Industry
The Shelborne by Proper, Miami's Art Deco anchor, one year in
South Beach's 1940 Art Deco landmark reopened in May 2025 after a $100M renovation as The Shelborne by Proper. A year on, Pauline by Abram Bissell and Little Torch are reshaping how the strip drinks.
Costa Spirits Team
4 min read
May 1, 2025
The Shelborne by Proper reopened on Collins Avenue in May 2025, the freshly-renovated Art Deco landmark that's been part of South Beach's skyline since 1940. A $100 million restoration by design studio ADC Atelier returned the hotel to circulation as Proper Hospitality's Florida debut, the brand's first East Coast property after a run of West Coast successes in LA, Austin, Santa Monica, and Downtown LA. A year on, the property has settled into the rhythm of the strip and the F&B program is the part that matters.
A balance between Deco preservation and contemporary design
ADC Atelier's brief was to keep the building's soul intact while making it work for the next half-century. The restored pool and original 1950s diving board stayed. So did the lobby's geometric Deco detailing. The new: 251 rooms, suites, and villas with sweeping ocean views, custom furnishings, handwoven textiles, and the considered mid-century finishes Proper is known for. A private beach club, full wellness program, and access to Proper Club's curated events round out the guest experience.
Pauline and Little Torch
The F&B program is the part that's lived up to its press. Pauline, the signature restaurant, is led by Michelin-starred chef Abram Bissell (ex-NoMad NYC), seasonal coastal cuisine that reads as a kitchen with a point of view, not another celebrity-chef Miami import. Little Torch, the cocktail bar, has become the destination locals quietly recommend for a serious drink in a city that often confuses spectacle with quality.
Why this matters for the trade
Miami's hospitality landscape has been consolidating around design-forward, programming-led properties, Faena, Casa Tua, Soho House, and now Proper. For brands like ours, that means more buyers paying attention to story and provenance, not just price. The Shelborne's first year confirmed the thesis: the bars that took their spirits programs seriously are the ones that built repeat clientele. The ones that didn't are already rotating menus.
The Shelborne by Proper · 1801 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL