Inspirato announced earlier today the release of 16 new villas at Pelican Hill Resort into its inventory. This is in addition to the 6 villas that are already in Inspirato’s inventory, for a total of 22 fabulous villas, including numerous three and four bedroom options! This is wonderful news for all of us! Here’s why:
- The Resort: The Pelican Hill Resort is simply stunning. It is tasteful. It is luxurious. It’s like a small Tuscan village on the slopes of the Southern California coastline. The villas are wonderfully spacious, flawlessly designed, and will force the most tightly wound of people to exhale and find some rest. The Coliseum Pool is the most fabulous pool I’ve ever dipped my toes into. The Pelican Hill Resort simply must be experienced to fully appreciate, and now there are 22 Inspirato villas to appreciate it from!
- Location, Location, Location: Resting on the hillside of Newport Coast, sandwiched between Laguna Beach to its south and Newport Beach to its north, and smack in the middle of Los Angeles and San Diego, there are literally limitless activities and places to explore within an easy drive, or even within a short walk or jog. Enjoy a Crystal Cove beach day, Coliseum Pool day, two 18-hole golf courses on site, Disneyland, whale watching, surfing, hiking, shopping, a day in L.A. or San Diego, or just sit on your patio in your robe and slippers, gazing at the Pacific all day long. These will be your most difficult decisions while staying at Pelican Hill with Inspirato.
- Concierge Services: In my Inspirato travels thus far, Inspirato at Pelican Hill (and a very special shoutout to Shelley here) gets the award for the best concierge on the planet! We did a quick (work and school from resort…maybe WSFR should replace WFH?) staycation just a couple of weeks ago down at Pelican Hill and Shelley was, once again, just the best. She even hosted my teenage daughters for a lunch, talked with them all about college decisions, their sports and and school activities, and just simply took the time to get to know them. My girls felt so special, valued, and already want to get back down there ASAP to hang out with their friend Shelley again. Just another way that Inspirato goes above and beyond all expectations.
- Staycation: Pelican Hill is uniquely wonderful for us So Cal Inspirato Members (and for those of you So Cal residents that are soon to become members!). Having substantial inventory at a Resort like Pelican Hill is most convenient for the 20 million(ish) people that live within an hour or so drive from Pelican Hill. In our case, we’re a quick 15-minute drive away. 22 units of inventory will create opportunities for So Cal folks to grab great trips on short notice just to get away from things and find some rest and tranquility for a few days. When our family joined Inspirato a year ago, inventory at Pelican Hill was one of the main drivers for us, knowing that no matter how busy things get, our favorite spot was just a few minutes away. And for those of you reading from the Northeast or wherever you might find yourself, Pelican Hill is certainly worth the trip from a distance as well.
- Crystal Cove: On a much more personal note, the beach and cottage area at Crystal Cove (just a couple minute shuttle ride down the hill on Pelican Hill’s private shuttle service) is my favorite place on earth. I refer to it as my soul’s home (I know, a bit cheesy, but simply true). I’m a fourth generation “Covite” as we like to refer to ourselves in this little community. I grew up spending weekends and summers at our tiny Crystal Cove cottage #42 (now part of the Educational Commons since the State of CA cancelled the land lease and took the cottages back in the late 90’s. Fortunately, all cottages are being historically restored and the Crystal Cove Alliance has done a tremendous job leading this effort). My dad grew up at his grandparents’ cottage, “The Whistle Stop”, (named by my great grandfather who was a train engineer) which has now been transformed into The Beachcomber Cafe, an absolutely can’t miss spot to visit while in the area. It sits directly on the sand. When our family eats at The Beachcomber with my dad, they often grant him the high honor of hoisting the martini flag at sunset and announcing his historic connection to the seemingly-not-all-that-interested patrons. But it’s sure a neat thing for us! So yeah, my nostalgia is off the charts at Crystal Cove. When I was a kid, the hills where Pelican Hill Resort now sits were virgin, undeveloped land with stables and people on horses trotting around on the hills and down onto the beaches below (wow, that sure makes me sounds old). That’s all long gone now. You will no longer come across any horses walking up and down the beaches. But, what it has been replaced with is quite special in its own right, and we’re just thankful that we can continue to enjoy it, now with my own girls being honorary 5th generation “Covites”. Okay, thanks for letting me indulge in a bit of nostalgia, and I just have to share some old school Crystal Cove photos with you here.
Crystal Cove and The Pelican Hill Resort are special places. So, don’t sleep on this opportunity! If you’re not yet familiar with Pelican Hill Resort and Crystal Cove, now’s your chance to experience all that it has to offer. To be completely honest, Crystal Cove and Pelican Hill Resort are so uniquely special to our family that I even hesitate to promote them. I sometimes selfishly want to do what I can to maintain this as some type of local’s secret spot (even though those days are now long gone also). However, it’s just too wonderful not to share. Everyone’s family should have a chance to create inspired memories down there, just like our family has done now for over five generations.
Inspirato’s inventory releases the last couple of months have been impressive. First there was Casa Palmero at Pebble Beach, followed shortly thereafter by Montage Los Cabos, and now 16 new villas at Pelican Hill. Wow! And those just happen to be the releases I’ve been most excited about. There have been a host of others you should check out also. I don’t think there has ever been a better time to join Inspirato, and you just might want to consider booking your first stay at one of the villas at Pelican Hill Resort. And if you happen to visit the Crystal Cove Cottages, take a quick peek at cottage #42 to see where I spent my weekends and summers as a perpetually sandy and salty little kid.
Happy and safe travels my friends.
A couple more shots just because I couldn’t help myself. 🙂
