Terranea Resort

Great experience at Nelson’s! Food was very very good, and the service was even better. Amanda helped me and my family navigate the menu and get the best items available. 10/10 would recommend!

First, the location cannot be beat. Right on the ocean, providing cool, clean air. Our room was lovely, complete with a view of the ocean. I have to say that turndown service provided us with some cute little surprises. When we returned from dinner, our sunglasses were laid out on top of a Terranea lens wipe. As well, on top of my book, there was a Terrenea book mark. Very sweet & I appreciate the attention to detail. Also, I appreciate that our room provided a recycling trash can, as well as a regular trash can. On that note, every disposable utensil that we received was made of compostable wood. Very much appreciated. There were many families with children as well, with dogs. The resort provides 2 (maybe 3) pools. One was for families and another was for 21+ . We splurged and rented a cabana at the pool. My only complaint there was it took roughly 1 1/2 hours to get our lunch. Yikes! If the (lovely) server, Cassie, had given us a heads up, it would have been very much appreciated. I understand that there was one, apparently small, kitchen that served all 3 pools. Cassie was LOVELY, but a little heads up would have been appreciated. Speaking of fantastic employees, after dinner the 1st evening, we got a little lost looking for the elevator banks. We were near a ballroom, so I asked a gentleman in uniform (he could have been an engineer or operations), but his name was Enrique. He did not just point us in the right direction, but he actually walked us to the elevators. A huge shout out to Enrique for going above and beyond! Thank you. Our first dinner was at Nelson’s. It was lovely, casual, dining. I had a grilled Ahi Tuna sandwich and I think my husband had fish & chips. It was great, very casual & just right for what we wanted. The second night, we dined at Catalina Kitchen. I am sad to say that it was a bit of a disappointment. We had drinks at a bar beforehand and, as we had not finished them, we brought our drinks to dinner. I think that bummed out our server because, I’m guessing, he did not have the opportunity to sell alcohol to us. I know cocktails can be expensive, and thus, are helpful to the server’s tip, but things just did not work out that way. As well, our food was very mediocre. We both ordered salmon that was served on a bed of mashed potatoes. The salmon was dry and the potatoes were, at best, mediocre. Our server never checked on us and he was a challenge to find when were wanted to pay the bill, All in all, Catalina was disappointing. Our last night, we dined at Mar’sel. This restaurant was LOVELY! The food, starting with a beautiful amuse bouche and through our entree, was beautiful and delicious! Our server (I’ve forgotten her name) was absolutely wonderful. She knew the menu very well and she checked on us frequently. Mar’sel was a spectacular meal. And today, sadly we had to return home. Happily, it’s only a short drive back to Los Angeles. All in all, Terranea is a lovely getaway from the city.

We stayed at the resort over the Fourth of July holiday, expecting a fun and memorable experience for our family, but unfortunately we left disappointed. We understand that some things are outside the resort’s control. One of the main pools had to close for more than two hours after someone became sick in it. While we don’t blame the hotel for that, it was disappointing during one of the busiest weekends of the year when the pools are a major attraction. The biggest issue, however, was the lack of communication from the staff. Throughout our stay, my husband and I asked multiple employees about Fourth of July activities. Every time, we were told that the holiday events, crafts, and food vendors ended around 5:00 p.m. Based on that information, we made dinner reservations elsewhere on the property. After dinner, we happened to walk past another area because we heard live music and were shocked to discover a large Fourth of July celebration still taking place. There was live entertainment, food, games, crafts, and activities that our children would have absolutely loved. By the time we found it, the event was almost over, and our kids had missed out completely. That was by far the most disappointing part of our stay. Had even one employee told us about the evening celebration when we specifically asked, we would have planned our entire evening around it instead of spending it at an expensive dinner that didn’t meet our expectations. The resort itself is beautiful, but accurate communication is just as important as the amenities. Missing what appeared to be the main Fourth of July celebration because no one on staff informed us about it left us feeling like we missed the very reason we chose to spend the holiday there. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and improves communication with guests regarding special events. It would have made all the difference for our family.

Terranea is a paradise! Views , trails, green spaces, fine dining and a beautiful spa area. Even the weather is perfection! Every individual who meets the public is warm and welcoming. None more so than HANI, the sharply dressed head of Valet Services . He arranged a Lexus sports car for our use. Lexus owners are afforded this and other perks . Kudos to Maureen who toured us thru the serene Spa area. Guest services, housekeeping, pool service were all great. We met the head Chef who chatted with us as we walked. He had been in our area, New Orleans, during hurricaine Karina when we all experienced the opposite of Terranea! We hope to return for several weeks in 2027. Thanks to owners, management and every person at Terranea.

Nelson's for lunch with outdoor seating. Could not have had better weather and no crowd. But what added to the GREAT experience was Amanda, our server. Friendly, personable, attentive and provided us with excellent service by making us feel like a friend/family from the get go! Thank You Amanda!