The Irvine Co. will turn over day-to-day management of its Resort at Pelican Hill to Marriott International, with the luxury hotel eventually joining the St. Regis brand.
The Newport Beach oceanview resort — with 204 rooms, 128 villas and two golf courses— is the Orange County real estate giant’s only remaining hotel. It has been run independently of any chain since its opening in 2008. Irvine Co.
announced that the operational switch, which does not change Irvine Co. ownership of the resort, begins July 1. The move was first reported by The Real Deal .
Irvine Co. added that Marriott “is committed to retaining the majority of our resort associates.” The company also said the property will join Marriott’s high-end St.
Regis hotel network “at a later date.” The move was made after a year’s “strategic review of the property and its operations, meeting with hospitality experts from around the world to explore how to further enhance the five-star experience that makes the resort a sought-after destination for our guests and our local community,” Irvine Co. said.
The pandemic’s economic upheaval in tourism nudged Irvine Co. to rethink its entire hotel business. In the process, the company sold its other two hotels: the 536-room Hotel Irvine went to Hyatt Hotels and the 295-room Fashion Island Hotel in Newport Beach went to Montage International and Eagle Four Partners .
The Marriott move surprised hotel analyst Alan Raey of Atlas Hospitality, who paid the re.
