Last November, Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa General Manager Debbie Snavely told the audience gathered for Newport Beach & Company’s annual Marketing Outlook Reception & Tourism Awards Ceremony that “my hotel is undergoing a complete reimagining that will be transformational in scope, and will bring an entirely new super luxury product to our city. It will be something you have never seen before, and will create a magnificent new experience. They have gone all out, it’s nothing short of game changing.”
Now comes word that the Newport Beach Marriott, renamed VEA Newport Beach, a Marriott Resort & Spa, will officially debut this spring.
According to information from the resort, the property is undergoing a complete top-to-bottom refresh, including new coastal-inspired luxury guest rooms, the introduction of two new suite categories, three new restaurant and bar concepts, a wellness focused spa and high-performance fitness center, expansive new indoor and outdoor event spaces, and a luxury destination pool experience.
“As Newport Beach locals ourselves, we are proud to present something created by the community, for the community,” shares Kory Kramer of Eagle Four Partners, who together with Lyon Living acquired the property last November. “With the reimagination of the longstanding Marriott property, our objective was to create a resort experience authentic to the Newport Beach community, while being a California costal destination unlike any other.”
According to press info, VEA translates to mean “see,” and there’s a lot to see at VEA.
The property is being redesigned to focus on the hotel’s ocean view. The vision for VEA is being brought to life by architecture and design firms HBA, Gensler, Burton Studio, and Houston Tyner Architects.
The ambiance is said to feature warm woods, muted neutrals, delicate marble, and sculptural glass for a high design without excessive complexity.
“Eagle Four Partners and Lyon Living’s inspiration for VEA emanated from various international flavors and travels around the globe, establishing contemporary, cosmopolitan influences from the world’s greatest waterfront destinations,” said Kevin Martin of Eagle Four Partners.
“From an architectural standpoint, some parts of the hotel are being repurposed, while others are completely reimagined and transformed,” states Frank Suryan of Lyon Living. “An existing tower is being recreated from standard guestrooms to be made up entirely of premium rooms all with ocean views.”
VEA’s lobby will feature folding glass NanaWalls on both the front and backside of the lobby, opening an entire wall of the space to create an indoor-outdoor experience. Upon arrival within the entrance oculus, guests will be welcomed by a pier-inspired entrance with a massive circular waterfall that leads into the lobby.
In addition to a signature restaurant and lounge that opens up to the lanai area with golf course and ocean views, the lobby will feature curated, commissioned artwork and a European-inspired coffee bar and patisserie, which transitions into a wine bar in the evening with charcuterie and other shareable small plates.
All the guestrooms are redesigned with soft, beach-inspired color palettes of tans, greys, and blues and minimal artwork. There are also group suites and wellness-focused suites.
VEA will offer three new food and beverage destinations, including a spacious restaurant/lounge at the heart of the hotel connected to a lanai by collapsible glass doors featuring firepits, cozy seating, live music, abundant greenery, ocean and golf course views, breakfast, lunch and dinner service, and late-night offerings. Its cuisine is dubbed “Mediterranean in flavor and California in lifestyle.”
There is also a European-inspired coffee bar and patisserie in the lobby lounge, and a poolside terrace bar that represents the end of the pier overlooking the Newport Beach Country Club, with a menu of California-inspired favorites.
The Spa and Fitness center will have 14 treatment rooms, a dedicated saltwater pool and fitness center with a yoga studio.
VEA also boasts a total of more than 60,000 sq. ft. of indoor/outdoor event space, including an ocean-facing event lawn, a new outdoor event lawn adjacent to the ballrooms, a new indoor/outdoor flex event space behind the property overlooking the coast, plus additional spaces with indoor and outdoor environments.
VEA Newport Beach is located at 900 Newport Center Dr., and will begin debuting pieces of its refresh as soon as this February, followed by rolled out updates through the spring.
For more information, visit www.VEANewportBeach.com.
