There are so many positive reviews on this site, that's it's obvious this is a great hotel. I don't tend to like many hotels, and my preferred brand of hotel is W. I thought that people must be used to staying at typical best westerns and that's why this one got such a rave review because it was nicer than the ones on I-95. Not true at all...the new building doesn't resemble any best western that I've ever seen. The older building (sun tower) next door does, but I didn't have to stay there. IF my room was located in that building, I'm sure my review would not be the same.

The beds actually are comfortable. They aren't the W beds, but they are better than most beds that I've slept in at hyatt or hilton hotels. The one thing that could be improved with the bed is a thicker/warmer bedspread. All they give you is a very flimsy blanket over the sheet. I called down to housekeeping and had additional blankets brought up without a problem, and that resolved the issue. The pillows are huge and very comfortable.

I would recommend bringing your own shampoo/conditioner. While the rest of the resort is fantastic, these items are true to best western. The quality of the bathroom, however, is excellent. Very clean, and I liked how the toilet and shower are seperate from the vanity. I also really liked the front foyer when you walk into the room...it makes it feel more residential than a hotel.

I also would recommend NOT getting room service, but rather just going down and eating in the restaurant. I ordered room service the first night and by the time it got to my room (over an hour late) it was very cold. There's a microwave in the room that I put my soup and chicken into to re-heat, but the fries were soggy and inedible by then. They also forgot to include a spoon for the soup, ketchup for the fries, and salt/pepper. I ate lunch the next day out on the patio at the restaurant and it was very good. Stick with seafood based items.

The beach is nice with chairs and umbrellas for free use by hotel guests. The only negative is that the water is very shallow near the hotel until about 100 feet out. Not a big deal.

Great hotel, and would definitely return. Staff, except for one older woman on the second night, were all extremely friendly and helpful. One staff member even went way over and beyond any hotel staff person I have ever encountered. Great place to stay in Ft. Lauderdale.

I would have included more photos, but trip advisor's 2meg limit isn't very liberal, and I don't know how to reduce the size of my pics. Hotmail has a tool to resize pictures for email...maybe tripadvisor could add such a thing.

This hotel is great for the following:
1. We traveled with grandparents and they could watch everyone on the beach from a covered wraparound porch or they could go down to the beach with no trouble... the walk is nothing.
2. child loved the lazy river which has some zip to it.
3. it is directly on the beach.
4. not crowded and hotel justs blends in
5. convenient to everything.
6. rooms with suite very comfortable and hotel bed doesn't feel like a hotel bed.
7. We loved the ice cream parlor which is open to 11 p.m.
We would definitely go back.

We have recentlly returned from visiting South Florida. We flew into Fort Lauderdale and checked in at the Best Western Pelican Beach Resort. We were given precisely the type of room we had booked with a warm welcome. Everyone on the staff was very kind. Special thanks to coincerge David Tabbs. He was so kind and helpful -- above and beyond what was expected. We had reserved an oceanfront suite -- corner unit, which not only overlooked the beach but the pool and 'lazy river' as well. It was a lovely unit, with plenty of windows to enjoy the view and a little balcony with table and chairs. The room was huge and well-decorated. Everything was extremely clean. Our room was very quiet...I'm sure it helped that we were at one far end of the building and not on the street (A1A) side.

The pool and lazy river were the perfect place to retreat to after a full day of sightseeing. In addition, their southern plantation-styled veranda with charming white rockers overlooking the beach was another special place to relax. The valet service was handy and efficient: we would call them 5 minutes before we were ready to leave and they always had our car parked out in front and opened the car doors for us. We wanted to try a variety of restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, so we did not eat at the resort's restaurant, but it looked very nice. The ice cream parlor and small store were also handy for all ages. Their small cocktail lounge was nice -- with a view of the pool and lazy river.

The location of this hotel was ideal for us. It was not in the center of the downtown/beach/Riverwalk 'hub bub' which could translate to "Grand Central Station" and lots of noise, traffic and tourists. We were centrally located to venture either into town (5-10 minutes away by car) or up to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea for other restaurant options. You can also catch the water taxi just about a mile up the road, near the Oakland Park Blvd. intersection. The taxi stop is located behind Shooters and it will take you through the waterways and down to Riverfront Walk.

It was hard to leave such wonderful accommodations. What a great place to start our vacation in Florida! I would highly recommend this resort!

Stayed at this hotel for 5 days in mid-April and loved it. The hotel is southern plantation style of decor, and is right on the beach while still being a decent price. The pool is a little small, but I can go to a pool at home anytime and would rather spend my vacation time on the beautiful beach anyway! There is a long covered veranda on the back of the hotel with lots of rocking chairs overlooking the ocean if you want to get out of the sun but still enjoy being outdoors enjoying the ocean/beach view.

After reading the bad reviews of the Sun Tower, which is the older separate part of the hotel, we called and specifically asked for our room to be in the new part. The staff was very happy to oblige our request, and we got a beautiful king room in the new part of the hotel. The room was tastefully decorated and clean, and the bed was comfy--everything we wanted including microwave, small fridge, and coffee maker.

Shopping and dining were not within walking distance, but there is a public bus line right across the street from the hotel. One warning though--the buses never ran on time, and we spent at least 30 minutes past their scheduled arrival times waiting every time we rode the bus, but if you're not in a hurry this is not a big deal and is much cheaper than a taxi. Be sure to go to Las Olas Blvd. which has some great restaurants and shopping, and also check out the River Walk area at the end of Las Olas Blvd. We also ate at the restaurant on site twice, and the food was very good. I read a few reviews that complained about the staff at the front desk, but we didn't have any problem at all and found them to be courteous, helpful, and efficient. All in all, this is a lovely beachfront hotel, and I would definitely stay here again!!