland%26#39;s Inn- wich will shutting down for ';renovations'; possibly in early fall.

Best Western Pelican going condo

Thank you Lulutoo - I had booked a the BW Pelican, and now am not sure. Thinking of changing for many reasons. The hotel/condo part is not the worry. Any advice? The Pelican gave me Ocean front on the beach (not accross the street) at a good rate. Shall I cough up for the Mariott and enjoy it?

Best Western Pelican going condo

Hard to know how to advise you under the circumstances- and I saw your other posts as well. All the rooms at the Pelican are ';on the Ocean'; there are none across the street. There is , however, one building in the complex that is left over from thr old Pelican Beach Beat Western before the new spiffier building was built and some folks have complained that the rooms are nowhere near as nice as the ones in the newer building- if you read through the reviews on this site you may see some references to that situation. The new owners of the Pelican who are going to sell it as time shares etc. have apparently already moved the sales force in and taken down all references to teh Best Western association.

The Sheraton Yankee Clipper is mostly on the beach, but does have a building across the street ( connected by an over the road elevated walkway) which is referred to as the ';North Building';. Once again some folks have complained about being placed there. I can%26#39;t recall if that was always part of their hotel or something they bought and added on.

So, the other hotels you have inquired about , Marriott Harbor Beach and Lago Mar are both entirely on the beach to my knowledge and I don%26#39;t know of any particular buildings with ';issues.'; As locals , we don%26#39;t get to stay in the rooms, so I really can%26#39;t say which is better. Both come with high priced food and the like. I can only suggest that you read through all the reviews and see what appeals to you. I have to admit, I%26#39;d be wary of The Pelican , because I loathe time share sharks and wouldn%26#39;t want to negotiate a lobbyfull- this is a new situation, so I don%26#39;t know how it%26#39;s going to play out.

The Pelican is much further up the beach, sort of off to itself , except that is next door almost to Irelan%26#39;s Inn , which will be shutting down it%26#39;s main building , I understand, for what I think is much needed refurbishment in the near future. It already looks pretty deserted. I don%26#39;t think under the circumstances, Pelican would be my #1 choice. Lago Mar and Harbor Beach Marriot are much more expensive ( and higher rated) than the Clipper , and especially so when all the extra costs of food etc are added in. You would have to decide what all that is worth to you I guess.

I noticed this post, and wondered when this was %26#39;change over%26#39; was going to take place or has it taken place already? I had booked a room at this hotel starting the 23rd of this month, and wondered would I be safe in using it as a hotel now that this information has been placed out there. Any information would be helpful. Thanks

Thanks Luluton -- as always you are a wonderful font of knowledge. I understand being local, means you don%26#39;t stay in the rooms and appreciate your candor. As for food -- we are not big hotel dining room folk. I would just as soon go to the wonderful restaurants in varous parts of Fort Lauderdale to dine, and find some cafes for breakfast.

Largo or Mariott I think it is -- although is the Clipper right next door? In that case it could bear some investigating.

Thanks a ton!

The Clipper is a few steps away from the other two- it is directly on A1A, but you have to go down a little road a short distance to get to the other two as they are more secluded. Some prefer the seclusion, others prefer to be a bit closer to all the other restaurants, etc.

I hope wherever you stay you will post a ';trip report'; discussing not just your hotel, but meals you enjoyed. how you got around, etc. for the benefit of other travelers. I read the ones for my favorite vacation destinations and pick up lots of helpful tips.