"Everybody comes here to see the ocean and to be at the ocean," architect Brian Curley told First Call Golf this month, describing his work on the Pelican Hill golf courses. "In 30 years, the vegetation had grown in and essentially created a curtain. We thinned out what we could to open views, so when you stand on a tee, you see as much blue as you can."
That restored view is due back in early November. Around the same time, most of the rest of The Resort at Pelican Hill goes behind construction. Starting November 2, the resort begins a phased renovation before it debuts as the world's first St. Regis Estate. Through the winter and spring, the resort runs mostly out of the Villa Clubhouse and the North Villas. If you use Pelican Hill as your local restaurant, bar, pool or spa, you'll need a different plan for about six months, and the details below make that easier.
What goes quiet, and how long it stays quiet
According to the resort's Next Chapter timeline, the November work covers the Main Estate, The Spa, Andrea, Coliseum Pool & Grill and Pelican Grill all at once. Work on Andrea started earlier, in September 2026. Its restaurant, bar, patio and kitchen are being fully rebuilt, and it reopens under a new name with a new concept developed with what the resort calls "a celebrated chef." The chef hasn't been named yet. From the start of work in September 2026 to the October 2027 debut is about 13 months.
Pelican Grill is the bigger change for locals. In the same First Call Golf article, the writer described its bar as one of golf's great 19th holes, where locals "flock here at happy hour" for the big screens, the food and drink, and a terrace above the Pacific. The resort says the Grill, its Bar and the Private Dining Room are all getting an interior refresh. When they reopen, the menu will have new dishes alongside many longtime favorites.
Some areas aren't closing. The resort says layouts stay the same across the Bungalows, Villas, meeting rooms and main venues, and that the work is about interiors and finishes. Construction runs Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so evenings and weekends stay quiet.
The order things come back
Here is the resort's published reopening order, from late December 2026 through October 2027:
| Space | Status during the work | Scheduled return |
|---|---|---|
| Bella Vista Pool | Resurfaced, new furnishings | January 2027 per timeline; late December per FAQ |
| Main Estate Fitness Center | Closed | January 2027 |
| Coliseum Pool | Refreshed cabanas, new retail kiosk | March 2027 per timeline; late February per FAQ |
| Main Estate Lobby | New arrival, front desk and concierge | May 2027 |
| Pelican Grill and Bar | Interior refresh | May 2027 |
| Former Allegra space | Becomes a European-style caffè and market | May 2027 |
| Coliseum Restaurant | New terrace, stone floors, private dining room | June 2027 |
| The Spa | Lounge, salon and boutique enhancements | June 2027 |
| Signature Lounge and The Library | Replace the old Caffè & Market and Concierge Gallery | June 2027 |
| Andrea's replacement | Full rebuild with a chef partner | October 2027 |
The two pool rows have two dates each because the resort's own page disagrees with itself. The timeline lists Coliseum Pool for March and Bella Vista for January. The FAQ says Coliseum Pool reopens in late February with limited food service from noon to 5 p.m., and Bella Vista in late December, both marked "pending." The resort also says all of its dates are guidelines and will be updated regularly.
May is when the Main Estate starts working again. That's when the lobby, Pelican Grill and the new caffè in the old Allegra space all reopen. The new caffè will serve artisanal coffee, house-made pastries, sandwiches and light fare all day, with a curated market next door. When the Great Room reopens, it adds regular Afternoon Tea. The Daily Pilot reported that Pelican Hill introduced a Cultivated Afternoon Tea this summer on the Great Room Terrace, Friday through Sunday from noon to 3 p.m., at $95 per person. The resort hasn't said whether that service continues while the Main Estate is under construction.
Where the resort operates until spring
From November 2026 through May 2027, the resort describes itself as "a more intimate, boutique resort experience centered around the Villa Clubhouse." Villa Clubhouse Dining serves seasonal California menus with indoor and outdoor seating. Hours are:
- Breakfast: 7 to 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday
- Weekend brunch: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
- Dinner: 4 to 8 p.m. daily
- Villa Pool food and beverage: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Dinner at 8 p.m. closes much earlier than a Pelican Grill evening. Dinner reservations are for resort guests. Breakfast, lunch and brunch are first-come, first-served. On Via Bellagio, the Bungalow Caffè serves coffee, tea and pastries from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Lounge at the Bungalows pours cocktails, wine and Champagne from 4 to 11 p.m. The resort lists both as options for guests. It doesn't say whether either is open to the public.
The resort also lists the Villa Clubhouse and Pool as being for Villa and Bungalow guests. Because the dining and pool now sit in a guest area, a casual visit from down the hill is harder than it used to be. The resort's published terms give locals one way in.
The spa booking is the way in for locals
During the Main Estate closure, The Spa at the North Villas runs as a smaller wellness spa offering massages, facials and salon services from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The resort says it's available to locals as well as guests. The terms also say this: "Locals who reserve a spa service may access the Villa Clubhouse including dining and the Villa Pool, based on availability."
So a treatment at the North Villas can come with lunch at the Clubhouse and an afternoon at the Villa Pool. The pool area has ten private cabanas, a whirlpool and a children's pool, plus weekend entertainment, pizza, s'mores and sabrage. Parking is easy. Locals going to the North Villas spa valet at the Villa Clubhouse, ride a shuttle to the spa, and park for free.
There are limits. Access is "based on availability," and the resort hasn't said whether locals without a spa booking can dine at the Villa Clubhouse. If you're thinking of booking a weekend lunch for visitors, call ahead first. The Main Estate Spa, which the resort says is inspired by Greco-Roman bath culture, returns in June 2027.
Ocean North reopens first
The golf course is the one major amenity that reopens soon after November 2. The resort says Ocean North will fully reopen in early November 2026, and Ocean South already offers 18 restored holes. On October 2, First Call Golf reported that holes 1 through 3 and 13 through 18 on Ocean North were still closed and that the full course was set to reopen in November.
The work began on Ocean South in November 2025. Golf Course Architecture reported that Curley-Wagner Golf Design led it and McDonald & Sons was the contractor. According to the resort's announcement, Ocean South reopened on May 18, 2026. FORE Magazine described the changes. Bunkers were rebuilt and realigned with Augusta-white sand, tees were expanded and leveled, greens were brought back toward their original contours, and ocean views were reopened. The original Fazio routing stays.
Regular players will notice a few specific holes. On the par-3 7th, Curley turned what was basically a fairway into a rugged sand area planted with fescue. He brought the same sandy scrub all the way to the tee on the par-4 11th. On Ocean North, he planned to remove the mounds behind the first green so golfers see the ocean early in the round. Caffè 2 serves coffee, light breakfast and lunch for golfers, with an outdoor grill. Through the winter, it's the closest thing to Pelican Grill on the property.
Why the dates have already moved once
The St. Regis plan isn't new. Marriott announced the St. Regis Estates concept on December 3, 2025, with Pelican Hill as its first property, and the Orange County Business Journal reported the news that day. The Newport Beach Independent reported that Irvine Company is still the long-term owner and that Marriott took over day-to-day management in July 2024.
In December 2025, the Orange County Register said the St. Regis would open in January 2027. The resort now targets fall 2027. The schedule has already moved once, and the resort still calls its dates guidelines. The work doesn't end with the restaurants, either. Bungalows and South Villas get updated from June to December 2027, the Villa Clubhouse closes for its own refresh from September 2027 through January 2028, and the North Villas follow through July 2028. If you're keeping a calendar, check the resort's timeline page before each month starts.
Newport Coast homeowners think about Pelican Hill differently than hotel guests do. It's a neighbor, and its reinvestment affects the setting of everything around it. If you'd like to talk through how the St. Regis Estate debut could shape the Newport Coast market over the next two years, Tyler Brown & Associates is glad to walk through it with you. Book a private consultation.
