The Resort At Pelican Hill

"Family friendly luxury on California's Orange Coast"

Recently my family and I had the opportunity to stay at the hotel voted the best in the United States by Conde Nast Traveler and one of the world’s best by Travel and Leisure, Pelican Hill. I have driven by the property several times on my way to Crystal Cove or Corona del Mar, but had never set foot on its grounds, known to play host to the rich and famous.

Set on 504 acres of the bluffs of the exclusive Newport Coast, Pelican Hill is a Renaissance-style resort with architecture reminiscent of Andrea Palladio’s celebrated churches, villas, and palaces in Northern Italy.  Everything about this resort is grand and luxurious, from the massive arch your car passes under as it heads up the hill to the resort to the circular infinity-edged Coliseum Pool (one of the world’s largest) with its 1.1 million hand-cut glass mosaic tiles which mirror the brilliantly blue coastal skies. The stunning views from the lobby, with the Tom Fazio designed golf course in the foreground and the brilliant Pacific looming behind, are breathtaking and best enjoyed with a cup full of house made gelato from the Caffé.

Spacious Bungalows and Villas

One thing that families always appreciate in a hotel room is space! Those staying at Pelican Hill will be happy to hear that the smallest room is a spacious 847 feet. Each bungalow features a private terrace with ocean views, a fireplace framed with Italian limestone, and décor that is the finest in understated luxury.

My family had the pleasure of staying in a villa. Massive two-, three-, and four-bedroom villas ranging from 2,193 to 3,581 square feet feature the best of everything including huge patios with expansive ocean views, private garages, plenty of privacy (the villas are in a guard gated area to protect the rich and famous, or just regular folks like me), full kitchens, large living areas, plenty of room for the kids to run around, and personalized service from your butler.  Truth be told, I am not accustomed to having someone wait on me (typically I am the one meeting my family’s needs) so I had a hard time calling for our butler to do anything besides carry my luggage to the bedroom since I had thrown my back out and my husband hasn’t yet arrived. Still, it was a very exciting concept and my husband and I had plenty of fun sitting on our patio, with its incredible ocean view, and daydream about all the things that a butler might do for us! While we did this, our kids had a blast riding their scooters on the private walkway between our garage and 3-bedroom villa. My personal highlight was the bubble bath I took in the huge sunken tub with the bubbliest bubble I had ever used. It was pure heaven.

Camp Pelican

My kids enjoyed a morning session at Camp Pelican, the resort’s kids club for ages 4-12, during our stay. My kids loved their time at the club and after seeing all they have for kids to enjoy, I have to admit I was a little jealous! The club itself is top of the line with its own swimming pool, splash area, heated outdoor patio, ping-pong, Karaoke, board games, video games, big screen televisions, and enough arts and crafts to send my daughter into a tizzy. Since it was the holiday season, the counselor made the kids an awesome 3-D snowflake to hang in their bedroom as a keepsake, in addition to the backpack all kids get to keep their trinkets from their time in the club. Speaking of keepsakes, I also have to mention that children under 12 receive the most adorable stuffed pelican, Murdoch, in their rooms when they check in. How sweet is that?

Complimentary Extras

Staying at Pelican Hill is not cheap, rooms start around $400 per night, but the bungalows truly are a great value.  Unlike many luxury resorts, you aren’t nickel and dimed with resort fees and hidden charges. Internet is complimentary (charging for internet is a HUGE pet peeve of mine), self-parking is free, use of the house cars (a bunch of Escalades and one sweet Bentley) is included, and even usage of the spa facilities is complimentary! While my kids were enjoying Camp Pelican, I was happily relaxing in the sauna, whirlpool, and quiet room (a luxury in itself to any mom) while sipping on refreshing spa water.

Another complimentary extra that every family staying at Pelican will definitely want to enjoy is the Beach Experience at my favorite beach in Orange County, Crystal Cove. It includes

• Complimentary round-trip coach service
• Set-up of complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas on the sand
• Food and beverage service on the sand from The Beachcomber Café
• A Complimentary Adult Beach Bag for two with two towels, two bottles of water, sunscreen, Smashball paddles and ball
• A Complimentary Children’s Beach Bag with two towels, two waters and assorted sand toys
You haven’t really experienced pampering until you have experienced a beach day like that!

Dining

My family dined at the Coliseum Pool & Grill, the resort’s casual dining spot. My kids were in heaven the moment they stepped in this restaurant and found the big red wagon filled with toys to play with. They grabbed a couple things that caught their eye and took them to the table, entertaining themselves while my husband and I actually had a conversation! For $10, kids can enjoy endless pizza, pasta, and gelato- quite the bargain. This isn’t kraft macaroni and microwave pizza like some all-you-can-eat offerings seem to be. Everything was high quality and well balanced. Adults can enjoy pizza, pasta, seafood, and more.

Bottom line

The resort is gorgeous, the location is ideal, the service is top notch, and the experience is luxurious. If your family is looking for an upscale getaway, look no further, every member of your clan will fall in love with Pelican Hill.

Disclosure: My family received a complimentary stay at Pelican Hill and meal at Coliseum Pool & Grill in order to complete this review. All opinions are my own.