The Resort at Pelican Hill announced the appointment of Clayton van Hooijdonk as Director of Food & Beverage, overseeing all restaurant, in-room dining and beverage operations at the luxury 504-acre Newport Beach property.
“Van Hooijdonk brings over 25 years of hospitality industry experience to us at Pelican Hill “ said Managing Director, Tom Donovan. “We are looking forward to tapping into van Hooijdonk’s expertise and we welcome a new perspective, fresh ideas and contributions to our property. We continue to strive to develop unique menu concepts and dishes that will elevate the guest experience, in addition to expanding our current offerings.”
Van Hooijdonk will guide the dedicated food & beverage team and service throughout Pelican Hill’s distinctive dining venues, including signature Italian restaurant Andrea, Coliseum Pool & Grill and Pelican Grill. The award-winning Andrea is renowned for recreating storied culinary traditions and classic dishes with true flavors of Italy. An incomparably fun and intriguing place to dine, the Coliseum Pool & Grill overlooks the “scene” at the strikingly iconic Coliseum Pool, back-dropped by the Pacific Ocean. Located at Pelican Hill Golf Club, Pelican Grill presents the quintessential California dining experience, featuring fresh and locally sourced foods, al fresco dining on the ocean-view terrace, and a lively lounge popular for viewing sports on two giant televisions. The resort’s other culinary venues include Piccolo dining at the Villas; Caffe & Market; Caffe II; Great Room Social Lounge and in-room dining.
Van Hooijdonk joined Pelican Hill from Montage Beverly Hills, where he maintained the Resort’s Forbes Five-Star recognition. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Food & Beverage at The Intercontinental Miami. Van Hooijdonk started his hospitality career as the Executive Chef at several luxury locations for The Ritz Carlton Hotels and Resorts including Key Biscayne, Dove Mountain and Boston Common. He holds two degrees in Culinary Arts from Universities in the Netherlands.
