Discover a world-class Mediterranean-inspired resort perched on rolling acres overlooking the ocean. The Resort at Pelican Hill has been voted the number one resort in the USA by Conde Nast readers and it’s not hard to see why: Picture 504 acres of lush Italianate grounds dotted with elegant villas, bungalows and impeccable amenities, all just moments from Newport Beach. Play your best game at two Fazio golf courses, immerse yourself in the world's largest circular pool at the Coliseum or relax in style at the Forbes Five Star spa before heading to one of the resort’s many world-class restaurants for exquisite cuisine and awe-inspiring views. Situated just an hour from LA, this is the perfect option for an unforgettable Californian getaway.
1873 Reviews
84% of travellers recommended this hotel
Traveller ratings
Excellent
1320
Very Good
254
Average
152
Poor
71
Terrible
76
What to Expect
Location
Sleep Quality
Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness
Reviews
Feb 16, 2020
Beautiful Resort
This is a great place with beautiful views, excellent golf course and spectacular dining. World class service and rooms, staff is excellent and cater to your every need. Great experience for company meeting.
Feb 15, 2020
Even better the second time around
Scottsdale, Arizona
This is an excellent resort, highly rated and worth the reputation. Having a car to get around or to visit the surrounding communities is almost a necessity in my opinion. The amenities are excellent . We stayed in one of the Villas. This is good for a family or to accommodate several close friends, as there are 3 bedrooms with individual BR facilities, a living room with an open dining room and kitchen. Though the price is upper end, you get what you are paying for.
Feb 13, 2020
Relaxing and panoramic
Miami Beach, Florida
I was here for the first time at a business meeting. The rooms are spacious suites with fireplaces in the living and bedroom area. Bathroom is big and roomy. The staff were outstanding in their friendliness and helpfulness. We had a number of group meals and the food was excellent. Everything was fresh and beautifully presented. I will return. Highly recommended
Feb 13, 2020
It’s big but can feel private
This is a big resort but it’s set up on a way that it feels smaller. The ocean view bungalow was great. Everything was well kept. Now a few drawbacks: be prepared for a BIG pool area. Also, the road sounds from the Coast Highway mar an otherwise fantastic view from your room patio. Also, I was not really impressed with the restaurant experiences. Service was great but I was looking for something on a smaller scale which this is not. It is what it is and does it well.
Jan 27, 2020
2 bedroom Garden View Villa
Costa Mesa, California
We decided to go with the Villa over the Bungalow for 1 specific reason, Villa’s come with Butler service. We booked our reservation in July after a site visit. Kurt the butler showed us the different rooms and explained the butler service how you can simply call and a butler will take you anywhere you would like to go, as far as going to South Coast plaza. I asked about the resort and was told a butler will take you around in a golf cart to see all of the property. We booked the room in July for our reservation on November 9-11. I explained I was booking the room for our wedding prep and honeymoon night. When I made the reservation I followed up with an email request for butler service on the Wedding day for car service at 1:30 and 2:45. When I checked in the room was available and I was helped into the Villa, I reminded the front desk about my request and was told that was not a problem. The butler was on time at 1:30. That was not the case when I was waiting for the butler to take me to my wedding, at 3:00 I called and ask where the butler was as I was now late to my own wedding and I was told he was unavailable for another hour and received an apology over the phone. I ended up being 30 minutes late to my wedding. Later that day when I got back to the resort and asked for the butler to take us around the property again I was told he was not available for a couple hours. I paid 65.00 per day as a resort fee and didn’t get to enjoy the resort. I was sold on the idea of a butler and never received the benefit. No quality of service. I prepaid for my reservation several months in advance. A waste of money!
For villa guests only, the Villa Pool is a sumptuous yet secluded affair, enhanced by more than 300,000 hand-cut glass tiles lining the interior and offering awe-simpering views to the coast.
The Pelican Hill Golf Club
Boasting 36-holes designed by the legendary Tom Fazio, this upscale golf club is one of the best in the country and offers all the added amenities required to complete the golfing experience including a 44,000 square foot clubhouse with gendered locker rooms, golf club shop and popular lounge restaurant. Ocean North CourseThis course embraces nature and offers a serene, isolated game with little to distract save the local birdlife and the fresh ocean breezes. Situated overlooking the ocean, with several holes right at the cliff’s edge, this undulating course is par 71 at nearly 7,000 yards and offers astounding views from every single hole.Ocean South CourseVaried and verdant, this course is a combination of deep chasms and rolling greens, rated at par 70 and 6,580 yards. As classically Fazio as you get, players can soak up 270-degree views from several holes plus there’s the added challenge of the 13th hole which actually features two greens and strong ocean breezes.
The Coliseum Pool
The crowning jewel of the Pelican Hill Resort has to be the stunning full-moon shaped Coliseum Pool. Measuring 136 feet in diameter and ringed by the amphitheatre-like Coliseum building, this is the largest circular pool in the world and overlooks the rolling greens right to the ocean. Doubly dazzling thanks to the 1.1 million azure mosaic tiles, each painstakingly hand-laid by skilled workers, the pool provides the perfect escape from everyday life with lounge space and private cabanas for hire. Relax in the skin-kind saltwater of the pool and also enjoy the benefit of a separate children’s pool for younger guests to enjoy.
The Spa at Pelican Hill
Covering 23,000 square feet of space and resplendent with spectacular Palladian architecture, this award-winning space centre is one of the resort’s finest features. Light and airy inside, and crowned by a stunning 28-foot high rotunda, it’s no wonder this facility was awarded the Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond awards within the first year of opening. Divided into gendered spa zones, guests can experience blissful relaxation before the treatments even begin, passing through temple-like passages and serene lounge areas. Once in a treatment room, guests can look forward to exquisite massages, indulgent renewals and so much more. At Pelican Hill, the spa is an experience all by itself.
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1873 Reviews 
Traveller ratings
What to Expect
Reviews
Beautiful Resort
Even better the second time around
Scottsdale, Arizona
Relaxing and panoramic
Miami Beach, Florida
It’s big but can feel private
2 bedroom Garden View Villa
Costa Mesa, California