Check out rentals on VRBO Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island as alternative to hotel..you might get some ideas

Thanks for the quick responses! So is the Resort at Pelican Hills worth the price?I thought it might be catering to the golf community?

Is it conducive to renting bikes and riding around the area? From other posts on Trip Advisor it sounds like NB is a good/safe place to bike? I also wanted somewhere easy to walk around and catch the ferry to Catalina.

THANKS!!

I agree with Scott. Balboa Bay Club would not even be on my list. I've eaten there and saw one of the rooms when my cousin was there for a conference. Even on the bay side, I don't find the view very appealing. It's on a crowded boat marina, not a beach.

Pelican Bay is gorgeous and it does cater to a golf crowd but non-golfers love it too. But it's pretty quiet and you won't see many active guests.

Montage in Laguna and Ritz Carlton are great if you are in the price range of Pelican Hill but with an active college age daughter, my pick would by the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach.

The beach across from the Hyatt offers cruiser bike rentals, kite flying, surfing, etc. And Huntington Beach's pier area is the home of Olympic level volleyball players (as well as great surfing). It's fun to watch the pros but there are nets for you to enjoy yourself as well. Huntington Beach's Downtown area adjacent to the pier is very young adult oriented. Your daughter will love it. …hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-huntingtonbeach/ (BTW -- The island is the background in the web site photos is Catalina)

From there you are 15 minutes from the great restaurants in Newport Beach and about 25 from South Laguna Beach.

Yes thank you I love VRBO but my daughter wants a resort type environment this time!! THANKS!!

Thank you so much! And have you done the boat trip over to Catalina?? I was trying to stay somewhere close to where those catalina boats dock so i don't spend a lot of time driving to a pier. We are only there 4 days so I want to maximize my enjoyment and minimize the stress of driving!

Thanks again!

Thank you! There are SO many places and TA often ranks places high that really are not. Are you familiar with the Mariott Villas next to the Pelican Hills Resort? It is still pricey but $500/night instead of $600+ at Pelican Resorts. The reviews are mixed.

Sounds like Pelican Hills is great!

That's the property scott mentioned as preferable to Balboa Bay. I concur. There you have a whole suite with kitchen. It's primarily a time share property.

It has more of a family atmosphere than the others but that's not a bad feature.

You don't have direct access to the beach like you do at the HB Hyatt but it is not far from Crystal Cove and other beaches.

I don't know what your daughter is like, but when I was in college I would have preferred Huntington Beach and the Hyatt over Pelican Hill or one of the Fashion Island suggestions.

A popular area to rent bikes in NB is more down in the pier area along the ocean, not the Pelican Hill area. There is a similar set up in HB for bike rentals. I personally do not think it is very safe (risk of cars hitting you) to ride a bike except in the beach areas along the sand. People do it but I would not outside of the direct beach areas.

Pelican Hill is actually farther and will take you longer to reach the boat to Catalina than the Hyatt HB or the two hotels mentioned at Fashion Island.

If you have read any of the heated discussions about Marriott's Newport Coast Villas and the feeling of isolation, Pelican Hill is in the same area and it has the same shortcomings, you will probably drive everywhere. You can certainly walk around the general area but not really walk any where (shops and restaurants) except for Crystal Cove Beach State Park.

To clarify regarding the Marriott Scott mentioned, it is the one at Fashion Island, not the Newport Coast Villas. I think for Newport Beach Scott has good suggestions with The Island Hotel or even the Marriott at Fashion Island because you can walk to tons of restaurants and shops. Also, reaching the boat to Catalina is easy, drive onto Balboa Island and park on the island and ferry (it is a small 3 car and foot passenger ferry) over to the Peninsula or take the car on the ferry and park in one of the lots on the Peninsula. The boat to Catalina leaves right by where the ferry docks. Same for going to the beach area where you can rent bikes. You can also rent personal water craft, paddle boards, etc. in the bay.

We just enjoyed our second stay at The Montage in Laguna Beach. It's a wonderful place to stay. :).