Newport Beach is located on the coast of California in Orange County, approximately 50 miles south of Los Angeles. It's year-round Mediterranean climate attracts visitors from around the world. Beautiful golf courses, shopping centers, and (of course) the Pacific ocean are popular attractions.
The average mid-June high temperature is about 70°F (21°C), and lows about 60°F (15°C). A sweater or jacket is recommended for cool mornings and evenings and for the harbor dinner cruise. See The Weather Channel's web site for Newport Beach for up-to-date weather forecasts.
Recreation and Dining
The Newport Beach area provides numerous attractions for tourism, recreation, and dining. This page provides a launching point for some of these attractions.
The Beach: Beautiful sandy beaches in Newport Beach and Corona del Mar are a must!
Golf: Newport Beach is a golfer's paradise, with spectacular courses for players at all levels. The cost for a weekday round ranges from about $15 to nearly $200. The Marriott concierge has provided a list of recommended golf courses in the Newport Beach area.
Tennis: The Marriott Tennis Club has 8 lighted tennis courts on the hotel premises. The hours are 8am-9pm weekdays and 7am-7pm on weekends. Guests may use the facilities for a fee of $10/day/person. Lessons ($30/half-hour; $55/hour), racket rental ($3/day), and ball machine rental ($25/hour) are available.
Exercise Room: The Marriott has an exercise room available for all Marriott guests.
Restaurants: The Marriott has two restaurants on the premises: JW's California Grill on the lobby level, and The View (sushi; nightclub in evening) on the 16th floor of the North Tower. There are numerous restaurants a short walk from the Marriott in the Fashion Island shopping center (see below). A recommended restaurant list from the Marriott is available.
Shopping: Fashion Island shopping center, a short walk (2-3 minutes) from the Marriott, features over 200 stores and restaurants, including Neiman-Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and more. More than 70 picturesque gift shops, galleries, and restaurants are on Balboa Island. Corona del Mar, just south of Newport Beach, has shops for home furnishings, rare antiques, Oriental rugs, etc.
Theme Parks: Disneyland park, and its new California Adventure park, are 20 miles from Newport Beach. Knott's Berry Farm is an amusement park in Buena Park (25 miles from Newport Beach).
Other Attractions: Tours and cruises depart from Newport Beach to Catalina Island, about 25 miles (1 hour by boat) from the mainland (see www.catalinainfo.com for transportation information); Catalina offers golf, tennis, hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, etc. Los Angeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc. are about 1 hour drive away.
Some Rules and Regulations
- sales tax: 7.75%
- liquor laws: Legal drinking age in California is 21. Bars are open until 2am. No liquor is allowed on beaches.
- smoking laws: As with the rest of California, smoking is not permitted in bars, restaurants, or any other public building.
- driving laws: Driver and passenger must wear seat belts at all times.
- beach curfew: 10pm
Official Newport Beach links
