Family-Friendly Festival in Newport Beach on Sunday April 22 from 12-4

Posted on April 16, 2012 by vnb_admin

The Lexus Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race will be hosting a family-friendly festival at The Village of Balboa this Sunday. The neighborhood will be transformed into a “Margaritaville” festival featuring Mark Wood and the Parrot Head Band and will host a day of activities including a Woody Car Exhibition, exhibit of race boats, kids’ boat-building, plein air painters, exhibits by ExplorOcean/Newport Harbor Nautical Museum and more.

Participating vendors at the Village of Balboa will offer special festival pricing including $2 Balboa Ferris Wheel rides, complimentary admission to all ExplorOcean/Newport Harbor Nautical Museum exhibits, and discounted harbor cruises and boat rentals from the Fun Zone Boat Co. and Balboa Boat Rentals

Other Pre-race events include:

  • Yachtsmen’s Luncheon, Wednesday, April 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Everyone is welcome and Andy Rose, a co-owner of It’s OK, will be the featured speaker and share favorite Ensenada Race stories.
  • The famous Pre-Race Fiesta Thursday night, April 26, begins at 5 p.m. at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.
  • Viewing of the race starts at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 27, from the Balboa Pier is always a great thrill.

For more information, please contact Visit Newport Beach Inc.

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Luxury travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler rated Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach the world’s Top Golf Resort

Posted on March 21, 2012 by vnb_admin

The readers of luxury travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler have rated The Resort at Pelican Hill® the world’s Top Golf Resort.  Published in Condé Nast Traveler’s April 2012 issue, the “Top 121 Golf Resorts” list ranks golf resorts from across the world in regional lists by overall score, based upon ratings in eight specific categories. With an overall score of 96.6, Pelican Hill is only California golf resort to achieve a perfect score in the category of Course Design & Access. Pelican Hill surpassed all California Golf Resorts in five of eight categories, including Rooms, Food/Dining, Overall Design and Activities/Facilities. In 2011, Pelican Hill debuted on the magazine’s annual list as California’s Top Golf Resort with one of the top overall scores in the world, as well as two perfect scores for its Course Design & Access, and Golf Staff & Services.

The resort is situated on what is considered the most pristine stretch of Southern California coastline, and is an Italian-inspired masterpiece.  Since opening in late November 2008, Newport Beach’s most luxurious hideaway has been heralded as one of the grandest resorts in the world.  A favorite destination of visitors from across the globe, the nearly three-year-old offers a totally customized experience from the moment you book your stay. Highlights include spacious bungalows and two to four bedroom villas and one of the world’s largest circular pools lined with 1.1 million mosaic glass tiles. The resort boasts its own temperature controlled pasta room in its sumptuous Italian restaurant, Newport’s only five-star spa, and 36-holes of Tom Fazio designed golf spanning across 400 acres of land with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Pelican Hill was inspired by the Renaissance belief that humanity is uplifted by aspiring to perfection. This is exemplified in the resort’s service – which is exceptional, precedent setting, and personalized to the last detail.

Pelican Hil has earned numerous accolades and honors from the moment it opened including:  Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, Travel + Leisure, Wine Spectator, Golf Digest and Los Angeles Times, to the coveted No. 1 Resort in the United States by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler.

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O’Meara, Stadler, Pavin and Stockton Commit to Toshiba Classic

Posted on March 14, 2012 by vnb_admin

The Southern California boys are back in town for the Champions Tour’s Toshiba Classic, as natives Mark O’Meara, Craig Stadler, Dave Stockton and 2012 Allianz Championship winner Corey Pavin have committed to play in the 18th annual event that tees off March 12-18 at The Newport Beach Country Club.

Considered among the crown jewels of the Champions Tour, the Toshiba Classic has set the standard for competitive play, charitable giving and large galleries. Nick Price, 54, won the 2011 Toshiba Classic, kicking off with a tournament- and Champions Tour-record 11-under-par 60 that set the pace for victory.  He became the fourth player in tournament history to finish wire-to-wire en route to a one-shot victory (17-under-par 196).

“We couldn’t be more excited to have this standout group of legendary Southern California players tee it up at the Toshiba,” said Jeff Purser, Executive Director of the Toshiba Classic. “It’s a homecoming of sorts for these players, and it’s a lot of fun to see them in their environment.”

O’Meara, 55, grew up in Mission Viejo and graduated from Long Beach State University. He turned professional in 1980 – a year after defeating fellow Champions Tour player John Cook for the U.S. Amateur title – and would go on to win 16 events on the Tour. He was a five-time winner of the AT&T National Pro-Am, and in the late stages of his PGA Tour career won the Masters Tournament and The British Open in 1998, finding himself at a career-high second on the Official World Golf Rankings. O’Meara joined the Champions Tour in 2007, finding his first win in 2010 at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with defending Toshiba Classic champion Price), followed by the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship.

Pavin, 52, was born in Oxnard and attended UCLA before joining the PGA Tour in 1984. Beginning with his first PGA Tour victory that year at the Houston Coca-Cola Open, Pavin would go on to win at least one event a year for the next 10 years, as well as play on three Ryder Cup teams: 1991, 1993 and 1995. He won the 1995 U.S. Open, then the 1996 Bank of America Colonial event, before embarking on a winless decade broken by his 2006 U.S. Bank Championship victory. In 2008, Pavin was named the captain of the 2010 Ryder Cup team and began his Champions Tour debut in 2010 as well. He won his first Champions Tour event this year, when he found a sudden-death victory at the Allianz Championship, defeating Peter Senior with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

Stockton, 70, has long been a staple in the Southern California golf circuit. Born in San Bernardino, he attended the University of Southern California before turning professional in 1964, finding his first PGA Tour win at the 1967 Colonial National Invitation. He’d go on to win the 1970 and 1976 PGA Championships, as well as play on the 1971 and 1977 Ryder Cup teams. In 1991, the year he joined the Champions Tour, he served as the captain of the Ryder Cup team, and would collect Champions Tour victories at the 1992 and 1994 Senior Players Championships as well as the 1996 U.S. Senior Open. The renowned putting teacher currently resides in Redlands.

Stadler, 58, took the San Diego golf scene by storm as a youth, first at La Jolla High School and then as a collegiate player at University of Southern California. He won the 1973 U.S. Amateur Championship, turning professional in 1976 and winning his first PGA Tour events in 1980 – the Bob Hope Desert Classic and the Greater Greensboro Open. He’d go on to win the 1982 Masters Tournament, one of four events in which he was victorious that year, following that up as a member of the 1983 and 1985 Ryder Cup squads. Stadler joined the Champions Tour in 2003, amassing eight victories between 2003 and 2004 including his first senior win: the 2003 Ford Senior Players Championship. He was the Tour’s leading money winner in 2004.

Already committed to the Toshiba Classic is another Southern California golf legend: John Cook, who currently resides in Corona del Mar.

The $1.75 million Toshiba Classic will award a $262,500 winner’s check to the 2012 champion and is televised on Golf Channel on Friday, March 16 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. PT, Saturday, March 17 and Sunday, March 18, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. PT.

The Toshiba Classic’s lead charity and operator is Hoag Hospital Foundation, and the 2012 tournament will benefit the Mary and Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag for the second consecutive year. The Toshiba Classic has generated more than $14 million for charity in the last 14 years, the most on the Champions Tour. Hoag Hospital Foundation also received the inaugural PGA Champions Tour Charity of the Year Award in 1998.

Tickets for the Toshiba Classic are on sale now, and run $20 if purchased in advance of tournament week or $25 at the gate. Season patron badges cost $100, which provide week-long grounds and clubhouse admission for practice rounds and the tournament. Daily tickets providing grounds and the clubhouse are $40 per day. Visit www.toshibaclassic.com to purchase, or call 949-660-1001 to secure corporate packages.

 

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Florida Meeting Planner Wins “Live The Dream” Luxury Vacation in Newport Beach

Posted on March 8, 2012 by vnb_admin

Destination Marketing Organization Visit Newport Beach Inc. orchestrated a Publisher’s Clearing House-style ambush for Florida meeting planner Liz Planz to surprise her with the news that she was the grand prize winner of the ‘Live The Dream’ sweepstakes and a luxury vacation to Newport Beach, California.

Ms. Planz, who is a meeting planner for financial services firm Raymond James Financial, Inc., was meeting the DMO’s national sales manager Lori Hoy in what was seemingly a routine sales call when she found out the great news. The Live The Dream luxury vacation package includes: airfare for two; a week’s stay in a multi-million dollar Burr White beach-front home; use of a luxury car from Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car; private dining on a Hornblower yacht; harbor tour on a Duffy boat; spa services; golf; shopping vouchers and much more.

“I’m thrilled to be the winner of the Live the Dream sweepstakes,” said Liz Planz. “Now I get to experience Newport Beach from an attendee’s perspective and get to Live the Dream!”

The Live the Dream sweepstakes was first announced in 2011, and for meeting planners across the county who submitted a qualified RFP, they were entered into the drawing that took in January. The sweepstakes coincided with a marketing and PR campaign that encouraged planners to “Turn Your RFP into an OMG!” hoping to encourage bookings in the destination.

The campaign was so popular with planners across the country that Visit Newport Beach Inc. has announced the continuation of the sweepstakes through the end of 2012. The extended promotion is from February 13 through December 31, 2012, with the second winner to be announced in January 2013.

Qualifying for the ‘Live The Dream’ sweepstakes is easy. Planners that submit a qualified RFP** to Visit Newport Beach Inc. automatically received a $100 Nordstrom gift card. What’s more, when planners book that meeting sourced through Visit Newport Beach Inc., they then receive a $250 American Express® Gift Card and are automatically entered into the ‘Live The Dream’ Sweepstakes for a chance to win the luxury Newport Beach getaway. (For complete details and official rules, go to visitnewportbeach.com/dream.)

“The idea of living like the Rich and Famous for a week really resonated with planners across the country which is why we have extended the promotion through the end of 2012,” said Tom Bennett, Senior Vice President of Sales for Visit Newport Beach Inc. “This will give more planners an opportunity to participate and turn their RFPs into an OMG!”

** A qualified RFP consists of 50 rooms or more for a single meeting, one year history required, one gift card per program, gift card issued upon conversion to solid lead in a participating Newport Beach hotel, RFP must be sourced directly through a Visit Newport Beach representative.

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PGA Champions Tour Toshiba Classic Attracts Celebrity Golf Legends and Over 80,000 Fans

Posted on March 1, 2012 by vnb_admin

The Toshiba Classic annually heralds the arrival of early spring in Newport Beach at the Newport Beach Country Club.  For seven days in March the official PGA Champions Tour sanctioned event attracts over 80,000 attendees, making it one of the largest and most exciting events of the year in southern California.

Newport Beach, known as a west coast destination for golf lovers of every skill level, and the Toshiba Classic always attracts an impressive line-up of golf legends – past champions include Nick Price (2011), Fred Couples (2010), Bernhard Langer (2008), and Jay Haas (2007).  Other tour stars expected to play include Hale Irwin, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Fuzzy Zoeller, Corey Pavin, John Cook and Jeff Sluman.

Hoag Hospital Foundation produces the annual Toshiba Classic. T the most successful tournaments in Champions Tour history, the Toshiba Classic has raised over $14 million in the past 14 years for its lead beneficiary Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian as well as other Orange County charities. Starting in 2011, the tournament has directly benefited the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag.

Televised to an international audience on Golf Channel, the Toshiba Classic enables millions of viewers to see some of Orange County’s greatest attractions.  The tournament generates an estimated $27 million in annual economic impact for the county and state.  To order tickets and to inquire about corporate ticket packages, please call 949-660-1001 or order online at www.toshibaclassic.com.

The tournament combines one of the strongest fields of the entire year with a challenging golf course, a recipe that always seems to result in riveting play. In fourteen years, the Toshiba Classic has had four playoffs and only three times has the champion posted more than a two-stroke margin of victory.

Known as southern California’s Golf Coast, Newport Beach boasts some of the most beautiful links in the country including. Most notable is Pelican Hill Golf Club voted California’s #1 Golf  Resort by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine in 2011. The Tom Fazio designed masterpiece boasts 36 holes set over 400 acres of stunning, ocean views and adjacent to thousands of acres of coastal preserve.

In addition to exceptional golf facilities, Newport Beach is home to one of the world’s largest small yacht harbors, and a vibrant coastal community that offers many springtime annual events such as the oldest International Yacht Race in the world, the Lexus Newport-to-Ensenada Yacht Race.  The drama a beauty of the destination makes for a perfect backdrop for the critically acclaimed Newport Beach Film Festival. Both events are held in April. In May, comes the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Jazz Festival, Balboa Island Artwalk and Newport Beach Wine Festival held at John Wayne’s old hangout the Balboa Bay Club Resort & Spa.

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Newport Beach grabs “best destination” award from the LA Times

Posted on February 2, 2012 by vnb_admin

(L to R) Shannon Hanes, VP National Advertising Los Angeles Times Media Group, Lesley Swain, SVP Finance, Visit Newport Beach Inc.; Ruby Gualberto, Director of Brand Marketing and Community Relations; John T. O'Loughlin, EVP Los Angeles Times Media Group

We’ve known this all along, and now it’s official…Newport Beach was awarded “Best Domestic Destination” award last weekend at the 14th annual Los Angeles Times Travel Show. A panel of 15 travel specialists from the LA Times Travel Section judged over 20 U.S. destinations that exhibited at the three-day event.

Newport Beach was awarded the  ‘best domestic destination’ because it “offers great year-round weather, countless activities, a wide variety of accommodations and over all best visitor experience,” said the show’s director Tamara Leon Kline.

Thank you LA Times Travel!


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Romantic Sundown Adventures in Newport Beach

Posted on February 1, 2012 by vnb_admin

In Newport Beach, where romance is in the air 360 days-a-year, some of the most amorous activities happen after sundown.

Start with a cozy “stroll” through Newport Harbor’s network of quaint canals in a custom Venetian gondola complete with your very own gondolier who reminds you it is tradition for couples to kiss under every bridge.

Your loved one is sure to get “in the mood” while sipping champagne and roasting marshmallows in front of a bonfire at one of the designated beaches along Newport’s picturesque coast. Or warm up with drinks on the terrace around the fire pits at the Balboa Bay Club’s signature watering hole Duke’s Place.

If sport is more your style, try the newest fitness trend with a twist – moonlit stand-up paddle boarding or outrigger tours beneath the stars. For those who love boating, snuggle up on an electric “Duffy-style” boat or dance the night away under the stars aboard a Hornblower dinner cruise.

With a reputation for stellar weather year-round, moonlight nights lead into warm, sunny Newport Beach days, and many of the area accommodations are offering special stay the night romance packages to keep the passion’s burning.

Here are a few resources to get your romantic adventure started:

Bonfires

Balboa Pier (available year-round)

Corona del Mar State Beach (available year-round)

Balboa Bay Club/Duke’s Place (available year-round)

Boating

Balboa Boat Rentals (available year-round, check for seasonal hours)

Duffy Electric Boat Co. (available year-round, check for seasonal hours)

Electra Cruises® (available year-round)

Hornblower Cruises & Events (available year-round)

Gondolas

Gondola Adventures, Inc. (available year-round)

Gondola Company of Newport (available year-round)

Gondola Romance (available year-round)

Moonlight Paddles

Newport Aquatic Center (check for seasonal hours)

Pirate Coast Paddle Company (check for seasonal hours)

 

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Newport Beach

Posted on January 27, 2012 by vnb_admin
"Little Corona" in Corona del Mar/Newport Beach

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Last year,  Beach Tomato, a very hip online magazine based in the UK, named Newport Beach the #1 Urban Beach in the World! This year in their feature “Five Waves to California” showcases their top 5 favorite California beaches including…you guessed … Continue reading →

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Restaurant Week to begin January 20; Join the Facebook Conversation

Posted on January 11, 2012 by vnb_admin

Watch the Newport Beach Foodie Video

Newport Beach’s chefs are sharpening their knives in preparation for the 6th Annual Newport Beach Restaurant Week. Be the first to know about real-time updates on the participating restaurants, menu spotlights and other special events by joining the Newport Beach Twitter and Facebook sites today!

Additionally, followers are encouraged to rate their top ten favorite Newport Beach restaurants on the Facebook site with the results to be announced at the beginning of Restaurant Week.

The city-wide culinary celebration starts Friday, January 20 through Sunday, January 29. Themed “Savor the Flavor,” new this year is that diners will have nine days that span over two weekends to take advantage of exceptional deals from specially prepared menus by the most talented chefs in Newport Beach, more days to explore the endless options offered by local restaurateurs.

Start making your reservations now!

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Yahoo! Travel Votes Newport Beach #2 Destination for Holiday Lights

Posted on November 28, 2011 by vnb_admin

Top 10 Destinations for Holiday Lights

From dazzling Disney displays to brilliant boat parades, these 10 destinations mark a spectacular start to the holiday season.

By Elissa Richard, Y! Travel

The holidays are just around the corner, and there’s nothing like an electrifying display of holiday lights to charge you up for the season and zap you with that jolly-good Christmas cheer. Luckily for us, there’s no place in the world that does holiday lights quite like the good ol’ U.S. of A., and we’ve rounded up a merry mix of small towns and sprawling cities that do it best.

From East to West, from dazzling Disney displays to brilliant boat parades, sparkling city skylines to mesmerizing megawatt-lined drives, when these top 10 destinations for holiday lights flip the switch, they mark the spectacular start to the holiday season, guaranteeing spectators a sparkling dose of over-the-top holiday spirit.

2. Newport Beach, CA

For more than a century, Newport Beach’s “Christmas Boat Parade” has delighted spectators with a “Christmas-sea” feeling all its own. A fine flotilla of some 200 vibrantly decorated vessels, from multimillion-dollar yachts right down to simple canoes, glides through Newport Harbor as holiday music and costumed carolers fill the air with melodious merrymaking. The brilliant boat parade (it’s the oldest one in the country) attracts close to a million viewers; it’s held nightly from December 14 through December 18 and lasts about 2.5 hours – show up on the closing night for a fireworks finale. Viewing areas for the beaming 14-mile boat route are on the public beaches and establishments bordering the Balboa Peninsula, the Fun Zone amusement area (where you can hear live commentary from Captain Mike Whitehead, the official voice of the parade), and Balboa Island.

What’s more, many harbor-front homeowners and businesses participate in the annual “Ring of Lights” contest, showcasing their own elaborate holiday displays, while providing a striking backdrop to the boat parade (free; www.christmasboatparade.com). Well worth a detour, the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside (set less than 50 miles away) is the setting for an extravagant showing of more than 3.6 million holiday lights in its “Festival of Lights” event; expect 400-plus animated figures, live reindeer, and even snow machine-produced flurries – come on opening night for a fireworks display, to boot (November 25-January 8; free; www.festivaloflightsca.com).

 

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