The Resort at Pelican Hill

Pelican Resort was wonderful! Glad we choose this property to celebrate my birthday! The staff were wonderful, very helpful and exemplary treatment of Marriott elites. We truly appreciated the wonderful upgrade, spacious suite and the scrumptious breakfast provided. We cannot wait to go back! We live locally, but do once a month staycations and this property will be one of those on repeat. We would like to give a very special thank you to all the wonderful staff. Most especially to these amazing staff: Manager on duty- approved our check in after we explained the wallet/cc issue since it was left at home (very much appreciated the understanding!) Lyni /Ve /Ethan and the text team- very helpful and empathetic front desk team. Check in issue resolved quickly and was very emphatic with the situation, also quickly sorted out our billing/credit issue. We also appreciated the quick app chats/text responses! Very helpful. Ramon/ Manny and the entire in room dining team- super helpful staff, very gracious and really took care of our needs before/ during and even after the food delivery! A++ all around! Gina and the Male housekeeping staff-He ( we forgot his name) promptly delivered the water and blankets we requested. Very courteous man and even offered to fill the fridge for us ! Talk about exemplary service! Coliseum pool Mgr and staff- my wife cannot remember their names but want to extend our thanks. She was taking pics/videos by the upstairs cabanas and the manager discreetly and kindly approached her to see if interested in renting a cabana and to extend any assistance needed, afterwards another staff member also approached her and asked again if she needs anything else. Very pro active approach, and made her feel welcomed even when she was not renting one. Thank you! Spa team- very discreet, always cleaning in the background. Everyone was very courteous, including the check in team and the helpful young lady who informed my wife the driver has arrived for pickup. Andrew- Shuttle driver went above beyond to ensure my wife was escorted to the pool and spa timely. Thank you! A room for improvement to note- the in room dining options can be expanded and the food made tastier. The portions were huge but taste can be improved. We truly appreciate the Pelican team in making sure my birthday and first stay at the resort was wonderful. Thank you for making it truly special. We will definitely come back and have since recommended it to our family and friends. The GM at this resort is blessed with such a caring and exemplary team. BN

A resort with stratospheric prices needs to deliver superb service. The Pelican was more of a wounded duck. We attended a wedding here with high expectations. The views over the Pacific are stunning, with the Catalina Islands in the mist. The staff is California-friendly. The huge (if shallow) circular pool is pleasant. There is also a miniature "adult pool," too small to really swim in, and a hot tub. The spa was nice, although the exercise equipment appears dated. Those are the positives. We notice that several recent reviews have commented on the decline of the property since Marriott took it over. We agree. 1. Housekeeping did not service our expensive room ("bungalow") for three days until we complained. 2. The Cafe, which serves overpriced coffee (everything was overpriced, as anticipated), is understaffed, which meant service far slower than a Starbucks. We cancelled our order for two lattes after 15 minutes. The barrista should at least have warned us that there would be a delay. The long wait was surprising, given that the line wasn't long. 3. We requested a lift from our bungalow to the resort event space, for a party to which my wife had to wear high heels. The cheery receptionist promised us a pickup at a specified time -- but no lift ever appeared. Not good, at these prices. We were eventually rescued by an employee who was dropping off new arrivals and kindly took us there. 4. Worst, the resort tried to charge us for an extra day because we were part of a group rate (which was still astronomical). We had clarified at booking and on check-in that we were only staying for three days, and the clerk assured us that would be fine. On check-out, however, they tried to charge us for a fourth day. Are these the amenities of a five star resort? There are far better places to stay, for a third or a quarter of the price, on the Pacific Coast.

Pelican Hill is a beautiful resort. It is expansive. The room was well appointed and large. We had an ocean view suite. The views were stunning. Yuri at the front desk was warm, friendly and professional. Almost every employee we encountered was very nice and professional. The gym is dated and could use a significant refresh. The golf course was very nice although the golf carts need to be replaced as they are worn out. All in we had a terrific stay. Everything is expensive but we knew that going in. I would definitely recommend the hotel.

A beautiful resort! This was my 13th visit to the resort and it was fantastic! The bungalows, grounds, pool and restaurants are all fabulous! The pool is the best and the service is great there. The entire property is gorgeous with beautiful views. The Coliseum is a wonderful place for breakfast. The staff at the resort is friendly and professional. Looking forward to going back next summer.

My recent visit to The Resort at Pelican Hill warrants a 3-star rating. While the room itself was undeniably beautiful, a luxury resort of this caliber should consistently deliver excellence, and unfortunately, several operational issues detracted significantly from our intended relaxing getaway. Upon arrival, we encountered multiple maintenance problems within our room. The sink was clogged, there were noticeable stains on the floor, and the bathroom door would not close properly. Additionally, some other doors throughout the room were stuck together, indicating a general lack of attention to detail in upkeep. Service also fell short of expectations. Housekeeping did not arrive until after 4 PM, which was inconvenient as we needed to prepare for dinner around that time. A simple request for coffee cream also went unfulfilled, as the resort apparently did not have any available. I will acknowledge that the housekeeping team appeared to be short-staffed, but those we did interact with were excellent and performed their duties admirably despite the challenges. As a frequent traveler with high expectations, particularly for a luxury property, these recurring issues were disappointing. Our primary goal for this trip was relaxation, and the need to address these various problems certainly hindered that. For a resort positioned at the luxury end of the spectrum, every aspect, from maintenance to service, should be in impeccable working order to meet and exceed guest expectations.