Pelican Hill gets AAA, Forbes high honors

NEWPORT COAST — Pelican Hill Resort has been awarded top honors by two leading travel companies for a second consecutive year, managers of the resort said.

Pelican Hill Resort was named a 2011 AAA Five Diamond Award winner for the Resort and 2011 Forbes Five-Star Award for The Spa at Pelican Hill, according to a press release.

In order to achieve a AAA Diamond Rating, the Automobile Club’s professional team evaluates based on a scale of one to five AAA Diamonds, which indicate the level of complexity in service, décor and amenities.

To achieve Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star status, properties must pass an unannounced, undercover service evaluation conducted by Forbes Travel Guide’s inspectors.

“For the nearly 1,000 passionate, dedicated and talented hospitality professionals at Pelican Hill Resort, it’s a tremendous honor to have consistently earned such prestigious recognition from the beginning, when our doors opened just two short years ago,” Pelican Hill Resort Managing Director Giuseppe Lama said in a prepared statement.

— Sarah Peters