Two years after opening, the Radisson Blu Anaheim has rebranded to The Viv Hotel, Anaheim.
The change comes with a move by the 12-story, 326-room hotel into Marriott’s Tribute portfolio of independent boutique properties; the other Orange County hotel under the Tribute umbrella is the Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa.
Hotel owner Portland, Ore.-based BPM Real Estate Group has tapped Crescent Hotel & Resorts to manage the newly named property, which is just east of the Santa Ana (5) Freeway at 1601 S. Anaheim Blvd.
It’s the largest hotel in the city on the east side of the 5 freeway, and is about a mile from Disneyland Resort.
“Our goal is to be one of the showcase hotels in the Marriott portfolio,” General Manager Steve Lindburg told the Business Journal.
$175M Price Tag
The hotel rebranded to join Marriott’s portfolio of 8,000 hotels and to become more visible to a broader audience, according to Lindburg.
BPM put a reported $175 million—over $500,000 a key—into building the property in 2020, which last year received a AAA Four Diamond property designation.
The other hotels in the city with that designation are the newly built JW Marriott and Westin Anaheim Resort, along with those on the grounds of the Disneyland Resort.
The trio of recent high-end openings “elevated the hospitality experience in Anaheim,” Lindburg said.
The rebrand also brought a repositioning of dining options. The newly named restaurants include Valencia’s at the Viv and The Top of the V; both feature Spanish cuisine.
New Reach
The rebrand didn’t include a physical renovation, rather behind-the-scene changes to adjust to Marriott’s standards, Lindburg said.
System upgrades include modernizing and adding more technology to hotel operations such as updating the point-of-sale systems and mobile app capabilities.
The biggest benefit of the Marriott updates has been joining the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program, which sports 169 million members as of June.
“The benefits plan expanded the visibility and the reach to folks looking for experiences,” Lindburg said.
Adults Welcome
With its proximity to the Disneyland Resort, the Viv retained subtle references to the Anaheim park in its design.
Even with heavy traffic from Anaheim’s convention business, the Viv doesn’t focus on group travel, instead prioritizing single business travelers, families and most recently, couples without children.
There are separate pools for vacationing adults and families.
The hotel has attracted its fair share of staycationers, with plenty of last-minute bookings combined with significant traffic from the drive-in markets of the Bay Area, the San Fernando Valley, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
“We’re still being discovered but there is strength in the ADR [average daily rate] which continues moving in the right direction,” Lindburg said.
“The real story now is the recovery—there’s a hunger for getting back out.”
Strong Destination
Lindburg says the hotel is anticipating major growth next year as occupancy rates continue to climb.
According to Visit Anaheim, the city’s hotels were at 89% occupancy as of June.
With 175 employees, the Viv is looking to reach about 190 in staff to get ahead of the projected curve in business.
The resort’s average daily rate is currently in the mid $200s; Labor Day weekend will bring rates north of $250, he said.
“We’re bullish on this new phase and what this means for [the hotel’s] growth,” Lindburg said. “We’re working to be a stronger destination.”
