The Resort at Pelican Hill

A return to Pelican Hill is definitely on our list! Overall, the resort was beautiful, with well maintained grounds and was elegantly decorated for the holidays - including an afternoon complimentary hot chocolate bar in the main lobby. After Christmas with the extended family, the main goal for our trip was to relax and recharge. For our three night stay we found there were enough dining options that we didn't need to leave the resort, including a wide selection of in-room dining, which is one of our very favorite hotel amenities when looking to relax. The quality and flavor of the food was consistently exceptional, with The Pelican Grille providing one of the best meals we've had in a long time. We stayed in the Villas, which was a ten minute walk from the main property. Car service is available, but you'll miss the on-demand stoplight for crossing the road, so we'd recommend making the walk to experience it at least once. The Villas have their own check in and amenities but we found them to be a little lacking. The pool bar closed several hours early and the pool area was unkempt and not lit the night we came down to use the hot tub. We cuddled up in the cozy robes and used the fireplace in our living room pretty much non-stop throughout our stay. You can also order extra fluffy blankets to enhance the experience. Standout - the level of service you expect from a luxury property. Spa - the spa is somewhat dated, but they have a renovation planned for 2025. We booked a couples massage, but heads up that the spa facilities themselves are not co-ed and swimsuits are optional. Amenities include a steam room, sauna and large saltwater spa. There are several add-ons available with the massages. One spa hunter got a little carried away and tried the Himalayan rocks, cranial massage and hair oil treatment #worthit. If you'd like to make a day of it, you can order food and drinks in the spa. There is no outdoor access or a designated spa pool. Standout - The eucalyptus spray in the showers was so relaxing we bought a few bottles to replicate the experience at home. Relaxation mission accomplished!

The Resort at Pelican Hill lived up to every expectation. About a month prior to our lovely stay, I reached out to the concierge to make special arrangements to celebrate our anniversary. The concierge staff member was extremely helpful, creative, and advised perfect ways to make our welcome amazing. Every member on the property seemed to acknowledge that it was our anniversary and congratulated us! The property itself has not changed much in the many years we’ve visited, which was really pleasant to see. We’re interested to see what renovations occur as the resort transitions to St. Regis livery. Service, amenities, and overall experience was phenomenal and we would highly recommend stay at The Resort at Pelican Hill! Special shoutouts to the following staff for making our experience amazing! Front Desk: Christian Christian welcomed us to the property, made the check-in process seamless, and ensured that we had everything we wanted. Wait Staff @ Pelican Grill: Luis and Mark Luis and Mark took great care of us at Pelican Grill. Their attention to detail, knowledge of the menu, and service were impeccable. Additionally, Luis surprised us with a beautiful dessert to celebrate our anniversary. On Property Shuttles: Ernesto and Suzie Ernesto and Suzie were relatively new members on the team, but made our transitions around the property amazing! They were enthusiastic, professional, and safe drivers. Chauffeur: Carson Carson graciously picked us up from the Clubhouse and drove us all the way down to Crystal Cove for our reservation at The Beachcomber. Carson was extremely personable, safe, and overall a pleasure to meet. Staff @ Coliseum Pool & Grill: Jason Jason was extremely accommodating, personable, and professional. He made our experience poolside at the Coliseum amazing! We inquired about his experience at the property as a staff member and he said he’s enjoyed all 7 years he had been there and doesn’t plan to leave! These staff members made our already amazing stay that much better! Kelly and I cannot thank you all enough! P.S. The resort will not convert to St. Regis for another 2-3 years. Enjoy the original Resort at Pelican Hill before it’s too late!

What an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to stay at Pelican Hill as part of a corporate trip and I was blown away by the not only the view and the facilities, but by the service. The location is nicely tucked away on the hillside, making it super quiet and peaceful. With beautiful views - even with the foggy mornings! The food was fantastic - we had a hosted event dinner on the resort for night one and I was a bit skeptical about the buffet - but I was amazed. They had food from around the world, not to mention the lobster - which was plentiful. Everything was delicious and plentiful along with a full bar service and lovely wine. We had a catered lunch on the terrace the next day - as part of business meetings and again - the quality and variety of food was amazing. Rooms were huge - each with their own large terrace. Quiet, inviting and fully stocked with coffee, tea and water. I have to give a special shout out to the team housekeeping team. They think of everything - including little branded wrap ties for all of your different wires. The gym was well equipped, the pool glorious with staff on hand at all times to help with food and drinks. The biggest thing for me, while I was there I had a very unexplained allergic reaction to something (not sure what...still a mystery) - but my first thought was that it might be the laundry detergent used for the linens. I placed a call to housekeeping and they not only came to the room to discuss my experience, but took extra steps that night during turn downs to remove all linens, wash them separately in hypo allergenic soap and replace everything before I got back. In addition - because they only had Benedryl at the gift shop (which was perfect, but made me drowsy) - they procured a package of non-drowsy Claritin for me and had it in my room for me as part of turn down. They also checked in throughout my stay to see how I was doing. The personal service and help I got was just wonderful and very much appreciated. I can't speak highly enough about Pelican Hill - even after the fact, while dealing with expenses they have been quick to respond to asks about receipts and room charges and so pleasant to deal with I would go back in a heartbeat and have already referred several friends who are looking at taking a trip to Newport. Absolutely perfect.

Overall: 9.8/10 Room: 9.9/10 Villa Incredible, great views with big bathrooms and good seating options, laundry, great lotion/soap and a garage. Gym: 9.7/10 First gym 5 bikes, 5 elipticals, 5 treadmills, free weights to 50 and machines of all types Second Gym 4 treadmills, 4 bikes, 4 elipticals and some outside which was a nice touch. Free weights to 50’s and machines Misc: 9.9/10 Gorgeous views Water or Champagne upon arrival Pool service set up towels and a pitcher of water Lotion and sunscreen available Own stalls in bathrooms floor to ceiling Smells good literally everywhere Great pools Spa was incredible 10/10 The only thing which is why it is not a perfect 10/10 is they have really lame hot tubs in the main pool areas. It just doesn’t fit with the grandeur of the place.

This is our 2nd time at Pelican Hill in 6 weeks. We liked it so much the first time that we booked a second week right away. We cannot say enough about PH. Everything is magnificent. The buildings, the grounds, the Villas and the staff are standouts. We did have one small issue. We called about it and sort of said "Something you should be aware of but these things happen". Response was "Thank you for your understanding but that is not up to our standards. We will get on it straightaway". Now, what a great answer. On the top of the "line" list is the staff. Very attentive but not overbearing. PH is expensive but worth it if you can come.