Pacific Palms Resort: City of Industry, California

WEB RESOURCES

Pacific Palms Resort: City of Industry, California
This unlikely destination proves a worthwhile option for a summer vacation or weekend getaway.
By Kevin O’Connor

With a little twisting of my arm (the beautiful golf courses helped!), Johnny Jet was able to convince me to take my wife to check out the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry in California. When my wife and I have considered various vacation destinations in the past, I can’t say that City of Industry was ever on the list. But after visiting the beautiful Pacific Palms Resort, we may just need to reconsider.

CHECKING IN
Framed by the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains and the picturesque Anaheim Hills, the Pacific Palms Resort offers one of the most luxurious resort experiences in the heart of Southern California. Centrally located near the 605 and 60 freeways, Pacific Palms caters to both leisure and business travelers and features great amenities: two championship golf courses, fine dining, beautiful, lush grounds and a new spa, scheduled for completion in early 2008. My wife and I arrived very late in the evening and were greeted by the friendly staff at the check-in desk. We were glad that the check-in process was easy because we were both very tired from a long day of traveling and we wanted to get to our room as quickly as possible to get a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, the first room we were given was next to someone who thought that the only way to watch TV was to turn the volume up so loud that the entire 10th floor could hear the 11 o’clock news. However, we were quickly and efficiently moved into a new room and soon our troubles were behind us. Every one of the resort’s 292 guest rooms, six suites and two presidential suites, provide the comfort of a ‘home away from home’ as well as the functionality and efficiency of a high-tech office. Newly remodeled, these guest rooms have been decorated with an eclectic California flair and feature granite bathroom surfaces, fine linens, plush bathrobes and signature bath products. The room was a bit small, but very functional. Free wireless or wired Internet access is provided ... a definite bonus! The bathroom was a little small; especially the countertop that needs to be big enough to accommodate my wife’s extensive toiletry collection and the only item that I can normally fit - my toothbrush!

GOLF, ANYONE?
Unfortunately my 5:30am wake up call to play golf was all for naught because there was a mix-up with my tee-time. But all was not lost as I was able to putt/chip and hit some range balls later in the day. The resort features 36 holes of some of the best golf in Southern California. The 4-Star Golf Digest-rated Industry Hills Golf Club offers two championship golf courses, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Course, aka ‘The Ike,’ and the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Course, aka ‘The Babe’. Reopened in November 2006 after a full-scale refurbishment, The Ike features brand-new hybrid Bermuda Tifway II fairway grass, reconstructed greens and a new watering system to ensure the high standard that golfers the world over have come to expect from this course. The Babe, undergoing a similar refurbishment, will reopen in summer 2007. The new Resort Pro Shop is now open. Pacific Palms also offers a two-tier, 64-stall driving range and three putting greens.

BREAKFAST: CIMA RESTAURANT
After returning to our room and catching a quick nap (I only got about 5 ½ hours of sleep the previous night), my wife and I made our way to Cima restaurant for breakfast. Perfect for both casual and fine dining, Pacific Palms’ premier restaurant Cima offers incredible flavors with a Pacific fusion influence for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their special Sunday brunch and East Meets West seafood buffet on the weekends are tremendously popular with guests and locals alike. Coming in late 2007, Elements Grill & Bar will feature five distinct dining areas, each providing a different feel and atmosphere. I had a Belgian waffle with raspberries and bacon and my wife had a 2-egg omelet and hash browns. The staff was friendly and helpful, but unfortunately the food left a little to be desired. The menu indicated that the waffle would come with whipped cream, but when it arrived, there was none to be found; my syrup was too thick and almost inedible. Our waiter, Enrique, quickly returned with better syrup and a bottle of the finest whipped cream so in the end, I happily ate my waffle. My bacon was overcooked, so I only ate one piece. My wife’s omelet was hot and good, but her hash browns were undercooked. Overall, I would only give our breakfast one thumb up.

BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS
After we finished our breakfast, Leslie and I decided to explore the beautiful grounds of the resort. The first thing to strike us were the unbelievable views that surround the resort. Our first stop was the pool area. The pool is for the use of guests only so you need a room key to access the area. This is good because there are a lot of outside people who come to play golf – so this extra security limits the number of people who actually use the pool. The pool itself is kind of small although the deep end is eight feet deep. So, if you like to dive into a pool and not be scared of hitting your head, then this is the pool for you. There is a Jacuzzi available next to the pool that has a partial view of the valley below.

ST. ANDREW’S STATION
As we made our way deeper into the grounds of the resort, we came upon St. Andrew's Station. St. Andrew’s Station features a casual menu for golfers and resort guests who want to relax and enjoy sweeping views of the San Gabriel Mountains and "The Ike" golf course. St. Andrew's is a great venue for barbecues, golf tournaments, catered events and private parties. The views are really great from the patio; you can hang out here if you want some casual food, or if you’re making your way from the 9th green to the 10th Tee Box, you can stop in for a bite to eat and grab a cold beverage.

LOOKING TO GET HITCHED?
Further up a secluded path behind St. Andrew’s Station, we discovered a really cool little area that is used for weddings. This area is the romantic outdoor gazebo, a beautiful spot featuring awesome views of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Anaheim Hills. The area is available for morning and evening ceremonies (yes, they have lights!), the gazebo is very private and secluded, capable of hosting ceremonies as small as 20 guests and as large as 600. This large, grassy area is flexible enough for practically any type of wedding. The resort can accommodate even the largest of weddings. There are three ballrooms that can be used for any event. The Majestic Ballroom is ideal for the classic wedding reception, dinner and dance with traditional dark wood accents and space for up to 1000 guests. The Colonial Ballroom offers an open, light atmosphere, with soothing colors and tulip-inspired fixtures. With floor-to-ceiling windows on three of four walls, all looking out on the valley below, the Colonial Ballroom is a modern setup, comfortable for up to 250 guests to enjoy a dinner and dance affair. For those seeking an outdoor wedding reception location for up to 350 guests, the resort’s Pavilion Terrace is a beautiful, open-air balcony right off the Colonial Ballroom. The Pavilion Terrace houses a semi-permanent tent offering shade from the elements and overlooking the San Gabriel Valley below.

IN-ROOM MASSAGE
Until the spa is completed, the resort offers guests the opportunity to have an in-room massage. The rates for the massage are very reasonable ($75 for a 55-minute massage), and the "in-room" part makes it a very convenient option. The room that we had been moved to had plenty of room for the massage table that the therapist brought so Leslie and I prepared for the massage. We’re a little shy so there aren’t any pictures of our in-room massage, but suffice it to say, it was wonderful!

DINNER: CIMA BUFFET
After completing our massages, Leslie and I were excited to return to Cima Restaurant to enjoy the seafood buffet! Available on Friday and Saturday nights, the East Meets West seafood buffet offers an array of fresh seafood from the Pacific Ocean. The weekend dinner buffet also features jumbo shrimp cocktail, king crab legs, mussels, sushi and sashimi. The shucked-to-order oyster bar features seasonal fresh oysters including Blue Point, Fanny Bay and Hama Hama. Chef’s special creations include baked lobster, tropical fruit smoothies, carved-to-order meats, fresh barbecue and a dim sum station. The East Meets West seafood buffet is served Friday and Saturday evenings from 6pm until 10 pm. Price: $49.88 for adults. Leslie and I were greeted by a very friendly hostess who led us to our table. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating and there’s plenty of room for large parties. Leslie and I have visited many buffets so we were able to quickly get a sense for the breadth of their offerings as well as the quality of the food. We liked what we saw so we did a quick walk through of the offerings (recommended for smaller eaters like me!) to determine exactly what we would be targeting. We were both impressed by the large variety of offerings that were available. The first thing we saw was a very cool, loose-leaf tea bar. Guests can prepare tea in individual pots with a variety of exotic blends, including loose-leaf teas made specifically for Pacific Palms by LA Mill Coffee in Alhambra.

We made our way around the very large, but somewhat noisy restaurant. Granted, the night we visited was the day before Father’s Day, so that most likely contributed to the volume that night. Leslie and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the food, especially the dim sum, freshly prepared by the chef and the fresh lobster cooked Chinese-style in a wok. We also enjoyed the Japanese station where the sushi master chefs prepare both popular and rare creations, including the highly requested uni (sea urchin), which is new to the menu. Sushi fans can select from an expanded array of top-grade fish to be prepared nigiri-style with rice or as sashimi. You can also enjoy the sizzling tempura vegetables and shrimp as well as noodles prepared fresh daily. After we finished our main meal, Leslie and I made it over to the dessert station. For the first time that night, we were disappointed ... although it saved us some extra calories! Compared to most of the other buffets that we’ve eaten at, the dessert station was very limited. Maybe their food is so good, that they’ve found that the demand for desserts is small. But if you’re a dessert enthusiast, options are limited. There were also no "sugar-free" desserts for those who avoid sugar or have diabetes. Overall, I give Cima very high marks; the price is a little high compared to other buffets, but if you take advantage of all of the incredible options, it’s well worth that price.

HOT SPOT
After dinner, Leslie and I decided to take a walk around the grounds once more, mainly to walk off dinner. The grounds were well lit and we felt safe as we walked at night. Once we finished our walk, we visited the Hot Spot. At night, the Hot Spot is a cool martini lounge for a trendy crowd with exotic appetizers and distinctive drinks. There are plenty of comfy chairs and couches. By day, the area behind the main Hot Spot bar area is the Pacific Palms Business Center. This area is a one-stop resource for business travelers, road warriors and hotel guests. Business services include shipping, color copies, transparencies, scanners, graphic design and business supplies. The Hot Spot also features a separate room that includes a pool table and dartboard.

SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE RANGE
Leslie and I decided that since I didn’t get the opportunity to play golf in the morning, it would be a great idea for me to work off my buffet dinner by heading out to the driving range at the resort to hit a bucket of balls. Much to our surprise, Saturday night at the driving range is a big night out! Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my camera (shame on me!) so I don’t have any candid photos of the crowd, but I can tell you that there were so many people out there hitting golf balls, that it took 25 minutes for us to get a slot to hit balls. If I hadn’t purchased my golf balls, I would have politely walked away and called it a night. The cost for a large bucket is $3, which in the driving range world, is a big bargain; I’m used to paying $8 per large bucket. The Pacific Palms driving range sports a 64-stall, two-tier driving range and is rather impressive. The facility features synthetic turf, non-glare lighting for late nights and target greens surrounded by bunkers and a lake that is interesting ... it’s a little close so it’s more of a catch basin for bad shots than a real practice aid.

ACCOMMODATIONS ABOVE THE OUTDOOR BALLROOM!
Unfortunately, our room was directly above the outdoor ballroom. Of course, since I was up at 5:30am, I was drifting off by 10:30pm. Much to my chagrin, there was an extremely loud party going on in the outdoor ballroom. My recommendation would be to ask for a room on the opposite side of the hotel. The views from the other side are probably not as spectacular as they are from the side our room was located on, but if you’re there on a Saturday night, you’ll most likely face the noise on that side of the hotel. If you can deal with that, I would recommend the view – it is awesome!

CHECKOUT
Our quick excursion to the Pacific Palms Resort seemed to come to an end as quickly as it had begun. Overall, Leslie and I were really impressed with the property! Of course, when the spa and Elements restaurant are finished next year, the resort will be enhanced greatly – I can’t wait to try it out! Currently, the hotel does not have a gift/sundries shop as it’s still under construction, so unless you want to drive off-property to get toiletries, make sure that you have all of your supplies with you. Our checkout experience was quick and easy and the staff was very friendly and eager to help us to our car ... did they want to get rid of us? After our wonderful experience, we would highly recommend that you consider the Pacific Palms Resort as a destination for your next vacation. Pacific Palms Conference Resort, One Industry Hills Parkway, Industry, CA; tel.: 1-800-524-4557.

Kevin O’Connor is an Enterprise Software Manager, Real Estate Entrepreneur, and travel enthusiast. He and his wife Leslie have been married for 7 years and live in Redondo Beach, CA with their 3 Ragdoll cats. Kevin is 42 and is originally from Lake Arrowhead, CA

*Please tell us what you think of Kevin's trip!

All information presented here is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Please confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.

All images are the property of Johnny Jet Inc. and cannot be reproduced, in whole or in part, without our express permission. If you would like to reprint an image, please contact us at info@johnnyjet.com for image re-use rates.

Note: This trip was sponsored by Pacific Palms Resort.

Pictures From

The Trip