PELICAN HILL
The Resort at Pelican Hill, the long-awaited destination resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, opened its doors in November 2008, offering guests a level of service and luxury that is unmatched in the resort world. The resort is situated on a 504-acre site that is one of the most serene and beautiful coastal settings in the
United States.
Owned and Operated by The Irvine Company, The Resort at Pelican Hill blends the principles of Italy’s most renowned Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio, with casual California elegance. Offering inspiring, expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and Newport Coast, The Resort features 128 villas with an unparalleled array of appointments; 204 luxuriously appointed bungalow suites; a rejuvenating 23,000sq ft spa with
22 treatment rooms; world-class restaurants including authentic Northern Italian cuisine at Andrea, Coliseum Pool & Grill and Pelican Grill; an iconic ‘Coliseum’ pool, the largest circular pool in the world with tiered decks and spacious cabanas; and Pelican Hill Golf Club with 36 dramatic holes by Tom Fazio, nearly all with ocean panoramas.
“Since opening just six months ago, we have continued to find new ways to improve our services and amenities,” says Ralph Grippo, President of the Irvine Company Resort Properties. “We have learned through experience and guest feedback what matters the most to our clients and this has enabled us to achieve our goal as a world-class resort.”
The Irvine Company’s desire is to own and manage properties as a privately-held company, as is currently the case with The Island Hotel Newport Beach, Oak Creek Golf Club and some of the finest marinas in California.

“Our motive in building The Resort at Pelican Hill has been to make it a timeless property, and one that will continue for many years to come,” explains Grippo. “The Irvine Company is not interested in simply managing or building to sell properties,
but in a long-term ownership and the differentiation that we offer by delivering outstanding service.”
The Resort at Pelican Hill appeals to leisure and business travellers, and groups who are seeking out Southern California’s ideal new location. To date, its business has come from Los Angeles, Texas, the East Coast, the UK, Asia and the Middle East.
“Our employees’ goal is to help create memories for our guests that ultimately are priceless,” says Grippo. “We receive feedback from guests regularly about the ‘wow’ moments they have had while staying at the Resort and they are grateful that we don’t nickel and dime them, but instead provide values that most luxury resorts don’t offer.
“We have been very fortunate to gather some of the industry’s top executives, managers and staff at this one ideal location. We interviewed 22,000 people to fill 800 positions and were fortunate to find a team that is well-matched in motives and passions for excellence.” There is a common goal, he says: to provide the finest personal service
for guests.

“We have been able to achieve this by learning guests’ specific wishes and preferences and then anticipating and delivering them. It may sound simple, but by doing this, we have been able to meet their expectations which often results in loyal return guests.”
In just six months, The Resort at Pelican Hill has been ranked as one of the hottest new resorts in the world on Travel + Leisure’s ‘It List’, Conde Nast Traveler’s ‘Hot List’, and the Robb Report’s ‘Best of the Best’ in their 2009 issues.

For the full article please see the RLI June 09 issue
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