By: Jennifer Kester
Published: September 27, 2023
Pendry Newport Beach debuts today in California’s Orange County, unveiling 295 guest rooms, including 114 suites (many with Pacific Ocean, Newport Harbor and Back Bay views); several dining destinations; a spa; an outdoor pool; the town’s largest event space; and the brand’s inaugural members club, which boasts its own cabaret, restaurant and bar.
The hotel revamped the former Fashion Island Hotel, a 20-story tower with a distinctive staircase façade just steps from Fashion Island, one of the region’s top luxury malls. It marks Pendry Hotels & Resorts’ eighth property overall and its third Southern California outpost (after San Diego and West Hollywood) and eighth property overall. The Newport Beach hotel helps clinch parent company Montage International’s strong presence in the region — it’s 11 miles up the coast from the flagship, Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Montage Laguna Beach.
While Pendry Newport Beach sits minutes from the water, Studio Munge (whose sleek designs can be found in Halifax, Canada’s Muir Hotel, Autograph Collection and Brooklyn’s The William Vale) took cues from the hotel’s inland location and verdant grounds for the contemporary accommodations. The Toronto-based company created bright garden-inspired interiors — white walls with olive sofas, nightstands and credenzas. Framed prints of Hermès botanical-patterned scarves hang above the beds. Every room comes with floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony or patio, Bluetooth speakers and a bathroom with MiN toiletries and a rain shower or an oversized tub.
The luxury hotel also offers three dining and drinking spots. Signature restaurant SET Steak & Sushi comes from Clique Hospitality, a group known for Vegas nightlife like Eight Cigar Lounge in Resorts World Las Vegas and CliQue Bar & Lounge in The Cosmopolitan. Enjoy locally sourced surf (sushi, sashimi and specialty rolls) and turf (steakhouse favorites like an American wagyu rib-eye cap and a California Holstein bone-in rib steak) along with an extensive wine list and classic cocktails. Have your meal in the dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows or the wood patio under the trees.
Bar Pendry provides a natural gathering spot for craft cocktails, light bites or full meals. The richly designed bar also adopts the garden theme, with olive accents (like the seats lining a circular white-stone-topped bar or the pillows on a sofa), tropical plants and top-to-toe windows overlooking the grounds. Dine on the patio or poolside at Tree Shack Pool Bar & Grill, which spotlights the flavors of nearby Baja. The grill focuses on farm-fresh vegetables and prime Southern California ingredients. The Pavilion serves a classic California-inspired breakfast.
If you need to recharge, Spa Pendry curated a menu that includes treatments for the body (like the therapeutic CBD Pain Relief Massage and the Intensive Anti-Aging Body Treatment with an exfoliation, wrap and massage) and skin (like the MediSpa Gold Facial that’s tailored to your needs and includes a collagen mask). The spa has seven treatment rooms, including one for couples, as well as eucalyptus-infused steam rooms and a circulation-boosting cryotherapy chamber. There’s also a 24-hour gym with Technogym equipment and Peloton bikes.
Other notable hotel amenities include Paintbox, the brand’s kids club for children ages 5 to 12, and more than 58,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. The latter’s highlight is the 8,700-square-foot Grand Ballroom, the largest meeting space in Newport Beach.
The new hotel also debuts The Elwood Club, the brand’s first private club.
“The Elwood Club was created to provide our members with an artistic, sophisticated, exclusive and highly programmed social club experience where they can entertain and unwind, from day to night, with friends and neighbors alike,” said Michael Fuerstman, co-founder, Pendry Hotels & Resorts. “We look forward to debuting The Elwood Club as an unmatched hospitality destination in Orange County.”
While The Elwood is members only, hotel guests will have access based on availability. The club takes up a wing at Pendry. Its most interesting offering is The Cabaret. In the classic cabaret show bar, a center stage hosts live entertainment and intimate shows for members. It serves rare vintage spirits, craft cocktails and an extensive champagne list.
Elsewhere in the club, indoor/outdoor restaurant Viamara employs seasonal produce and locally sourced fish and meat for its modern Italian cuisine. For lunch and dinner, savor housemade pastas and pizzas, shareable dishes like whipped ricotta and a seafood tower, and Italian wines, aperitifs, digestifs and cocktails. The Pub lives up to its name with pub fare and European-style brews in a cozy setting with a fireplace and a golf simulator.
TynanGroup is the Project Manager on the Pendry Newport Beach Hotel Project.
