The opening of the Pendry Newport Beach hotel represents a full circle moment of sorts for General Manager David Hoffman.
Prior to joining Irvine-based Montage International to head room operations at its flagship Laguna Beach property in 2003, Hoffman was working as the front office manager at the former Four Seasons Newport Beach, which later became Fashion Island Hotel and will reopen under Montage’s Pendry brand in September.
“The thought of kicking off a brand-new, ultra-luxury hotel company was exciting,” Hoffman told the Business Journal of being drawn to Montage. “And it was still early in my career.”
After a two-decade long career with Montage that included expanding the brand to first-time markets like Beverly Hills and Hawaii, and overseeing the second Pendry hotel as general manager in Baltimore, the executive finds himself back in Newport Beach to head the opening of the first OC installation of the Pendry portfolio.
He was appointed as GM of the 295-room coastal hotel last year, a few months after Newport Beach’s Eagle Four Partners paid $144 million for the hotel from the Irvine Co.
“There’s nothing like the excitement of opening a new hotel,” Hoffman said.
Pendry will be OC’s 39th-largest hotel by room count and the sixth-largest hotel in the city when it opens.
Walkthrough
Construction is still in full swing at the 20-floor property with a projected opening in late September.
Reservations are now available for room stays beginning on Oct. 15. Room rates for that week start around $421 and $506 for the weekend, according to the hotel’s website.
“The footprint of the hotel is changing altogether,” Hoffman said. “We’re bringing it down to the studs and starting over.”
A few layout changes include transforming former offices into the members-exclusive space, The Elwood Club, set to open simultaneously with the hotel.
The fitness center has moved to the second floor from its previous ground-floor location; that space is being converted into a dining and events space neighboring the outside pool. The front lawn near the hotel entrance is also being renovated into an outdoor meeting space.
The lobby bar will be the largest in Pendry’s portfolio and is designed to draw visitors inside the property, Hoffman said.
The main level restaurant will be SET Steak & Sushi, a concept from Las Vegas-based Clique Hospitality with a locally sourced menu designed by Executive Chef James Jung and San Diego Chef JoJo Ruiz.
Clique Hospitality also has restaurants at Pendry San Diego and Pendry Chicago.
Elwood
The Elwood Club, a new product for Montage, will debut in the left wing of the 295-key hotel as an 11,000-square-foot members club with several venues featuring high-end food and beverage options and monthly shows and events.
Pendry chose Newport Beach to feature the first Elwood Club because of a local need for venues with a nightlife feel, according to co-founder Michael Fuerstman.
The club entrance will be to the left of the lobby, with members first walking into an English pub, with a golf simulator and screening room down the hall. The left end of the wing will be a cabaret space, while the other wing will sport a restaurant with a garden setting.
“We’ve been waiting for the right opportunity, the right city and the right building,” Fuerstman told the Business Journal in April.
“The cabaret is going to be spectacular,” Hoffman said.
The hospitality firm plans to expand the social club concept to other locations.
Membership Director Keith Du Ross said members are still being selected, with the first round including 300 people. Pricing was undisclosed.
“We have a great space with great activations and now we’re looking for great members,” he told the Business Journal.
20 Years
Hoffman got his start working in the housekeeping department at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, a Four Seasons Hotel in 1995.
Six years and a short stint in Egypt later, Hoffman moved to California to work at the Four Seasons Newport Beach.
Two years later, Montage Laguna Beach opened down the coast and piqued his interest in Montage as a luxury newcomer to the hospitality market.
Hoffman’s first general manager gig was at the second Pendry hotel in Baltimore in 2016; the spinoff luxury boutique brand had launched two years prior.
“I enjoyed it from day one—learning the bones of the hotel business and where it all happens was really important for my career,” Hoffman said.
Family of Brands
Montage and its Pendry counterpart are complementary, according to Hoffman.
Despite physical differences—Pendry’s rooms tend to be smaller in square footage compared to Montage—and settings—Pendry properties are a bit more urban in style versus Montage’s resort structure on large pieces of land—both luxury concepts invest in developing unique spaces that reflect the communities they are in.
The consistency across all properties comes down to the associates, he added; Hoffman himself interviewed every employee who will work at the Pendry.
The Elwood Club is the newest addition to this family of brands.
“Having the first Elwood in the backyard of Pendry and Montage is good for the Fuerstmans to test before rolling out everywhere else,” Hoffman said.
“I’m excited about Newport Beach,” he added.
