The Resort at Pelican Hill

Came to enjoy a day at the pool with my family during my mother’s visit. We arrived early, secured seats, and placed our personal belongings on every chair while my brother and I stepped away briefly to use the restroom. When we returned, another group of women had taken our seats, physically removed our belongings and dumped them on the floor, and then claimed we had “left” which was false. We had been gone for minutes and our belongings were on every single chair. When we confronted the situation and asked them to return our seats, they refused. We escalated to the manager, Jonathan, expecting basic accountability and fairness. Jonathan made no attempt to investigate, offered no apology, and chose to side with the people who removed our property and fabricated a story rather than protect guests who were clearly wronged. Jonathan’s conduct was dismissive, gaslighting, and completely unacceptable for a property at this price point. We left the pool entirely rather than sit next to the people who took our seats while Jonathan stood by and did nothing. A day that was meant to be special for our visiting family was completely ruined by Jonathan’s failure to manage a straightforward situation with basic fairness and decency.

It really doesn't get any better than this. From the first moment of arrival throiugh every aspect of the stay, this place defines estate luxury.

I lived in Laguna Beach for two years & never stayed at or visited Pelican Hill. This was a HUGE mistake. Pelican Hill is one of the nicest resorts i've stayed at The hospitality is impossible to beat. You have a whole team of people ready to assist you just to make your experience better We played golf, went to the Coliseum Pool, visited the spa, walked around the property & ate nice dinners on resort property. Pelican Hill is a MUST stay if you're in the Newport/Orange County area. Also special shoutout to Ethan at the front desk. He was very accommodating & gave us a nice rate to upgrade to a suite (worth it). I will absolutely be back next time i'm in California!

Shocked this place gets such good reviews. Staying here now and disappointed. For $1.738 / night spend your money elsewhere - the Ritz Laguna Niguel would have been cheaper and Montage only $200 more per night. When the paying these rates expect much better. Grounds are gorgeous but rooms are dated. Feels like grandma’s house - dark lighting and drab. Clearly hasn’t been updated since original build almost 20 years ago now. Tile floors and granite out of the 90s (must have bought at discount when developed). For this price, that’s crazy. On plus side, rooms are large. Just ugly. I get this is Tuscan countryside style - but you can do that still with a much needed refresh that doesn’t make you feel like stepping back to 2005. Also disappointing we got an “ocean view” room (338) with smallest glimpse of the ocean. Technically ocean view but not by much and again for that price - not worth it. And the service was bad. Ordered a drink at pool this afternoon and never came. Pool wasn’t that busy so no excuse. We finally left to hit the beach after an hour with no drink. After being gone all day, just got back to room at 5:30 and still no maid service. Lastly - the gym may be the saddest part of this place. In a basement with old carpet floors. Have seen better gyms at a Courtyard. For a supposed 5 star resort downright embarrassing. Place has a lot of potential - just save your money until they redo it and turn it into a St Regis in a few years. Wouldn’t think about staying here again until they freshen it up.

I had expected to wake up and truly enjoy my vacation at a luxury property like The Resort at Pelican Hill, but unfortunately, my experience was significantly diminished by extremely poor service over a situation that should never have been an issue at this level of hospitality. Today, I ordered lunch from an outside restaurant and clearly instructed that the delivery be left at the front desk. This was a deliberate request based on my need for privacy, and it should have been simple to accommodate. Instead, the delivery driver was stopped by a valet parking employee identified as Travis. He explicitly told the driver not to follow my instructions and insisted that the driver call me. I was on the phone during the entire interaction and heard the conversation firsthand. The driver made multiple attempts to explain my instructions—including my privacy concerns—but Travis refused to comply. As a result, I was forced into an unnecessary and intrusive situation where I had to take a phone call and repeat my personal preference simply to satisfy a valet employee. This was both disruptive and inappropriate. I do not understand why I was required to justify a reasonable and clearly communicated request to a valet attendant, particularly when it has no relevance to his role. This behavior was not only unprofessional but also deeply disrespectful. It clearly showed a lack of regard for guest preferences and basic courtesy. As a guest, my requests should be prioritized—especially when they are reasonable and easy to accommodate. It is certainly not the role of a valet parking attendant to override or dismiss a guest’s clearly stated preference. This incident completely ruined my day. It was incredibly frustrating to deal with such unnecessary conflict and poor attitude, especially at a resort that positions itself as a luxury destination. This conduct reflects a serious breakdown in service standards, professionalism, and respect for guest privacy. A valet employee should not be overriding, dismissing, or interfering with a guest’s clearly stated preferences.