Keeping it low-key

The villas are literally a home away from home, ranging from two-bedrooms with 2,193 square-feet to four-bedroom with 3,581 square-feet. From butlers to shoppers, Pelican can personalize their retreat so guests – celebrity or not – don't have to lift a finger.

"We enjoy providing a getaway for guests," Lama said. "Celebrities often tell us the resort 'feels like a world away' from Los Angeles."

Though Pelican is on the hot list right now, other resorts in Newport Beach also draw in guests, who sometimes make headlines while visiting the so-called California Riviera.

The Balboa Bay Club recently hosted Alexis Bellino, one of the "Real Housewives of Orange County." The visit made headlines on TMZ because a stroller carrying Bellino's two daughters slipped into the pool, apparently because she left thought she had secured the device's brake but hadn't.

Then there's Tiger Woods, a part-time Corona del Mar resident, who reportedly met with one of his mistresses at the Island Hotel at Fashion Island.

Actress Lindsay Lohan is also reportedly planning a stay in Newport, though it does not appear to be at a resort. When she gets out of jail, TMZ reported Friday, she will reportedly stay at a rehabilitation "facility" in Newport.