The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, California
Share
It takes a brave investor to create a new multi-million-dollar resort in southern California - and not just because of the recession.
No other holiday playground is already so well endowed with five-star hotels, and many of those come with an extra frisson. Only in the land of movie stars can you sleep in bedrooms once occupied by Oscar-winners and eat breakfast at their favourite tables.
It’s hard to make a case for tourists to turn right out of Los Angeles airport towards Orange County instead of left towards the star-studded hotels and glitzy shops of Beverly Hills, buzzy restaurants of West Hollywood and clean air and beaches of Santa Monica.
Yet this is just what the creators of Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California are hoping visitors will do. They are banking on the great exposure the real OC has had from the television “OC”, the teen soap which so gorgeously showcased Newport, Orange County’s own capital of glitz, buzz and beach life.
Perhaps buzzy is not quite the right word for the tasteful collection of Tuscan-style villas which comprises Pelican Hill. But buzz is certainly what you do find in Andrea, its elegant Italian restaurant, where pasta and gelato are made in-house and the finest buffalo mozzarella is imported from Sicily.
Service is attentive to the point of being faintly ridiculous, as when my waiter solicitously requested to “revisit” my ravioli with fresh pepper and Parmesan. But the food was truly delicious, and there is also an excellent on-site spa.
It’s lovely to eat breakfast on a terrace overlooking the ocean from above, and the villas themselves are vast, luxurious and stately.
A nice touch was the book on seashells perched in a caddy over the bathtub - though I dropped mine in the water and immediately ruined it! Should have settled for the huge walk-in shower instead, but couldn’t resist the fragrant bath goodies, part of a large range of free toiletries.
Given a rack rate approaching £400 per night, this is strictly a resort for deep-pocket types who want to hole up somewhere very discreet and luxurious for a special celebration. But it’s always worth looking for specials online - these days, even the most luxe five-star has to cut deals in quiet times.
Pelican Hill is close not only to Newport Beach, which has all the yachts, well-heeled blondes and trendy cafes which populate the OC soap, a beautiful marina and shopping mall, but the quirkier delights of Crystal Cove. Built as a seaside colony in the 30s and 40s, the historic cottages lining this quiet beach have survived the demolition ball and are being authentically restored. It’s a charming place to stroll or sip a coffee, getting a rare sense of southern California in the golden age before the developers carved it up. Equally atmospheric is the three-mile Balboa Peninsula, whose retro houses, urban beaches and yacht harbour are the highlight of any trip to the Newport area.
Pelican Hill Road South 22701, Newport Beach, USA
Contact tel: +1 949 467-6800
Cost standard double room: £200 - £500 per night
Services spa, swimming pool, fitness equipment, near beach, parking, hotel restaurant, hotel bar, creche/listening service, pets accepted, room service, business services, internet access
Useful links
Pelican Hill Beach Resort, Newport Coast, California
Average customer rating
awaiting 5 vote(s)...
Email
Add to your Pocket Guide
Why Register?
