The Resort at Pelican Hill

I’ve stayed at this property many times over the years when it was The Pelican, and unfortunately, this recent stay—my first since it became a Travel Marriott—was a stark contrast to the consistently excellent experiences I had in the past. First, despite booking a confirmed early check-in for 1:00 PM five months in advance (which was also noted on my reservation), and confirming again the day before, I arrived at 1:15 PM only to be told no rooms were available. I wasn’t given keys until after 4:10 PM, and was told there was no bellman available to assist with luggage. For a hotel of this caliber, that’s unacceptable. Second, our room had an ocean-view balcony, which we could barely enjoy because of a large dog in the neighboring room that barked every time anyone stepped outside. I contacted security multiple times over three days, and nothing was done to resolve the issue. Third, Saturday morning breakfast was a disaster. The only option was a $90 per person buffet—not exactly ideal for families with children heading to the pool. The buffet was almost empty (staff even commented on how slow it was), and we were redirected to the coffee shop, where 20–25 people were in line trying to avoid the buffet. By the time we reached the counter, they were out of nearly everything except fruit cups and banana smoothies. After a 30-minute wait for basic items and coffee, we returned to the pool to find that the chairs we had claimed (with towels, sunglasses, sunblock, and clothing) had been cleared and our belongings placed in lost and found. Worse, the staff member I spoke with didn’t speak English, and had to call another employee over to help. Fourth, we ordered lunch at the pool around noon, but didn’t receive our food until after 1:15 PM, and two meals were cold. We weren’t the only ones—several people around us were complaining, and I saw the overwhelmed server removing items from multiple checks. Fifth, and most baffling: the pool was closed at 4:30 PM on Saturday for “routine maintenance.” This left many guests frustrated and confused. The Pelican used to be a standout for service and guest experience, but sadly, it seems that since Marriott took over, the standard has dropped significantly. For the price of over $2,000 per night, the level of service and attention to detail we experienced fell far below expectations. This was truly disappointing, especially at a property we once looked forward to visiting.

My wife and I made I believe our 5th visit to Pelican Hill, the last 3 times to celebrate her birthday. This was our first visit since Pelican Hill came under the Marriott Bon Voy umbrella. First off we were given a room closest to The Coliseum we have ever had, which was great as we are getting older and this makes the climb up the hill to the pool and diner/breakfast a little easier! On all our previous visits pretty soon after check-in we had been brought a bottle of wine for the room, but not this time. My wife was particularly disappointed as we assumed this was standard practice if you were celebrating a birthday or anniversary… apparently not. Not sure if this was an oversight or a policy change under the new ownership. Stay was really on point though, and as usually every employee was exemplary, including the shops, to the point my wife was send a birthday card by one of the shop staff when she found out it was her birthday. We had fun by the pool, and enjoyed the service from our designated server Maycee (sp?). We did think a lot of the staff were looking a lot younger than in the past, or maybe we are just getting older! No complaints though, all were polite, respectful and ready to assist. Dinner at both The Coliseum and The Pelican Grill were to their usual standard, if not a little better than in the past. We do wish there was a third option though, and disappointed they never reopened The Andrea restaurant. We never got to eat there pre-COVID closure. All in all we loved our stay as usual, and though the change to a Marriot hotel was pretty much unnoticeable bar the wine to the room question. We hope to do the same again next June all being well.

The service was fantastic, nightly entertainment was fun, the bars and restaurants were always a little too busy but that’s okay, turn down service and room service were lovely, the room itself was beautiful with great views. It’s a very long walk to get down to the beach, we went once to check the box. Golf course was in good condition but it took 8 holes to get a drink. I would recommend getting food and drinks prior to a round, we were hungry and parched by the end of ours. We also tried a yoga class which was hilariously bad. I look forward to going back, wonderful overall experience with a little constructive feedback.

Nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed at, George hearty was the front desk person he was very welcoming and made sure we knew all the local spots, make sure you go to beach comer for brunch on the beach. Pelican hill golf course was also ridiculous, felt like I was on the pga tour, no one in front or behind of you. 10/10 stay we’ll definitely be back.

Such an amazing first stay. We used to live in OC and never had the chance to stay here before. Came for my birthday weekend and greeted with a most unexpected gift. Staff called first morning to see how our night was, and everyone at the resort was just amazing. We had such a peaceful, restful, amazing stay and I cannot emphasize enough how much I needed that. Location and accommodation was beautiful and perfectly maintained, and central to all the things we wanted to do. We’ve stayed at the WA and the Ritz, but I cannot imagine staying anywhere else. THANK YOU for a memorable, comforting stay.