18th Street & Collins
Avenue

Words Allison Reiber DiLiegroImages Michał Rzepecki Poem Mia Moretti

South Beach has long been a shorthand for sun-soaked excess. But at the corner of 18th Street and Collins Avenue, a subtler vision of Miami is taking shape at The Shelborne By Proper. We spoke with creative consultant and Miami loyalist Emma Apple Chozick about how a shift in both design and intention is reshaping the cultural fabric of the city.

Take a walk down Collins Avenue, the main drag of South Beach, and things will look a lot like they have since Miami’s golden age. White-washed façades glow in the sun; palms splash shadows onto the sidewalks, and well-tanned wrists drape out of idling convertibles. Here, in the heart of the Art Deco district, glamour is baked into the concrete. And in the middle of it all, you’ll find The Shelborne By Proper, the “S” on its iconic sign slinking like an invitation.

Originally designed by architects Igor Polevitzky and Thomas Triplett Russell, the hotel opened in 1941 and quickly became a nexus of Miami Beach elegance, attracting artists, socialites, and snowbirds. In 1958, legendary architect Morris Lapidus—famed for his work on Miami icons like the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc—left his unmistakable mark. He brought private beach cabanas and the iconic diving platform on the pool deck, breathing Miami Modern into the building’s Art Deco halls.

In 2024, Proper Hospitality took the helm, ushering in a new chapter grounded in refined modernity and decidedly less excess. Art-driven interiors by ADC Atelier layer warm, organic textures with contemporary tropical influences, offering a fresh and thoughtful take on tropical modernism. The result is both unmistakably Miami and refreshingly lived in. And the public spaces, from the pool deck to the much-loved café, are set up for staying awhile—hosting conversations, chance encounters, and the kind of easy sociability Miami does so well.

A year in, The Shelborne has hit its stride, fully reclaiming its role as a cultural driver in Miami, just with a more holistic, considered approach than the gimlet-soaked days of yore. But fear not: The Bar still makes a bang-on Martini. There’s a touch of the community bulletin board to the hotel calendar, with chess nights, book clubs, art exhibitions, live poetry-writing sessions, and intimate DJ sets. Travelers mix easily with the locals. Conversations stretch longer than planned—and the lounge chairs in the lobby, designed by Royal Stranger, all but cancel your next plans.

“Historically, South Beach hotels were about spectacle and escape,” says Emma Apple Chozick, founder of creative consultancy gr8 collab. “What’s changed is the intention behind them.” Having made Miami home for many years, she’s solidified herself as a local tastemaker and curator of one of the most sought-after guides to Miami Art Week.

“Developments like Shelborne By Proper represent a shift toward hotels as cultural anchors rather than just destinations,” she tells us. “Instead of existing purely for visitors, these spaces are increasingly designed to engage with the city itself through thoughtful restoration, community programming, and an emphasis on design that respects Miami’s architectural legacy.”

And it’s true: The Shelborne is showcasing local creatives and offering opportunities for gathering beyond nightlife. “When hotels lean into community building rather than just entertainment,” Emma says, “they help shape a version of Miami that’s slower, richer, and far more nuanced than its reputation suggests.”