Faith put in Pelican Hill staff

The last of 1.1 million hand-cut glass tiles have been laid in the circular pool and the final olive tree planted at the 504-acre Resort at Pelican Hill.

The only thing missing now is the guests.

Pelican Hill is slated to open its doors today after more than three years of construction and preparation in a less-than-hospitable economic climate.

Managing Director Giuseppe Lama knows there will be challenges ahead this holiday season, but he’s counting on the resort’s attention to detail and his staff to make Pelican Hill one of the country’s top destination resorts.

“You have to know how to make a place economically sound,� Lama said. “It’s about finding the right people.�

About 20,000 people interviewed for a chance to work at Pelican Hill. Lama personally met each staff member who made the final cut — looking into their eyes.

“We call it the ‘eye check,’� Lama said. “You need to be able to look everyone in the eyes in the service industry.�

Lama searched far and wide to find the right creme-colored linen to match the Tuscan-themed halls of Pelican Hill. He handpicked special china from Luxembourg for future weddings at the resort — about 25 are booked now.

The Irvine Co.-owned resort overlooking Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Coast features the world’s largest circular pool at 136 feet in diameter. Plaster to complete the walls of the resort’s Great Room was flown in from Italy and applied by hand. Original works of art by California plein-air painters and authentic 17th-century tapestries from Belgium adorn the walls.

The Irvine Co. will not disclose how much it cost to build Pelican Hill, but from the more than 750 hand-picked mature olive trees that adorn the property to the custom paving tiles inspired by a square in Siena, Italy, it’s clear that no expense was spared.

It’s these details Lama hopes will make Pelican Hill into a world-class destination.

Executive Chef Jean-Pierre Dubray took inspiration from the Italian architecture of Pelican Hill. His favorite dish is the ravioli with spinach and ricotta at Andrea, a Tuscan-themed restaurant at Pelican Hill. Overseen by Chef Gianluca Re Fraschini, Andrea features a climate-controlled pasta room, where the noodles are all hand-made.

“We use the freshest produce available and organic ingredients,� Dubray said. “Everything is fresh and made by hand.�

Dubray, who grew up in the Loire Valley region of France, said he takes pleasure in creating dishes with the best ingredients.

It’s all about the product and the way you prepare it,� Dubray said.

The resort also features custom-made gelato made with fresh seasonal ingredients.

Pelican Hills guests also can enjoy their gelato at the resort’s 23,000-square-foot spa. One of the spa’s signature treatments is called the “Body Gelato.� Guests are covered in a fruit body scrub that changes by the season — pomegranate is the current flavor of the month.

The treatment is completed with a cup of gelato hand-delivered by Managing Director Lama in a porcelain cup hand-painted by an artist in Lama’s home town in Tuscany.

“We try to discern the needs of each client, whether it be to replenish, invigorate or relax,� Spa Director Kasia Mays said.

For more photos, click here.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].