From the sandy side of Ocean Drive, it's difficult to pick out the Pelican Hotel from its neighbors—it's ­difficult, in fact, to see the hotel at all, through the swarms o­f mini-skirted, see-and-be-seen strollers and outdoor diners clogging the sidewalk day and night. It's there, though, and entirely a treat, a design hotel with that most unlikely quality: a sense of humor to match its aesthetic attractions and a perfect, ocean-side location.

There are certainly more serious design hotels in Miami Beach—a growing number, even within the last few months, as a collection of well-known names have appeared in town: Witness the Gansevoort South on Collins Avenue, or the Marcel Wanders-designed Mondrian South Beach. The Pelican seems to operate in its own sphere, however—it's hard to imagine anyone choosing between the zen refinement of the Setai, further north on Collins Avenue, and this eclectically assembled hotel—a product, if an unexpected one, of the Diesel denim empire.

The Pelican reads, actually, as a bit of a folly: Push through a busy, Italian-inflected restaurant, café, and bar—after a dozen entrances and exits, I never witnessed any of the spaces less than bustling—and there's a lobby that feels thoroughly impromptu. Staff were pleasant and efficient as I checked without achieving anything like gregariousness, but no matter: The delight of the Pelican is in the individual rooms, each devoted to a different design scheme—and truly different, rather than low-key color palette adjustments of an existing decor.

Prepare for the kitsch: There's Room 306, "Born in the Stars & Stripes," a USA-themed room with flag-patterned chair-backs and star-themed artwork; "A Fortune in Aluminum," room 304, makes use of cut-out metallic pattern-work on the walls and furniture (the Pelican-recommended soundtrack: Kraftwerk). Psychedelic(ate) Girl, room 309, has an Austin Powers-style mod quality, while Best Whorehouse, room 215, makes use of red walls and velvet heart-back chairs to expected effect. And that's just four rooms, out of nearly three dozen.

After a tour of the other rooms, I was thoroughly content with my own: the ocean-facing Executive Zebra. The titular pattern is, indeed, prevalent in the two-room suite and its spacious bathroom but toned down in the bedroom, where the high-energy effect is calmed down by the row of windows that line the ocean-side wall, directly above Ocean Drive. It's not a sedate location, and not one without a certain level of sidewalk noise—but guests staying anywhere along this famously well trafficked boulevard should already be aware of what they're getting themselves into before checking in; anyone staying on Ocean Drive for the solitude has likely made a calamitous mistake. ­

There's no pool on-property, which might be a deal-breaker for some guests otherwise drawn to the curious design; the nearby Gansevoort South, for example, has a rooftop, 110-foot pool set within a 26,000-square-foot deck. The Pelican's offer of two beach chairs and an umbrella can't compare, but the ocean couldn't be much closer—it's just across the street, which should be a mitigating factor. And the Pelican isn't without its own luxe touches: Just check into the gorgeous, sprawling penthouse, with its own private, ocean-view deck, a gorgeous, mosaic-tile bathroom, and a mammoth fish tank viewable from the lounge and the master bedroom (featuring a round bed beneath a portrait of prowling cat). Images of the Beatles reinforce the rock 'n' roll theme.

Other on-site amenities include Aveda products in the bathroom and wi-fi throughout the property. Shoppers will want to look beyond a tiny glass case of goods—why isn’t there an attached ­Diesel boutique? Luckily, there are plenty of options on and around Ocean Drive, beginning with an American Apparel just a few doors north, for any forgotten basics.

­The Pelican isn’t the most luxurious design hotel in town, but it may be the wittiest—and it’ll be my first choice the next time I visit. Anyone heading down for Art Basel Miami Beach/Design Miami better book quickly—as I left, hotel staff reminded me that (in February) they’d started taking reservations for December’s events. ­

Rates start at $180.

Pelican Hotel
826 Ocean Drive
Miami FL 33139
Phone: (305) 673-3373
pelicanhotel.com

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