Long a favorite summer getaway destination for leisure travelers, coastal Orange County has blossomed into an international, year-round meeting and incentive destination in little more than a decade.
Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau, notes that the region, the backdrop for TV shows such as The OC and The Real Housewives of Orange County, continues to reap the benefits of media exposure that has given it an alluring image around the globe.
“We’ve stepped out of the shadow of Los Angeles and San Diego and are now identified with the Southern California lifestyle,” he says. “Our time has come.”
Much of this new prominence is also due to a small flurry of luxury oceanfront resorts that have opened in recent years, properties that include the Montage Laguna Beach; St. Regis, Monarch Beach; Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach; and others. The combination of five-star resort amenities served up with Pacific views has proved to be a hit with meeting attendees and leisure travelers alike.
“We’re seeing a lot of business coming in from far and wide, including high-end financial meetings from Europe,” says Scott Blakeslee, director of sales and marketing for the St. Regis, Monarch Beach in Dana Point. “People are starting to realize that we are a world-class destination.”
Similarly, Iman Butler, director of sales and marketing for The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, says group business in all segments—corporate and association alike—is at an all-time high at the resort, which opened 23 years ago. He gives some credit to the nearby competition for helping further establish the region as a destination.
“There’s tremendous interest in our part of Orange County right now,” he says. “Definitely the opening of resorts such as the St. Regis and Montage have given us more of a presence.”
Hotel industry analyst Bruce Baltin, senior vice president for PKF Consulting in Los Angeles, notes that Orange County’s waterfront resorts have found ready demand in part because such properties are in relative short supply along the California coast.
“It’s a case of so many people and so few coastal resorts,” he says. “California has far fewer than the East Coast.”
He also observes that the situation is unlikely to change in any significant way anytime soon, given the tight regulations governing coastal development in California.
“Not only are there very few development parcels left on the coast, but the entitlement process takes a long time. Some of these resorts took 20 years to get built,” he says. “There are unlikely to be many more resort projects in the future.”
Nevertheless, the Orange County coast is slated for at least some modest resort growth in the years ahead. The deluxe Resort at Pelican Hill is scheduled to open just south of Newport Beach in fall 2008, while three upscale hotels will make their debut in Huntington Beach over the next several years.
Huntington Beach
Few places have evolved more rapidly as a meetings destination than Huntington Beach, a place where a growing number of sophisticated hotels and resorts are adding cachet to its traditionally laid-back “Surf City USA” persona. The city got a major boost in meetings infrastructure when the 517-room Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort, offering more than 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space, opened next to the 290-room Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in 2003.
“Things really took off here with the opening of the Hyatt and the Hilton,” says Doug Traub, president and CEO of the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. “They gave us a year-round base that we didn’t have before and have really fueled more retail and restaurant development downtown.”
More is on the way. Scheduled for a fall 2008 opening, The Strand is a $90 million, mixed-use downtown development that will include restaurants, shops, office space, and the 157-room Shorebreak Hotel, operated by San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hospitality. The hotel will feature a spa, a fine dining restaurant, a wine bar, 3,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, and a 7,000-square-foot multiuse courtyard.
“It’s right in the sweet spot of town, near the pier and the beach, and will give us more upscale shopping, plus new restaurants,” Traub says of The Strand. “At the same time, the hotel, which will cater to groups of 100 or less, will allow us to better serve small meetings.”
Another new mixed-use complex, Pacific City, located across from the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, is expected to open in fall 2008 with boutique-style shops, restaurants, office space, and other services. A 200-room hotel is scheduled to be added to the complex in spring 2009.
“It’s not been officially announced, but it’s almost certain that the hotel will be a W,” Traub says. “There will also be a pedestrian bridge built over the Pacific Coast Highway to connect Pacific City with the waterfront.”
Another new hotel is also scheduled for the immediate area, a 500-room, five-star property to be located in between the Hilton and Hyatt. According to Traub, the hotel will be the most upscale property in the city and is expected to open in late 2009 or early 2010.
“What this will give us is a cluster of large hotels that can take larger meetings,” he says. “The Hyatt already offers the largest ballroom between Los Angeles and San Diego, so bigger groups using overflow hotels can easily be accommodated when the new properties are built.”
Groups may also find expanded venue space in the coming years. Huntington Beach’s International Surfing Museum is making plans to build a larger museum near the Huntington Pier that would have more space for its collection of surfing memorabilia and also include an indoor theater, aquariums and science exhibits.
Newport Beach
The glamorous waterfront community of Newport Beach, long known for its yacht-filled harbor, fine dining and upscale shopping, is looking even better these days, thanks to nearly $140 million in hotel renovations completed during the last few years. Two major projects were the $70 million makeover for the Newport Marriott Hotel & Spa, which included the addition of a large spa and luxury suites, and the $36 million renovation of the Fairmont Newport Beach, formerly the Sutton Place Hotel.
Another resort, the 132-room Balboa Bay Club and Resort, opened in 2003 on the waterfront with 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space and an extensive spa.
Other meetings-friendly properties include the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, with 26,000 square feet of meeting space, and the newly renovated Radisson Hotel Newport Beach, with 22,000 square feet of meeting space.
Another upscale hotel choice is on the way, with the Resort at Pelican Hill scheduled to open just south of the city in the Newport Coast community by the end of 2008. The luxury property will be adjacent to the Pelican Hill Golf Club, where two championship golf courses have just reopened after major upgrades.
“Our hotel inventory is now in the best shape than it’s ever been,” says Tim Aylsworth, vice president of sales for the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. “All of the resort upgrades have been opening up new doors for us in regards to high-end corporate business. And when Pelican Hill opens, we’ll be in a good position to go after incentive business.”
High-end incentive programs, as well as executive board meetings, will indeed be a major focus for the Resort at Pelican Hill, according to Ellen Adelman, director of sales at the property.
“We think that top executives will be drawn to the exclusivity of our location,” she says. “You just don’t find these kinds of views of the ocean that we’ll have from our accommodations and from the meeting space. At the same time, we’re close to Newport Beach for dine-arounds, regattas, kayaking, dinner cruises—all kinds of water-related activities.”
Pelican Hill accommodations will offer 204 bungalow rooms, suites and hillside units that will all have fireplaces, patios and marble bathrooms.
The resort will also have 128 villas designed for longer stays that will feature from one to four bedrooms and personal butler service.
Along with 36 holes of golf at the Pelican Hill Golf Club, the resort will include multiple restaurants, a pool with private cabanas, a 20,000-square-foot spa, and a variety of indoor and outdoor meeting space accommodating groups of up to 300 people.
Laguna Beach
Home to over 400 artists, Laguna Beach prides itself on its long history as an art colony as well as its distinctive inventory of individually operated hotels. At the same time, the Laguna Beach Visitor and Conference Bureau has ramped up its pursuit of small meetings by adding a meetings manager position to its staff in June.
“We’ve put together a small meetings plan for Laguna Beach,” says Judy Bijlani, executive director of the bureau. “We’re a small and intimate destination with no big chain hotels. Our niche is with groups from 10 to 100 people.”
In particular, the bureau is targeting incentive groups.
“These groups tend to be small and upscale, so a great fit for us,” Bijlani says. “Incentive groups are looking for unique experiences and we can provide them.”
Among those experiences is a new program designed by a local artists group called Laguna Outreach for Community Art (LOCA), which features art classes and activities for hotel guests that can be coordinated for small groups.
“The classes focus on just about any medium—watercolors, silk scarf painting, sculpture, paper making,” Bijlani says. “LOCA also offers an Art and Sea Adventure where people go out to explore tide pools, have lunch on the beach and then do watercolors of what they have seen.”
Bijlani adds that activities for groups can also include food and wine programs at the Laguna Canyon Winery and Laguna Culinary Arts, as well as cycling, kayaking, surfing, and more.
Along with boutique properties, Laguna Beach has two resort hotels: the 263-room Montage Resort and Spa, which opened in 2003 with 14,500 square feet of meeting space, and the 165-room Surf and Sand Resort, which recently completed a major renovation and offers 9,000 square feet of meeting space.
Dana Point
Located south of Laguna Beach, the community of Dana Point boasts some of the most deluxe resorts on the California coast. Its stellar collection of upscale hotels with ocean views includes the 393-room Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel; the 400-room St. Regis, Monarch Beach Resort and Spa, and the 376-room Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa.
The Ritz-Carlton, which completed a major guest room renovation in 2005, will unveil a soft goods renovation of its indoor meeting space in December.
Back in the 1830s the area was immortalized by author and seaman Richard Henry Dana, who, taking note of the majestic bluffs and deep coves, proclaimed it “the only romantic spot on the coast.”
Today the focal point of the community is Dana Point Harbor, a lively center for whale watching, sport fishing, excursions to Catalina Island, and other boating adventures. Visitors can also enjoy the dozens of shops and restaurants that ring the harbor.
At the west end of the harbor, the Orange County Marine Institute is a marine science laboratory that offers exhibits and programs on maritime history and marine life that can be customized for groups. Overlooking the Pacific, the Institute’s Samueli Lecture Hall and Conference Center can host catered events for up to 200 people in a setting with marine tanks and interactive exhibits.
The marine institute also features The Pilgrim, a full-scale replica of the square-rigged vessel that first brought Richard Henry Dana to the port. The Pilgrim is available for team-building activities. Other options include sunset cruises on the tallship Spirit of Dana Point and whale-watching expeditions on the Sea Explorer, the institute’s research vessel.
San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Seal Beach
The communities of San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and Seal Beach provide a tranquil atmosphere of sea cliffs, pristine beaches and quaint coastal villages.
San Juan Capistrano, just south of Dana Point, is home to not only one of California’s most evocative missions but also the Los Rios Historic District, which is the oldest neighborhood in Orange County and is lined with vintage structures that include adobe homes dating to 1794.
For meetings, the city offers the Best Western San Juan Capistrano Inn and Conference Center.
A popular site for corporate events, Mission San Juan Capistrano provides an idyllic setting of lush gardens, vine-covered adobe walls and koi-filled fountains. The mission grounds can accommodate everything from intimate gatherings to gala events for up to 2,000 people.
“Because of its history, we like to honor the Spanish heritage of the Mission by doing a Mexican-style fiesta,” says Margie Mills, president of Coastal Connections, a local DMC. “It can be very elegant and upscale with flamenco dancers, or you can do a Mexican bazaar with a mariachi band. The mission will provide docents who give tours.”
With its winding streets, tile roofs and Spanish street names, San Clemente remains the “Spanish village by the Sea” envisioned by its founder, Ole Hanson, back in 1925. Hanson’s home, Casa Romantica, is now a museum maintained by the city and is also a popular venue for concerts and corporate events.
On the northern edge of Orange County, Seal Beach is known for its historic Main Street, which leads to the Seal Beach Pier and is lined with shops and restaurants. Among its visitor attractions is the Red Car Museum, a vintage Pacific Electric tower car that now displays photographs of early Seal Beach, sea shells and Native American artifacts.
Close to the Coast
With Orange County’s premier shopping mall and performing arts center, Costa Mesa has plenty to offer groups within walking distance of eight first-class hotels that include a combined total of about 2,300 guest rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space.
According to Tom Smalley, president of the Costa Mesa Conference and Visitor Bureau, the city boasts some of the best value for meetings in Orange County.
“We are just five to 10 minutes from the coast, but our rates are much lower—you will typically pay $50 a night less for a comparable property,” he says. “A lot of the beach resorts have great golf courses, but why pay extra for the meeting space and rooms to use them? Our hotels will provide transportation to the golf courses.”
He also emphasizes all the things to see and do in Costa Mesa, which features the many upscale retail and dining offerings of South Coast Plaza, nearly 250 restaurants and the recently expanded Orange County Performing Arts Center. The center, which showcases a full roster of concerts and theatrical productions, and is also available for events, includes a 2,000-seat concert hall, a 500-seat theater and an arts plaza.
Meetings-friendly hotels in the city include the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa, the Westin South Coast Plaza, the Wyndham Orange County, and the Costa Mesa Marriott, among others.
Several hotels have recently wrapped up enhancements, including the Westin South Coast Plaza, which renovated its meeting facilities and lobby and added additional function space; the Wyndham Orange County Hotel, which upgraded its 238 guest rooms and lobby lounge, and unveiled a new restaurant; and Hilton Irvine/Orange County Airport, which renovated its guest rooms, lobby and Crystal Ballroom, and added a new concierge lounge and executive-level floor.
Popular off-site venues in the area include Park Prive, a stand-alone meeting and banquet center that can accommodate up to 800 guests.
Separated from Costa Mesa by John Wayne Airport, the master-planned city of Irvine features several hotel properties with meeting space, including the Hyatt Regency Irvine, the Hilton Irvine/Orange County Airport, the Irvine Marriott, and the Atrium Hotel at Orange County Airport.
An expansion of John Wayne Airport is under way. The project, expected to take several years to complete, includes a new 25,000-square-foot terminal with six gates, additional security checkpoints, new commuter facilities, and additional parking.
For More Info
Anaheim/Orange County Visitor
and Convention Bureau 714.765.8888
www.anaheimoc.org www.meetinanaheim.org
Costa Mesa Conference 714.435.8530
and Visitor Bureau www.costamesa-ca.com
Dana Point COC and Visitor Center 949.496.1555
www.danapointvisitorcenter.com
Huntington Beach Conference
and Visitors Bureau 714.969.3492
www.surfcityusa.com
Irvine COC/Destination Irvine 949.660.9112
www.destinationirvine.com
Laguna Beach Visitor and Conference Bureau 949.497.9229
www.lagunabeachinfo.org
Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau 949.719.6100
www.newportbeach-cvb.com
San Clemente COC 949.492.1131
www.scchamber.com
San Juan Capistrano COC 949.493.4700
www.sanjuanchamber.com
Seal Beach Chamber and Business Association 562.799.0179
www.sealbeachchamber.org
