Los Angeles to San Diego - Jan 16th to 20th, 2017

In Los Angeles you can do anything. Become anyone. Which is why I always love visiting the Left Coast. There is such a great opportunity to get out and explore…and the weather is usually better than Kansas City….which is always a positive. Now I wish it was easier to get around and a bit more compact so I could squeeze more into my visits, but there is always something new to see and always something new to do. This trip brought me to the Orange County and had me mostly bouncing back and forth between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach….to fantastic beach communities.

Pasea Hotel & Spa

Huntington Beach, California

http://meritagecollection.com/paseahotel/

My hub for this visit was the newly opened Pasea Hotel & Spa, which was located right on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) and steps from the Pacific Ocean and Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach. The Pasea provides a new modern oasis that brings to life a costal cool sense of style and laid-back luxury that is only found in Huntington Beach. The property through its programming, style and design provides a nod to its roots connected to Surf City USA. Each room was beautifully appointed and designed to bring the warmth and artistry of the destination to life. In an area where there are 500-700 room resorts (the top two being the Hilton Waterfront and the Hyatt Huntington Beach (one of my favorites), Pasea only has 250 guestrooms which creates a bit more of a boutique feel. This said, the resort still provides all the amenities and services that you would expect from a luxury resort including a full service Spa, signature restaurants and exciting pool and top-notch service.

Tanners Restaurant + Treehouse Bar

Our first night at the hotel, we had dinner at Tanners Restaurant, a new concept featuring a wood-fire grill and exhibition kitchen that paid homage to the bonfire culture still very prominent in the area. Now I can’t say I was super impressed with this restaurant. The food was good, the drinks were great, but was missing the local flair. There was a lack of menu items that were truly authentic to the area. No tacos, no fish, nothing that said California Cuisine. Now where I was blown away was their 2nd floor bar called the Treehouse. This bar has become the new place to see and be seen in the area. The bar boasts fantastic views, crazy drink concoctions, but what makes it unique is the makeshift tree that rises out of the middle of the signature bar and definitely provides a focal point for the experience.

Getting Out

Between meetings we were also able to get out and explore. Huntington Beach is a great place to explore in that you have fantastic running paths along the ocean that go for miles in both directions, you have the historic Huntington Beach Pier which has been the face of Surf City USA since the days of the Beach Boys and there is always something new to see around Main Street. Main Street was a short walk from the hotel and features a handful of surf shops, restaurants, bars and even stars on the ground showcasing those enshrined into the Surfing Hall of Fame. There is also a farmers market every Tuesday night where the street is taken over by local farmers and artisans selling the fruits of their labor. We had the chance to visit Wahoo Tacos and Huntington Beach Beer Company for dinner. Wahoo Tacos (www.wahoos.com) is a great joint that brought a brothers love of surfing and food to life. I have always know Wahoos as the place to get fantastic tacos, but they have plenty of other items on the menu that blend Brazilian, Asian and Mexican influences. If you are looking for something casual…definitely check out Wahoos. We also had the chance to have dinner and beer (lots of beer) at the Huntington Beach Beer Company (www.hbbeerco.com). This classic brew pub had your typical bar food, but it was absolutely delicious. With 10 beers on tap, i gravitated towards the 6 that were locally made on site. As every good brewery should…they had a full range from Stout to Pale Ale to Blonde. I enjoyed Little Duck Face their IPA and Pier Pale Ale, their Pale Ale. Both were absolutely delicious…but it is usually hard for me to find a beer I don’t love…although it has happened.

Adjacent to the Pasea Hotel was a new shopping complex Pacific City (www.gopacificcity.com) which is a new shipping, dining and entertainment complex. It was definitely a great place to escape when I needed that 15 min walk to get away from my colleaguesJ This new complex featured some great stores with everything from national retailers like H&M to local restaurants and boutiques. I am not a shopper, but caught myself running in and out of stores. I also was able to partake in one of my most enjoyable coffee experiences ever when I popped into Philz Coffee (www.philzcoffee.com) and got to experience first hand what a coffee experience should be like. Now I have to admit I was a bit intimidated walking into this joint as there was a chalk board of coffees, a wall of open bags of beans and no coffee machines in site. Overwhelmed by the selection, I do what I always do and asked the barista for her favorite. She quickly told me about two of her favorite blends, and after asking me about my coffee habits, thought that I would enjoy their Silken Splendor blend. Everything was hand crafted by the cup and was a site to see. I especially enjoyed the custom froth that the barista added as she “long” poured the coffee back and forth like a scientists in a laboratory. The barista even asked me to taste it to make sure it was to my liking before sending me on my way with a “have a great day Brian.” With 36 locations scattered across California and DC (of all places), this is a place that I will definitely be seeking out when I can.

A positive aspect of having to travel to the West Coast is that you are always up a bit earlier than normal which affords you the chance to see plenty sunrises as well as all of the surfers out waiting for the next big wave.

Balboa Bay Resort

Newport Beach, California

http://meritagecollection.com/balboabayresort/

Sprawling across 15 waterfront acres, Balboa Bay Resort is one of the top hotels in Newport Beach. Conveniently situated just off Pacific Coast Highway, this hotel was located right on the marina and truly delivered across the board on their “water to table” experience. We had the chance to dine at both their Waterline restaurant and A&O Kitchen+Bar. And both were fantastic. A bit pricy, but when your resort is located within one of the most expensive zip codes in the United States, I guess you can expect it. The Balboa Bay Resort was once a playground of the rich and famous catering to the Hollywood elite by providing a secluded atmosphere for families, friends and fun.

Unfortunately we weren’t able to really get out and explore Newport Beach due to our meeting schedule, but one thing that did catch my eye was the fact I was in supercar heaven. Every other card that passed by was a Masaratti, Lamborghini, Ferrari or Bentley. I truly was in heaven. And these weren’t just off the rack cars. They were all customized to the customers liking. I particularly loved seeing the Baby Blue Lamborghini.

Our meetings ended in Newport Beach, but luckily our journey wasn’t over. My colleague and I hopped in our car and continued to head south down the PCH to our next destination La Jolla California to visit the Estancia Hotel & Spa. The total drive was just over 80 miles, but we opted to stay as long as we could on the PCH that took us through little beach communities for approx 50 miles before we had to hop on I-5 for the last leg down to our home for the night. This was a gorgeous drive, and being the hotel nerd I am, I got excited basically driving past the “who’s who list of luxury resorts. We passed the Pelican Hill Resort, Montage, Ritz Carlton Laguna Hill, St Regis Monarch Beach (where the whole AIG effect was launched throughout the industry), Park Hyatt Aviara and more.

Estancia Hotel & Spa

Carlsbad, California

http://meritagecollection.com/estancialajolla/

The Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa was a hacienda-style resort nestled just north of La Jolla. The rancho-inspired architecture spread throughout 10 scenic acres of gardens, quiet courtyards, adobe fireplaces, and winding pathways.

Estanca featured 210 guestrooms that were to be expected. They were very clean, comfortable and welcoming, but nothing that truly blew me away. Just your standard resort guestroom.

The resort featured a heated saltwater pool and whirlpool, two great restaurants, a wine bar, a super relaxing spa and even an intimate chapel where you could thank the Lord for bringing you to such a wonderful place.

We had the chance the dine at their Mustangs & Burrows signature restaurant and enjoyed mole spiced salmon, a duck pozole soup, banana-whiskey bread pudding and even sampled (multiple times) their private stock of Herradura Double Barrel Tequila that they have specially made in Mexico. With that said, they also have a private stock whiskey which is custom made by Jack Daniels.

Tucked away on the backside of the hotel was The Spa At Estancia – voted Best Day Spa in La Jolla. This full service spa had nine indoor treatment rooms and plenty of amenities to help you escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

I asked for whatever their most unique treatment was, so the receptionists scheduled me for the Ginger Renewal. An 80-min treatment that included a full head to toe scrub and exfoliation of my body with a brush which created a giggle or two, the application of a ginger treatment that activated when I was wrapped like a burrito and left to bake for 20 mins. During this period, the spa attendant gave my feet some much needed love and than as an added bonus got a scalp rub that was pure heaven. After these two bonus treatments were completed the ginger scrub was removed and another ginger lotion was applied and a full massage was completed that also provided an added benefit of some hot rocks applied. This was the most complete spa treatment that I had ever had. Every time I thought it was over, something else happened. Definitely left the spa relaxed, refreshed and ready to go.

The hotel was situated across the street from UC- San Diego and its key hospitals, so the mix of customers leaned more towards the business traveler. But on a Thursday night, you expect this.