Terranea Resort: Coastal Paradise in Southern California

March 10, 2016

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Luxury Travel Advisor & Founder of Passport To Friday. Follow along on my travels and let me help you plan your dream trip or honeymoon!

I'm Chelsea.

I’m back in business. Well, kind of.

Terranea Resort: Coastal Paradise in Southern California

I was in Cancun this past week and all was sunshine and margaritas until 3 days into my trip my computer wouldn’t turn on. Woke up on a beautiful Saturday morning ready to take on the day, opened my computer, and blank screen. Cue panic attack. Just a minor one though (I am quite proud of myself). Failed every MacBook hack I knew, plugged the power cord in, shed a couple tears, then headed to the gym to work off my stress. When I came back, voila it turned back on! Until two hours later when it shut off completely and would not turn back on for the remainder of my stay.

So I lived computer-free for 4 days in Cancun which was actually refreshingly nice. It set me a little behind on my curet projects, but the program I was working in Cancun didn’t require a laptop. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to have no computer distractions whatsoever.

Fast forward to departure day. Wake up and my computer still doesn’t work… not shocked. As I sat down at the Mera Business Lounge at Cancun Airport, I thought why not try plugging it and seeing what happens. I press the power button and just like that there’s life. Technology is funny sometimes.

Because this was such a strange occurrence and I already had an Apple Genius Bar appointment made, I landed back in Austin and went to straight to the Apple store. A bunch of tests later and my computer was deemed fine. Until it happened AGAIN the next morning. Another Genius Bar appointment later, and my computer was again confirmed to be in perfect condition. Well this morning it happened again but finally turned on an hour later. And I’m currently typing on my laptop right now and it hasn’t shut down, so we are making progress.

Now I just landed in Marco Island, Florida where I will be residing at the Marriott Marco Island for the next 23 days. That’s right, I’m stuck on an island with a half-working computer. We’ll see how this goes. Fingers crossed and prayers are greatly appreciated y’all.

I digress. Today I’m looking back at my stay last month at the beautiful Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. Rancho Palos Verdes is a coastal community south of Los Angeles, about 17 miles from LAX Airport. I refer to Terranea as my favorite hidden gem of Los Angeles County. Tucked away in its own cliffside haven, you’re not far from the hustle and bustle of LA yet you feel lightyears away. Sweeping views of the California coastline, the Mediterranean-inspired design, and tranquil yet luxurious ambience are amongst what delights me the most about this resort.

Enjoy my photo diary and little tidbits about all of my favorite Terranea things. Mainly the food (but are you shocked?)

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

The Resort

The resort itself is spectacular and huge. With 102 acres of property, 582 guest rooms and suites, 3 pools, 8 casual and fine dining options, spa & fitness center, numerous activities, you could stay on property for days yet never get bored. I think the pictures speak for themselves here.

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

The Room

The room at Terranea made me feel right at home with all of the essential amenities. It was a large, spacious room with plenty of areas to sprawl my things all over. My favorite amenities were the good-sized refrigerator, coffeemaker, full soak-in bathtub, comfortable robes, and various local magazines.

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Food & Beverage

Even nearly a month later, I cannot stop thinking about the food at Terranea. The amount of unique, healthy options beat out any resort I’ve ever stayed at and with the variety of restaurants, you can’t get bored with the food here.

The eateries I had the pleasure of trying were:

  • Nelson’s: Happy hour is offered Monday to Friday from  2-4pm and includes beer specials, discounted wines by the glass, and select appetizer specials.
    • Hot Bavarian Pretzel with garlic butter, sweet beer mustard, cheese sauce … Because why not.
    • Poke Salad – daikon slaw, arugula, cucumbers, carrots, tomato, avocado, edamame, ginger sesame vinaigrette, sesame seeds, wasabi ailioi, poke … Probably my best dish at all of Terranea.
    • Nelson’s Fall Salad – mixed greens, kobucha squash, pomegranate seeds, golden raisins, candied pecans, shaved red onions, goat cheese, house made croutons, maple balsamic dressing … I added shrimp and I would choose a different protein to add to this such as chicken or salmon or enjoy on its own!
  • Spa Cafe: Lighter fare located at the spa.
    • Sprouted Avocado Toast ($14) – sprouted bread, smashed avocado, daikon sprouts, roasted tomato and asparagus, soft boiled egg, baby mix greens … Never been so happy to see sprouted bread on a hotel menu, nonetheless avocado toast! Make sure to specify sprouted bread because for some reason they weren’t originally going to put it on sprouted bread even though it is the title of the menu item.
    • Green Crunch Salad ($15) – black kale, brussels sprouts, green apple, broccolini, edamame, blue lake beans, snow peas, dried cranberries, avocado, toasted sunflowerseeds, pomegranate vinaigrette … Delicious, so much crunch!
    • Turkey & Brie Sandwich ($14) – turkey, brie, avocado, mixed greens, sprouted bread … I didn’t get this but my coworker did and if I could still eat cheese, I would have been all over this.
  • Bashi: I did not have the chance to experience happy hour at Bashi but it occurs daily from 4-6pm and includes half-priced sushi rolls, sake specials, and more.
    • Terranea Farm Roll (around $12) – red beet rice, seasonal vegetables, balsamic … I got this because I thought it looked very unique; it was very good with wasabi & soy sauce.
  • Sea Beans: Grab some food to go at this coffee shop & market.
    • Green Matcha-ine Smoothie ($6) – chia seeds, almond milk, honey, banana, matcha green tea powder … My go-to, everyday smoothie.
    • Lean Breakfast Burrito – Egg whites, turkey bacon, spinach, pepper jack cheese in a whole wheat wrap with salsa on the side
    • Grilled Chicken Breast ($6) – Love that they have this a la carte.
    • Chef’s Choice Salad (8 oz is $5.75) – Changes daily but on the day I tried it, it was a farro / tomato / edamame salad.

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Amenities & Activities

There’s almost too much to do here. Stay for a week and you’ll never have to repeat an activity. Activities include lawn games, a nightly sunset ritual, tennis and golf nearby, and s’mores & hot chocolate at the fire pit on Friday nights. For an extra cost, get an expert tour of the tide pools or engage in biking, segway-ing, helicopter riding, surfing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, fishing, and whale watching.

Pools

There are 3 pools at Terranea and each has a different feel and serves different purposes.

  • Resort Pool: A pool the whole family can enjoy and the biggest one on property! Activities here daily.
  • Spa Pool: Serene and adjacent to the spa, guests can enjoy light fare and cocktails with a healthy twist or hang out in a private cabana.
  • Cielo Point: For those ages 18+, guests can enjoy this pool with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Fitness Center

So I have to be perfectly honest. I never actually used the fitness center here, but the program I was working was a workout in itself. Nonetheless, I am so disappointed I was never able to because this resort is my fitness dream. The selection of included group fitness classes is like a full-service gym with a decent amount of them being outdoors overlooking the ocean. The gym itself is impressive as well with a large variety of machines.

  • Examples of Classes: Aqua Conditioning, Aqua Zumba, Full Moon Yoga, Nature’s Gym, Pilates, Sculpt & Stretch, Seaside Cycle, Seaside Yoga, Terranea Total Body, TRX Core Circuit, Yo-Chi, Zumba (see more here)

Hiking

While I was unable to personally check out the hiking scene at Terranea, everybody raves about it. I think my most asked question upon returning from this resort was “did you walk the trails?” So basically, check out those trails and let me know how they are.

Spa

While I never had a spa treatment done, I ventured around the spa while waiting for my food at the Spa Cafe. It is quaint, peaceful, and the clothing selection in the store is wonderful. I would love to come back here and have the full spa experience some day.

 

Safe travels y’all!

Best,

Chelsea Rose Martin

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Hi, I'm Chelsea Martin, Luxury Travel Advisor & Founder of Passport To Friday. I've been planning bespoke luxury vacations and honeymoons for almost a decade now. I can't wait to help you plan the trip of a lifetime! 

A true Cancer, hotel-slipper-obsessed gal whose IG Explore page is full of dogs.

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