Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. We stayed there. Here’s our review.
Review: Hyatt Regency Newport Beach (California)
Photo: hyatt.com
About Hyatt Regency Newport Beach
The Hyatt Regency Newport Beach is a hotel that offers a resort-like experience in the heart of Southern California. The hotel has a long history of hosting guests and locals (dating back to 1962), and is affectionately known as “The Newporter”. The hotel has 410 rooms, including four villas with private pools. The hotel also has three distinctive pools, a golf course, a fitness center, a spa, and a reputation as a live music venue for the famous Newport Beach Jazz Festival and Summer Concert Series.
Photo: hyatt.com
Our Stay At A Glance:
- Average Nightly Cost During Stay: $275 ($360.58 all-in)
- Loyalty Program: World of Hyatt
- Loyalty Category: Category 4
- Discount Applied: 15,000 Points
- Room Type as Booked: 1 King Bed Room
- Room Upgrade: N/A
- Resort Fee: $40 per night (waived when redeemed on points)
- Overnight Parking Fee: $47 valet; $40 self-parking
Booking/Redemption
Location & Parking
The hotel is situated in Newport Beach, a coastal city that is famous for its sandy beaches, scenic harbor, and water sports. The hotel is next to the Upper Newport Bay Nature Reserve, a wetland and wildlife sanctuary that offers hiking, biking, kayaking, and birdwatching activities. The hotel is also near many attractions, such as Fashion Island, Balboa Island, Disneyland Resort, Knott’s Berry Farm, and South Coast Plaza..
The hotel has overnight valet parking for $47. The hotel also has self-parking for a fee of $40 per night.
The Parking Lot
Front Desk & Check-In
Photo: hyatt.com
World of Hyatt Explorist Benefits
As a member of the World of Hyatt loyalty program (with Explorist status), I did not receive a room upgrade, but I did receive a late checkout of 2 p.m., a waived resort fee on free night awards, and a bonus mile for every dollar spent on qualifying American Airlines flights.
We also received this card [below] with the following additional benefits listed:
Welcome Package
Building
Photo: hyatt.com
1 King Bed Room Walkthrough Tour:
Bedroom Area
We stayed in the 1 King Bed Room, which was spacious and comfortable. The room had a cozy Hyatt Grand Bed, a 49-inch Flatscreen TV, a large work desk, a coffee maker, a mini-fridge, and a small patio with a view of the golf course and parking lot.
Wide-angle
Living Area
Room Amenities
Closet
Bathroom
The room also had Pharmacopia toiletry products, which I’m not a huge fan of. I consider them very “mid”.
Patio
Photo: hyatt.com
View From The Room
Dining Options
The hotel had several bar and dining options including SHOR, an American Seafood Grill (and also an open-air restaurant that offered a breakfast buffet with omelet and waffle stations, fresh fruit, and oatmeal); the Lobby Market and Lounge, and Oasis Pool Bar.
Breakfast At Shor
We had breakfast at SHOR during our stay, and we were pleasantly surprised by the delicious food and the reasonable prices on the menu. We went with the Vanilla-Crusted French Toast and the Crab Cake Benedict. Both were amazing – especially the French Toast.
Get this!
Things To Do Nearby
There were many things to do around the hotel, both on and off the property. The Back Bay Golf Course, which was a 9-hole executive course that offered scenic views of the bay and the city skyline was on-property. We used the hotel’s bike rental and explored the Balboa Island. The Newport Beach Pier was nearby, as was Fashion Island, an upscale outdoor mall that had a variety of stores, eateries, and entertainment options. Both Disneyland Resort and Knott’s Berry Farm were both about 30 minutes away from the hotel (depending on SoCal traffic of course).
For those seeking outdoor activities, Newport Beach offers scenic boat tours of the harbor, whale watching, and stand-up paddle boarding. The Balboa Fun Zone, a historic amusement park, is also nearby.
Swimming Pool
Photo: hyatt.com
Photo: hyatt.com
Back Bay Golf Course
Photo: hyatt.com
Fitness Center
Photo: hyatt.com
The Bottom-Line Review: Hyatt Regency Newport Beach (California)
We enjoyed our stay at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach overall.
The resort’s location was a major advantage, with its proximity to Newport Harbor, Balboa Island, and Newport Beach. The service at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach was friendly, and the delicious breakfast at the Shor restaurant was a highlight.
While the overall experience was highly enjoyable, I wouldn’t call it “luxurious”. The resort felt a bit dated/”past its prime” and could likely benefit from an overall major room refresh and updating of some of its facilities and amenities. Additionally, although the service was generally excellent, being an Explorist elite really didn’t do much of anything for us at this hotel.
With its comfortable accommodations, delicious breakfast, and prime location, it offers a great value proposition – especially for travelers redeeming on points. In fact, it’s one of the few remaining Southern California Hyatt resort properties where you can redeem a free night (Category 1-4) certificate at. We can easily recommend it to families, couples, or vacationers.
Final Rating: 7.75 out of 10.
