This New Hotel Is the Biggest Thing to Happen to California's Newport Beach in Years — and We Were the First to Check It Out

Pendry Newport Beach has a private members' club, a buzzing social scene, and can't-miss restaurants.

It’s a Friday night in Newport Beach, California, and Bar Pendry is bumping. The hotel only held its grand opening celebration the night before, but its reputation clearly preceded it.

“The energy is higher, the music is a little louder, the art is a little funkier,” David Hoffman, the general manager of Pendry Newport Beach, tells me when asked to compare Pendry to its parent brand, Montage International.

Mark Wahlberg isn’t behind the bar slinging tequila cocktails the way he was 24 hours prior, but the crowd doesn’t seem to care. In the lobby, the Pendry team looks out for hotel guests, ensuring they have prime access should they wish to join in the revelry.

Just down the hall but in a world of its own, an entirely different nightlife scene is quietly unfolding inside The Elwood Club, the hotel's private members’ club, with a modern Italian restaurant, Viamara; The Pub, with fireside board games and a Topgolf Swing Suite; and The Cabaret, a swanky lounge where live music is played beneath a painted ceiling. Never ones to miss an opportunity for healthy competition, my fiancé and I enjoy a jazz rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” while polishing off our bottle of Rosso di Montalcino — transferred seamlessly to our Cabaret table from our dinner table at Viamara — and then head next door to swing some clubs.

• Rooms and suites are spacious, ranging from 400 to 2,300 square feet.

• The restaurants are excellent, including Set: Steak & Sushi, which serves perfect wagyu and fresh seafood.

• E-bikes can be borrowed to visit nearby Fashion Island, Balboa Island, and Corona Del Mar.

• A stunning private members' club, The Elwood Club, is on-site.

• The property is dog-friendly and will place dog beds and bowls in rooms upon request.

By daylight, couples, families, and groups of girlfriends fill the pool and cabanas out back, but everyone seems equally committed to relaxing. Summery cocktails don’t feel out of place even though we’re well into October, the sun beating down on the tall palm trees swaying overhead. My golden retriever lounges in the dog bed thoughtfully placed in the shade of our corner cabana — Pendry hotels are known among dog owners to always go above and beyond for four-legged guests.

Related: 17 Best Beaches in Southern California

Perched steps from Newport’s main shopping center, Fashion Island — in the tower that was formerly the Fashion Island Hotel and originally a Four Seasons — the Pendry Newport Beach offers 295 rooms, 114 of them suites. Every one of them comes with space to spread out; the smallest entry-level room is a generous 400 square feet, and the largest suite is a whopping 2,300.

This is Pendry’s eighth hotel and its third property in California, after San Diego (voted No. 1 in the city in Travel + Leisure's 2023 World's Best Awards) and West Hollywood. It sits just 11 miles north of Montage’s first hotel, the Laguna Beach flagship, which opened in 2003. Hoffman, who has been with Montage International for all 20 of those years, says its latest venture is an addition the team is proud to open so close to home.

The Rooms

Pendry Newport Beach houses 295 rooms spread across one 20-story tower. Every room has floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony — most with water views — and while 114 of them are suites, even entry-level rooms start at a spacious 400 square feet. Pendry specializes in urban luxury, and the interiors by Studio Munge reflect that; expect velvet couches, geometric carpets, mod mini-bars, marble countertops, and a black, gray, olive-green, and beige color scheme. Bath products from NYC-founded MiN New York add to the metropolitan feel.

Food and Drink

A dining destination that’s already garnering a lengthy waitlist on weekends, Set: Steak & Sushi serves creative sushi rolls by chef Jojo Ruiz alongside top-quality beef, of course, but it doesn’t stop there. Additional options include peking duck (wrapped in thin scallion pancakes, a can't miss), king crab and corn agnolotti pasta, and the Ultimate Caviar Tower — a selection of caviar, lobster, toro sashimi, oysters, and more. The latter will cost you $1,500, but while this feels like a special night out spot, especially in the lantern-draped garden, the prices aren’t overall exorbitant; we had a perfectly done, 40-ounce wagyu tomahawk we couldn't finish between us for $175. We also loved the Surf and Turf roll, which combines lobster, avocado, asparagus, miso, and garlic ponzu topped with thin slices of wagyu.

Bar Pendry is the centerpiece of the hotel, its oval bar and stylish seating areas filling quickly on Friday and Saturday nights with guests as well as locals. Beverage consultant and manager Grayson Dierksmeier is behind the cocktail list, which he says “appeals to the masses while satisfying the nerds.” That means any cocktail drinker will find familiar flavors, while aficionados will dig deeper and spot unique ingredients and expert technique, he explains while demonstrating his Breville smoking gun at our table. He calls the Sicilian Blush (gin, strawberry Rosso vermouth, Aperol, and a touch of Amaro Montenegro) a “gateway Negroni,” and I think I’m hooked.

Viamara at The Elwood Club is reserved for private members. The stunning space is anchored by saffron-colored couches and accented by lush greenery, and the menu is modern coastal Italian, with house-made pastas and pizzas and a long list of Italian wines. I had the chicken piccata, which was light, flavorful, and paired perfectly with charred broccolini.

Every morning, The Pavilion serves as a wake-up call with fresh coffee and pressed juices, along with a yogurt and overnight oats bar and build-your-own avocado toast or salmon bagel station. Nextdoor, Tree Shack serves poolside fare including tacos, salads, and ceviche, alongside easy-drinking cocktails and local beers.

Activities and Amenities

Pendry Newport Beach has the first Montage/Pendry–created private members' club, The Elwood Club. Inside is Viamara, a beautifully designed modern Italian restaurant; The Pub, a cozy and playful venue for fireside Scrabble and golf simulator games; and The Cabaret, a plush lounge with live jazz music. Members are still being accepted, by invitation only.

Guests get first dibs on the pool, which isn’t huge, but is well-appointed, with private cabanas, plenty of lounge chairs, custom-made pool deck chairs perfect for dipping toes in the water while reading a book, and a hot tub that bubbles beside an outdoor fireplace.

A Ride & Drive program with Cadillac gives Pendry guests the opportunity to explore area attractions in one of the newest models, free of charge. Use of the property’s Scott e-bikes is also complementary and a great way to get to the beach. For the musical type who prefers to stay in and chill, Taylor guitars are placed in rooms upon request.

The Spa

The Newport Beach iteration of Spa Pendry is the only location that has a MediSpa machine (a seven-in-one facial miracle worker), and the only one offering cryotherapy. Eucalyptus steam rooms are the perfect way to wind down after a treatment, which could be anything from a Collagen & Sculpt facial to an Aromatherapy Body Polish to a CBD Pain Relief massage. I went for the Detox & Glow facial and found my skin was, in fact, glowing for days afterward.

Family-friendly Offerings

Paintbox, a kids’ club full of activities aimed at entertaining young guests ages 5 to 12, is open all day and available by advance reservation. Social coordinators are on hand to engage with kids while parents head to the spa or enjoy some quiet, splash-free time by the pool. Newport is a family-friendly city, with shopping, beachy-casual restaurants, surf lessons and other water activities, and Disneyland half an hour away.

Accessibility

A selection of accessible, ADA-compliant rooms and suites are available, with clearance for wheelchair access throughout and lowered closet rods and light switches. Bathrooms are equipped with handrails and roll-in or transfer-seat showers.

Location

It’s important to note that this hotel is not on the beach — but in Orange County, surfing only comes second to shopping. Fashion Island, one of the area’s main shopping centers, is steps away, with boutiques and department stores, restaurants, and a movie theater. Quaint Balboa Island, perfect for strolling and famous for its frozen, chocolate-covered bananas and ice cream bars, is a 10-minute drive, as is Crystal Cove State Park, one of Orange County’s most beautiful stretches of coastline with 18 miles of hiking trails. Renting an easy-to-drive Duffy Boat and navigating the local waterways at 5 mph is also a great way to spend a day.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

There are a number of ways to save 15 to 20 percent on your stay at Pendry Newport Beach, including booking in advance, staying for five or more nights, or even just booking a suite. See offers and availability at pendry.com.

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