Terranea Resort
By Ludmilla
Alexander
What’s the
difference between a good hotel and a great hotel? Good
hotels provide clean comfortable rooms, which are satisfying
at the moment but quickly fade from memory. Great hotels
offer unique features that make you want to repeat your
visit. The Terranea Resort, located on the Palos Verdes
peninsula, twenty miles south of Los Angeles International
Airport, falls into the great category. Opened in June
2009, the 102-acre resort, standing on bluffs above the
Pacific Ocean, is designed in a Mediterranean style with
beautiful views of Catalina Island, landscaped gardens, 360
plush guest rooms with balconies plus many unique features.
What are its
memorable features? Seagulls and other birds never annoy
diners at outdoor restaurants because a falconer comes
several times a week to fly his hawk and owl to keep
unwanted birds at bay. (You can watch the falconer fly his
birds at scheduled times.) Naturalists conduct guided tours
along the bluffs, pointing out coastal flora and fauna, as
well as frolicking dolphins and gray whales migrating to and
from Alaskan waters. (Check them out on the telescopes.)
Local plein air artists from the Portuguese Bend Artist
Colony create paintings on the property with their best
works of art adorning hotel walls. And during winter
months, you can actually see the sun rise and set over the
ocean from a single vantage point due to the resort’s
south-facing location.
Food - Choose
between eight different dining establishments on the
property. The signature restaurant is elegant Mar’sel,
offering a California-inspired menu. Nelson’s restaurant
and bar overlooks the coves that were featured on the
television series Sea Hunt and in many movies, including the
Pirates of the Caribbean. Catalina Kitchen serves
incredible breakfasts.
Activities –
Swim in one of three pools and watch the kids careen down a
140-foot waterslide. Roast marshmallows at night under a
starry sky at an outdoor fire pit. Tee off at the Links at
Terranea, a 9-hole, par-3 golf course. (Children are
allowed to play.) Kayak along the coastline for a close-up
look at Point Vincente Lighthouse. Ride bicycles into
town. Or indulge yourself with a relaxing treatment at the
50,000 square foot spa.
Temperatures –
Gentle westerly breezes in the afternoon keep temperatures
barely above 80 degrees in the summer. Winter temperature
averages 67 degrees. www.TerraneaResort.com
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