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First it was a Four Seasons hotel, then The Island Hotel and later, in 2017, the Irvine Company renamed it the Fashion Island Hotel.
Whatever the moniker, the 31-year-old luxury property is a landmark in Newport Beach —with its upscale lobby bar known for its lively late-night atmosphere.
During the pandemic, however, the hotel property lay dormant until Montage International and Newport Beach-based Eagle Four Partners—a private equity group specializing in strategic hospitality, golf, lifestyle residential and sports entertainment investments and whose portfolio includes VEA Newport Beach, Newport Bach Country Club and Balboa Bay Resort—announced plans to remake the property into Pendry Newport Beach. It opened in September 2023.
Pendry Newport Beach features 295 redesigned guestrooms including 114 suites overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Newport Harbor or Back Bay.
The Pendry has three restaurants open to the public: SET Steak & Sushi (a modern steakhouse with California flair), Tree Shack Pool Bar & Grill (al fresco setting with a menu of Baja-inspired snacks) and Bar Pendry, which offers handcrafted cocktails, fine wines and beers, and small bites.
Pent-Up Excitement for Members Only Club
In a separate wing of the hotel—with an entryway hidden just past the lobby reception area—is The Elwood Club.
Billed as a modern membership club, The Elwood provides private, members-only spaces and offerings including the Italian-inspired Viamara restaurant, the casual yet stylish The Pub with a burgers and brews motif and The Cabaret, a gathering spot for live music and DJs.
“We created The Elwood Club to further connect with and enhance the lives of our best guests, the locals who give life and energy to our Pendry hotels,” Michael Fuerstman, co-founder of Pendry Hotels & Resorts, said in a statement. “We want to build a membership and a lifestyle beyond what’s possible at a standard private club, to imagine a world of hospitality and cherished spaces to entertain, unwind and connect from day to evening, in a way that is deeper and more personal.”
During a recent tour, membership sales manager Ruby Magna said there was so much excitement about the Elwood that many prospective members signed up during hard-hat tours—well before the club “was even fully built, because there was so much anticipation.”
Italian Dining is ‘My Wheelhouse’
Culinary Director Ben Martinek oversees all things gastronomic at the Pendry. He grew up working in his aunt’s restaurant, where he learned to make pizzas. He spent time in the kitchens of Italian, French, Latin and Asian restaurants and refined his skills at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco.
An internship at the acclaimed Studio at Montage Laguna Beach elevated his career, where he ascended from line cook to chef de cuisine.
“Studio is a great restaurant, but Viamara is a different style,” Martinek told the Business Journal. “This actually is a little bit closer to my upbringing than Studio was. When they said we’re going to open this club with an Italian dining room, I was all over it. Definitely in my wheelhouse.”
Martinek said that he creates seasonal menus that include member favorites and classics.
“With the new spring menu, we got back to the basics on some of the classic things that our members really like, so there are some signature dishes that have been on the menu since the beginning,” said Martinek. “There are a few things that we rotate seasonally.”
Through the end of June, The Pendry is allowing nonmembers to dine at Viamara so they can get a taste of the benefits of membership at The Elwood. Nonmembers can order from a special menu that includes a myriad of Viamara specialties.
If a non-member wants to dine at Viamara in June, they can book through The Pendry Newport Beach website.
Pendry Newport Beach, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 688-8001, pendry.com/newport-beach.
Trela’s Hot Take
Having had lunch at SET Steak & Sushi earlier this year, I looked forward to sampling the Viamara menu. After a tour of The Elwood Club and observing the amenities of membership, I sat down at Viamara and perused the menu, which featured fun Italian dishes such as calamari fritti, lasagna bianca and spaghetti and meatballs. There are also pizzas on the menu, including chicken parmesan pizza—the crust is made from ground chicken, then breaded and broiled with parmesan, mozzarella and pomodoro sauce.
Chef Ben Martinek recommended several appetizers including squash blossoms with ricotta, and fava bean pesto, chicken parmesan pizza, cacio e pepe (bucatini, pecorino romano, cracked black pepper), and several others.
I followed his suggestions and added seabass carpaccio with avocado and shaved radish, and tiramisu torched tableside.
The dishes were delicious and fun, and a wonderful insight into the tasty treats in store for Elwood Club members—and for a limited time, nonmembers.