The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast is truly an extraordinary destination. Sitting between Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach, it is a quick fifteen minute drive from the John Wayne Airport. Check in and register at the Main Estate Lobby. There are 204 Bungalow guest rooms, and another 128 Villas, two to four bedrooms residences available, including private garage for your vehicle with each Villa. The resort encompasses world-class restaurants, a luxurious Five Star Spa, and two 18 hole Tom Fazio Golf Courses.
My wife Sandy and I visited the resort for three days, and two nights, in March, of 2018 and were treated like royalty by all the staff and personnel throughout our stay. After checking in at the Main Estate Lobby we were quickly escorted to our Bungalow. We drove from the lobby, down tree lined streets that looked like a residential neighborhood, and parked in front of our Cottage. The Bell Man was friendly and upbeat as assisted us to our Bungalow.
We were immediately taken with the beautiful vaulted wood-beamed ceiling, and the breathtaking ocean view. The bathroom suite immediately off the entry featured all marble; a large and luxurious soaking tub with deck mounted hand spray, a large walk-in shower and high-vanity with granite counter top.
Our room had a luxurious king size bed with Italian linens in keeping with the resort theme. The bed was too hard for my personal taste, and I did not sleep well, but Sandy slept fine. We had a gas-lit fireplace at the foot of our bed, a wet bar, and a large flat screen TV with DVD player. Our bungalow included complimentary high-speed internet, with Bose® audio and MP3 ports. Coffee Maker, In-room Safe, and other amenities are provided.
Our first night dining choices included; the Pelican Grill, the Andrea Ristorante & Bar, or the Coliseum Pool & Grill.
The Andrea Ristorante & Bar known for fine dining with Signature Northern Italian Cuisine and headed by Chef Troy Mendoza. The Coliseum Pool & Grill would be the place that’s Sandy would host two of her best friends, the following day. So we decided on the Pelican Grill, where resort casual was the preferred attire for dining.
The Pelican Grill is open for Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner, offering `timeless dishes with contemporary twist’ from Chef Marc Johnson. There is a full bar, open till 10:00 pm daily, with live music Thursday thru Saturday. The Pelican Grill is a neighborhood spot with unbeatable ocean views, offering steaks and burgers, wood-fired pizza, and fresh fish dishes along with crunchy crisp green salads, or just come enjoy the view, sit at the bar and mingle with locals and travelers alike.
The Resort at Pelican Hill has every earmark of an exclusive and private country club. However the facilities, restaurants, and golf club are open to the public. Golf reservations can be had by contacting the Pelican Hill Golf Club. I’d suggest at least a week, or two, in advance. But hey, if its last minute you never know so I say call! The two Tom-Fazio-designed 18 hole courses, Ocean North and Ocean South, offer incredible ocean views from nearly every hole. The Golf Clubhouse, designed by Altevers Associates of San Diego, include separate men’s and women’s lounges and a full service pro golf shop. Glenn Deck, one of Golf Magazines Top 100 instructors, offers the finest in instruction for those interested in learning or improving their game and their swing. I might be so bold as to take to the course myself, if I sign up for a lesson or two with Glenn. Next Time!
The Resort at Pelican Hill is a place to relax and let go, to get away, and still feel as comfortable as being at home. A place so perfectly located that you are within easy reach of any Southern California destination you may want to go; The Art Galleries in Laguna Beach, Performance venues for theater, sports stadiums, not to mention Disneyland, and several shopping venues nearby, such as Fashion Island and Crystal Cove.
The Resort at Pelican Hill’s Architectural design is inspired by 16th Century Venetian Architect Andrea Palladio. The gleaming walls and red tiled roofs of The Resort sits on 504 acres of beautifully manicured landscape designed by Burton Landscape Architecture , the design company that oversaw the transformation of the Southern California hillsides into a radiant Mediterranean village by the sea. The Resorts timeless architectural design and construction sits in perfect companionship with adjacent Irvine Company master planned custom home communities such as Pelican Point, Pelican Crest, Pelican Hill, Pelican Ridge, and of course Crystal Cove. Anyone considering a move to Southern California can do no better than considering one of these locations to live in.
We had one full day at The Resort, enabling me to take a quick car ride down to Laguna Beach, while Sandy hosted two of her best friends, Moira and Nora, for drinks and lunch at the Coliseum Pool & Grill.
In the meantime; Sandy, Moira, and Nora had exited the Coliseum Pool, and gone back to the room to enjoy a `Girls Night’ with room service, and a couple of bottles of wine. By the time I got back to the room in the evening, the girls were clad in bath robes enjoying the warm evening air on the patio. When I asked why the bathtub was full of water, they simply said `the thingie was stuck.’ I didn’t dare ask any more questions on that subject. I just called the staff at the front desk, who sent an `engineer’ to unplug the tub.
Other than stopping in to pick up a menu, we did not have time to enjoy the Spa. I’m told the 23,000 square foot full service spa containing private treatment rooms, with Sauna, Steam room, and warm Roman soaking pools. Spa suites are also available for rent, for couples or small parties, for `private’ get-aways. Perhaps, a Spa visit will be in our future. I’ll let you know.
The Resort at Pelican Hill is an Irvine Company Resort Property. The Irvine Company has been masterfully helmed by Donald Bren since the early 1970’s and includes residential and commercial properties throughout, California and elsewhere. As a community entrepreneur, Donald Bren focuses his charitable contributions on land preservation and conservation, as well as education, bio-science and technology research. He is the country’s wealthiest real-estate developer without question. The Irvine Ranch Conservancy provides public access and environmental restoration in overseeing the wildlands and parks under the umbrella of The Ranch.
Sandy and I were impressed with the peacefulness and the exquisite beauty of the facilities at the Resort at Pelican Hill . We were most impressed by the staff, who were all attentive, and happy to answer our questions, and provided great service.
The Resort at Pelican Hill gets my recommendation, for rooms, service, and not to mention as a great place for meetings and weddings. As always, check with the website regarding rates and availability, for rooms and facilities, as they do change. There are also `Exclusive Deals’ on the website, don’t miss out!
The Resort at Pelican Hill Newport Beach
Phone 949-467-6800
22701 Pelican Hill Road South | Newport Coast, California | 92657
Connect with me, Greg Autry, on Facebook Facebook.com/GregAutryPhoto, Twitter @CGAGreg, and Instagram gregautry.cga . There are always more pictures !
*Photos Courtesy of Pelican Hill.
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