On Monday, Nov. 2, The Resort at Pelican Hill starts the phase of its St. Regis conversion that closes the rooms most of Newport Coast knows best. Pelican Grill, Coliseum Restaurant, the Coliseum and Bella Vista pools, the Main Estate lobby and Great Room, and the Main Estate Spa all go offline together. Returns are staggered from early 2027 into the summer. Andrea closed in September and stays closed until October 2027.
The resort stays open. For about six months, though, a local without a room key has just two easy ways in: a tee time, or a treatment at the Spa at North Villas. The spa booking matters more than it looks, because it is what opens the Villa Clubhouse, where the resort moves its daily dining during construction.
What Closes Nov. 2, and the Two Return Dates for Each
The resort's "The Next Chapter" page gives return dates in two places: a schedule near the top and a FAQ near the bottom. They don't always agree, and the resort calls every date a guideline that will be updated. Both versions are below.
| Venue | Closed starting | Return on the schedule | Return in the FAQ or timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea | September 2026 | October 2027, new name and concept | Mid-October 2027 |
| Bella Vista Pool | November 2026 | January 2027 | Late December |
| Coliseum Pool | November 2026 | March 2027 | Late February 2027 |
| Pelican Grill, bar and private dining room | November 2026 | May 2027 | May 2027 |
| Main Estate lobby and Great Room | November 2026 | May 2027 | May 2027 |
| Coliseum Restaurant | November 2026 | June 2027 | Early summer 2027 |
| Main Estate Spa | November 2026 | July 2027 | June 2027 |
Pelican Grill is the longest closure on that list that touches an everyday dinner. It is due back in May 2027 after an interior refresh, with new menu items alongside long-standing favorites. When the Coliseum Restaurant returns, it will have a redesigned terrace, new stone flooring, and a private dining room. The pool next to it gets new cabanas and a retail kiosk.
Work is limited to Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the resort says its floor plans won't change. Your favorite corner table at the Grill should still be in the same spot next May.
The Golf Club Grows While Everything Else Shrinks
The golf club is the one part of Pelican Hill getting bigger this fall. The resort announced the restored Ocean South course in May 2026, and the FAQ now describes it as 18 newly restored holes. Ocean North's schedule, which runs from Aug. 10 through Nov. 1, has only holes 4 through 12 open.
The full North reopening lands right around the closures. The resort's FAQ says Ocean North "will fully re-open early November 2026." The public tee-time page says the remaining work is expected in "late fall 2026." Until the booking system shows 18 holes on the North, plan on the nine-hole loop.
Tom Fazio designed the original 36 holes and led a 2005 refresh. The current work is directed by architect Brian Curley, according to the resort's October 2025 announcement. It focuses on restoring and realigning bunkers, expanding and leveling tees, and improving green surrounds. It also deals with turf problems caused by trees that have matured since the courses opened. Most of the work restores existing features, with some selective changes to sight lines and strategy.
Caffè 2 stays as the golf club's café, serving coffee and light breakfast and lunch, with an outdoor grill menu. With Pelican Grill closed until May, Caffè 2 is the only food on the golf side of the property.
How a Spa Booking Gets You Into the Villa Clubhouse
From November, the resort describes itself as "a more intimate, boutique resort experience centered around the Villa Clubhouse." The Clubhouse serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus pizza, s'mores, and sabrage by the Villa Pool. The page lists the Clubhouse and pool as available for Villa and Bungalow guests.
The opening for non-guests is in the spa section. The Spa at North Villas is "available to locals and resort guests," and it covers the treatments the Main Estate Spa used to handle: massages, facials, and salon services. It also has co-ed lounges and a boutique. Then comes this line: "Locals who reserve a spa service may access the Villa Clubhouse including dining and the Villa Pool, based on availability."
Based on the resort's own instructions, a local visit works like this:
- Book a treatment at the Spa at North Villas, which is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
- Valet at the Villa Clubhouse. Parking is free for local spa visitors, and a shuttle takes you to the spa.
- Ask about Clubhouse dining or Villa Pool access, which depends on availability that day.
Timing matters at the Clubhouse. Breakfast runs 7 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, weekend brunch runs 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner runs 4 to 8 p.m. daily. Dinner is the only meal that takes reservations, and the FAQ says those are for resort guests. Breakfast, lunch, and brunch are first come, first served. For a local, a weekday morning treatment followed by lunch at the Clubhouse is likely to work better than trying to get a dinner table.
One trade-off comes with the move. Last call at the Villa Clubhouse is 8 p.m. The late-night spot during construction is The Lounge at the Bungalows on Via Bellagio, open 4 to 11 p.m., which the resort presents as a guest amenity.
Last Year's Holidays Ran Through Rooms That Will Be Closed
This is the change most likely to catch people off guard in December. Pelican Hill's 2025 holiday program included Thanksgiving dining at Pelican Grill and Mar Vista, a holiday pop-up at Andrea, and Christmas meals at Pelican Grill. Carolers visited the Main Estate and the Grill, and events were held in The Great Room. Every venue on that list is either closed for this season or, in Mar Vista's case, under meeting-space work from November through April.
The resort's events page says its events are open to resort guests and local residents, but it doesn't list 2026 holiday dates or venues. If a Pelican Grill Thanksgiving is a family tradition, expect this year's version to be somewhere else, or to skip a year.
Afternoon Tea works the same way. The resort's tea page still lists the Great Room Terrace, Fridays through Sundays, noon to 3 p.m. The Great Room is on the closure list until May 2027. When it reopens, the resort plans to offer Afternoon Tea there on a regular basis. Confirm a winter tea booking before you plan around it.
What Comes Back, in Order
The reopenings arrive in a fairly clear sequence. The Main Estate Fitness Center comes back first, in January 2027, around the same time as Bella Vista Pool. After that:
- Late winter 2027: The Coliseum Pool returns, at first with limited food service from noon to 5 p.m.
- May 2027: Pelican Grill, the lobby, and a new European-style café and market in the former Allegra retail space, serving coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and gourmet provisions.
- June 2027: The Signature Lounge, in the old Caffè & Market, and The Library, in the former Concierge Gallery, with cocktails and Pacific views.
- October 2027: Andrea's replacement, a new signature restaurant created with what the resort calls "a celebrated chef."
- Fall 2027: The St. Regis Estate debut.
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts introduced its "Estates" designation in December 2025 and named Pelican Hill as the first property. The Orange County Business Journal reported that the transition covers the whole site, including the golf courses, villas, bungalows, pools, spa, and restaurants, and adds Butler Service, afternoon tea, and sabrage. Irvine Company remains the owner, and Marriott has managed day-to-day operations, including the golf club, since July 2024.
The Villa Clubhouse, which carries the resort this winter, gets its own refresh from September 2027 to January 2028. Its front desk, bar, and lounge seating will be redone after the Main Estate is finished.
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