Planners seeking new lures and lodgings in Orange County don’t have to look very far these days. The region, and particularly its core city of Anaheim, is seeing a wave of fresh offerings that you practically need a scoreboard to keep up with.
Venue Vitality
There are lodging builds and revamps all over the county, but the real hive of activity is in Anaheim, particularly its lively Resorts District. In 2016, six new hotels will bring more than 1,500 additional guest rooms and suites to the destination, including summer launches of a 262-key Hyatt House by the Convention Center and a 296-room Residence Inn.
The luxe level of local lodgings is getting a big boost too, with the O.C.’s first JW Marriott set for groundbreaking later this year. The 466-room property will be located in the heart of the Anaheim Resort district at Anaheim GardenWalk. If given approval, a 580-room luxury hotel will replace the Anaheim Plaza Hotel, and a third $225 million property will replace the Anabella Hotel, adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center.
Along with Anaheim’s outburst of new properties, nearby Garden Grove had its own news worth howling about with the March debut of a spacious Great Wolf Lodge resort. The property comprises 603 suites, 20,000 square feet of event space and seven dining venues in addition to its 105,000-square-foot waterpark.
“Great Wolf Lodge is something new and completely different from the current hotels and entertainment in the area, but we also are the perfect complement,” says Rhonda Khabir, corporate director of sales, Great Wolf Resorts. “Our proximity to the Anaheim Convention Center also makes us a great location for meeting planners looking for a nearby hotel that offers more than just a room with a king bed.”
A recent regal refresh of sorts was in the works at Newport Coast’s elegant Resort at Pelican Hill, where last fall the property introduced Tea Moderno in its revamped Great Room Social Lounge, which also added a “small bites menu” and craft cocktails—plus entertainment like resident DJ shows on weekends and monthly pop-up art galleries. The resort also unveiled a new Caffe & Market last summer, with breakfast, lunch, dinner and easy take-away meals.
Pelican Hill also has some new experiences on tap, including an Art of Pasta program at its flagship restaurant, Andrea, and just-introduced spa offerings like the Spring Renaissance Facial, Poolside Pedicures and the Father’s Day Relax & Reboot program.
Elsewhere along the coast, Huntington Beach has a major revamp and luxurious launch worth touting. Hilton’s Waterfront Beach Resort is planning an ambitious expansion highlighted by a new 152-suite tower; the project is slated to wrap in late 2017. And just across the Pacific Coast Highway an upscale new resort is opening later this year—the 250-room Pasea Hotel & Spa, complete with 34,000 square feet of event space.
Lovely Laguna Beach offers its own transformation, with some notable openings and reinventions. The elegant Ranch at Laguna Beach is undergoing a sweeping revamp set to wrap up in June, while the former Laguna Cliffs Inn was remade into the hip Laguna Beach House and even added a new meeting room perfect for small groups or intimate private dining. And in late 2015, Montage Laguna Beach completed its newly reimagined Catalina, Sunset and Aliso Suites, aiming to reflect the resort’s coastal surroundings with natural color palettes, modern furnishings, brick and stone hearth fireplaces.
Also along the shore, the Newport Beach area recently unveiled the 10.5-acre Marina Park, a robust site comprising a spacious community center, picnic grounds, a Lighthouse Cafe and other lures. The city is also excited about the upcoming debut of the Lido House, an upscale 130-key boutique property that will also offer meeting rooms and a ballroom, elegant dining and a rooftop lounge/viewing area.
In neighboring Costa del Mar, planners should keep their eyes on the newly transformed New Port Theater, a classic movie-house that has been reworked into an event-friendly luxury theater that can host private affairs of up to 300. Movie-goers can take in more than just a film here, as the venue serves gourmet fare and a full bar of beer, wine and cocktails that can be enjoyed during the movie.
PageBreak
Irvine is in on the OC action as well, breaking ground in February on the 271-key Irvine Spectrum Marriott, the company’s first new-build to feature its “Millennial-focused” design elements and host to 13,000 square feet of function space. Set to wrap construction in summer of 2017, the 15-story property will also offer an expansive spa and pool area, and event settings will range from a lush lawn to a rooftop patio.
Center of Growth
The Anaheim Convention Center could easily rest on its laurels as one of the West’s largest and most dynamic event venues, but it takes the opposite approach of constantly expanding and revamping. The current improvement project is truly one for the ages, a $180 million project adding 200,000 square feet of flexible space that will wrap up next year.
“Anaheim has continually renewed its commitment to the convention and meetings market by reinvesting in the things that matter most to the industry,” says Harriet Porter, vice president of convention sales, Visit Anaheim. “The Anaheim Convention Center expansion, set to be completed in 2017, will give planners the flexibility to add more educational sessions to their program. The additional meeting space will also allow Anaheim to host concurrent events throughout the year. In concert with the expansion, the Anaheim Resort District development has been keeping pace with new hotels, dining and entertaining options.”
Disney Developments
The Disneyland Resort and its 180,000 square feet of event space have become even more group-friendly during the park’s Diamond Celebration, which runs through this summer and has amped up a trio of already amazing evening experiences.
The “Paint the Night” parade and “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular now go beyond anything seen in the past at Disneyland Park. And in Disney California Adventure Park, a new “World of Color” show tells the tale of Mickey Mouse and Disney through fountains, film, animation, a grand musical score and some flame-filled visual surprises.
For meeting planners, the new shows will provide added options for private events held in the Disneyland theme parks, whether it’s receptions for 20 people, or an opening gala or closing event for thousands. The evening extravaganzas can be a great way for groups to celebrate following a full day of meetings.
“At Disneyland Resort, we have a great variety of new entertainment offerings available to groups meeting at the resort this summer,” says Robert Donahue, director, resort and park event sales and services for the Disneyland Resort. “From dazzling nighttime spectaculars that are part of our Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration to the debut of Frozen–Live at the Hyperion musical and the exciting ‘World of Color’ Dessert Party at Disney’s California Adventure Park, these new offerings provide even more entertainment options for attendees visiting Disneyland Resort. They’re also just another reminder of the incredible resources we have available for corporate and association events and how a Disney meeting is unlike anything you can create anywhere else.”
The new shows will provide added options for private events held in the Disneyland theme parks, whether it’s receptions for 20 people, or an opening gala or closing event for thousands. The evening extravaganzas can be a great way for groups to celebrate following a full day of meetings.
Anaheim Gets Sporty
Last but not least, Anaheim is revving up to bring in even more sporting events with the March introduction of Sports Anaheim, completely dedicated to fostering the region’s growth as a host of athletic events. It will be overseen by Roy Edmondson, vice president of sports development for Visit Anaheim.
