Why Huntington Beach/Orange County for Your Next Meeting or Event?
This bustling part of the Golden State offers ample opportunity to get your
feet wet — or just meet in a room with a view.
Travel Essentials
CONVENTION CENTER: Anaheim Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 1.15 million square feet; number of meeting rooms, 99; (714) 765-8950
TAXES: Total tax on hotel rooms includes a transit occupancy tax of 15% in addition to, for properties that are located within the Anaheim Resort District, a tourism improvement district tax of 2%.
CONTACT: Visit Huntington Beach, surfcityusa.com
Recent Hotel & Venue Additions
• The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach recently renovated its 517 guest rooms, which now feature amenities such as illuminated bathroom mirrors with integrated clocks, 65-inch TVs, and new beds, furnishings and flooring. Patio areas and fire pits will soon
debut in some of the ground-floor rooms. The property also is set to unveil a dozen multigenerational family suites, each able to accommodate as many as 12 guests.
• The nearby Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, has wrapped up an expansion project. The property added a nine-story, 152-room tower of mostly suites, named the Twin Dolphin Tower, to complement the existing 285-room Huntington Tower. Also new
are two eateries, the Boardwalk Restaurant and Henry’s, as well as an ocean-view lounge, a pool deck and waterslides. A 3.5-acre plot of adjacent land has been fashioned into an event lawn. Overall, the property offers 437 rooms and more than 50,000
square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
• Orange County is readying for the 466-room JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort, opening for business in May 2020. The area's first in the JW brand, it will be at the Anaheim GardenWalk shopping center, between the Disneyland Resort and the Anaheim Convention Center. The luxury hotel promises 43,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
Notable Meeting Hotels
Among Huntington Beach’s group-friendly properties are the hotels of the HB Collection, four downtown oceanfront resorts that offer approximately 185,000 square feet of meeting space in total. Those conference hotels are the 517-room Hyatt
Regency Huntington Beach; 437-room Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel; 250-room Paséa Hotel & Spa, and 157-room Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel.
Other Huntington Beach/Orange County Event Venues
Group Venues: Groups can check out the local scenery from aboard a vintage boat on the waters of Huntington Harbor. Prince Charters offers cruises for up to 12 people on the Alexandria, a classic wooden boat; their restored 1960s-era yacht accommodates up to 30 sea-goers. Trips last from 1.5 to 3 hours on Alexandria and up to 4 hours on the yacht. Craft beer, wine, champagne and sangria can be purchased by the glass or bottle, and groups can bring their own food and nonalcoholic beverages.
The charter company also has a list of catering options. For a longer journey, a 42-foot luxury sailing yacht, which sleeps six, can be booked for two or more days to Catalina Island's Avalon Harbor, Emerald Bay or Two Harbors.
Transportation in & Around the Area
John Wayne Airport, 15 miles south of downtown Anaheim; transfer cost by taxi, about $45
Los Angeles International Airport, 30-60 minutes from the Anaheim Resort District; transfer cost by taxi, about $105; by shared shuttle, about $44
Top 10 Restaurants in the Heart of Orange County
- Baci di Firenze Trattoria - Italian
- The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon - Steakhouse
- The Pizza Press - Italian
- Reunion Kitchen + Drink - American, Bar
- Mimi's Cafe - American, Cajun, Creole
- Marri's Pizza & Italian - Italian, Pizza
- Ruth's Chris Steak House - Steakhouse
- Morton's The Steakhouse - Steakhouse
- Napa Rose - American
- Tortilla Jo's - Mexican, Southwester