Lobby hopping

Once reserved for charity events and power lunches, the area’s resort hotels now are being marketed as night spots.

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa hotels have always operated popular bars, but the recent remodeling of several Newport Center properties has generated interest among night owls looking to escape the busy Balboa Peninsula.

“They are a convenient place to have a drink, and a lot of local people don’t know we have them,” Jessica Roswell of the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau said.

Unlike hot spots on Mariner’s Mile or in Corona del Mar village, most restaurants and bars at area resorts have plenty of available tables.

“You’re always going to able to get in and find a stool or a chair to have a conversation,” said freelance writer Dave Lansing, who writes about local hotels for travel publications. “You don’t have to yell. It’s a good place to go and have a conversation or do a little business.”

At many hotels, patrons are free to move around with a drink in hand and aren’t restricted to one area of the property.

Each hotel has its own following and atmosphere. At the Balboa Bay Club, Duke’s Place has a homey coastal feel, whereas the Island Hotel’s Gardens Lounge has a more upscale, executive touch.

“Locals make up a big part of our business,” said Hans Maissen, general manager at the Island Hotel. “We get people who are just finishing shopping at Fashion Island, mingling with locals who just got off work and hotel guests. It’s a nice mixture of people.”

As with most of the nice things in life, however, there’s a premium. Most hotels and resorts require valet parking for nighttime visitors, and that runs between $10 and $20.

The drinks don’t come cheap either. Two martinis apiece for a couple will run you about $60. Throw in an appetizer or two and you’re looking at a $100 night.

But for that money, you should expect to get top service, Roswell said.

“These are four- and five-diamond properties, and you get that quality in the lounge, the bar, down to the drink and the waiter,” Roswell said. “You can walk in and get the same quality that the hotel guests enjoy.”

Here are a few local night spots to check out at the area’s resorts and hotels: