Review of Hotel The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, USA

Nice setting, beautiful views & good facilities:

There are several top-notch resorts in the area; we (my husband, my teenage son and I) had already been at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and had wanted to try another one. It proved difficult to find such a place at least if you don’t want to pay exorbitant prices, so we were lucky enough to come across the Pelican Hill. 

Of course it isn’t a bargain but you get value for money there. The hotel doesn’t lie on the beach but it’s situated in the hills above the Crystal Cove State Park. Nonetheless, you have expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and there is a coach service from resort lobby to Crystal Cove where you get a chair and umbrella set up from the Beachcomber attendants. The grounds of Pelican Hill are vast und pristine.



As the hotel didn’t accommodate three persons in a smaller room we opted for the Garden King Suite which is very impressive. There are two large rooms with two spacious bathrooms and a large terrace (with a not so spectacular view on the Coliseum Grill’s front entrance) This suite offers all the luxury you can think of, it’s probably one of the most beautiful accommodations we ever had and we widely travelled! We used neither the spa/fitness room nor the golf course and are therefore unable to comment on these facilities.

We twice had breakfast at the Coliseum Grill which was okay but nothing special. Personally, I don’t like the décor of this restaurant, it’s a bit bland but that’s a matter of taste. Once we had dinner at Andrea, the resort’s upscale restaurant, and considered the evening as a good experience (we liked the atmosphere and the food).

One comment to the resort’s architecture … All is very Italian, almost a bit too much so it’s overkill but maybe I feel this way because I come from a country bordering Italy. Never mind, a lot of things are nice to look at, e.g. the circular swimming pool, very impressive!



As far as staff is concerned, generally speaking we were satisfied with the service although it wasn’t flawless. Several times, employees weren’t attentive enough, but it wasn’t too bad.

All in all, the Pelican Hill is a good choice if you are looking for an upscale resort at the Orange Coast offering a nice setting, beautiful views and state of the art facilities, and this without demanding unrealistically high prices.

Date of stay: July 2011