Doryman’s in Newport Beach offers vintage comforts
“It’s nice to know there are still some quaint and out-of-the-way places even in the O.C. The location offers good access to lots of iconic SoCal sites,” says reader Caitlin Tusher of Placentia, in her nomination letter.
THE SETTING
Sure enough, this little Victorian inn in Newport Beach seems to be crafted almost entirely out of buckets of varnish, a fitting finish for something so close to the sea. Still, to find an 11-room boutique hotel here comes as a surprise. And a relief.
One hundred steps from the Newport Pier, Doryman’s Oceanfront Inn is a vintage hotel in a setting better known for in-line skates and surfboards. In fact, you may have walked by the triangle-shaped inn a dozen times if you frequent this busy little stretch of ice cream shops, bike rentals and bars on the often-manic Balboa Peninsula.
Almost like a safe house, this place. It’s not till you take the elevator up from the tiny entrance that you find the lobby for the family-owned property, which dubs itself a bed-and-breakfast but better resembles a boutique hotel with a Victorian fetish.
There’s nothing subtle about the furnishings -- my wife, Cathy, called the look “early bordello” -- and there are mirrors, heavy frames and fabric everywhere. Our room also featured nude, saloon-worthy photos on the walls.
I have no trouble with nudity -- except my own -- but the artwork might seem a little bawdy to some. It’s an unexpected look for a hotel on the Orange County coast, where design is usually so spartan and bright.
Yet Doryman’s manages to maintain an elegant feel. The fireplaces, mantels and armoires help with that. This place has more brass and oak than Grandma’s attic and terrific sunken shower/tubs that are twice the size and twice as satisfying as most hotel showers.
Our two-room suite slept five of us and opened up to a breezy communal patio. This is really the only common area in the B&B, and the spot where the continental breakfast is served. Rooms 4 and 9 can be a little noisy when the early risers scrape the iron chairs across the stone patio.
A good value, as beachfront lodging goes. Cozy two-bedrooms facing the ocean start at $249.
THE VIBE
Inside, dark romance. Outside, sun and fun. Not a bad combination. After staring into the summer glare for eight hours, it’s a relief to enter the shadowy world of canopy beds and armoires.
Given the glamorous surroundings, you might think the front desk would be ultra-cautious about guests parading through the lobby after a day at the beach, breaded like corn dogs. But there are no scolding signs or long lists of rules. Even so, the place is immaculate, even as summer occupancy rates range between 90% and 95%.
Indeed, the place is one of the oldest and most popular hotels in the area. One hundred years ago, it served as a bunkhouse for commercial fishermen just off the busy wharf. Today, recreational anglers line the rails of Newport Pier, elbow to elbow as the smelt, perch and corvina run along the surf line. (See www.dfg.ca.gov for fishing rules.)
Certainly, few places on the California coastline combine money and mayhem like this stretch of beach. Bike rental shops crowd the Strand, down the block from bars that open at 6 a.m. Meanwhile, pricey restaurants such as 21 Oceanfront, on Doryman’s first floor, offer crab cake appetizers at $24 and $48 rib-eyes (18 ounces).
Take your pick. We chose Charlie’s Chili, a 30-second stroll from Doryman’s front door, where for the price of an entree at 21 Oceanfront, we fed four people and had enough money left over for a creamy Balboa Bar at the Pipeline ice cream shop around the corner (cash only).
Charlie’s broad menu -- seafood, omelets, chili and tacos -- is a savior for families trying to cram in a lot of activities on an overnight stay, and the service is about as prompt and considerate as you’re ever going to find -- at bargain prices or any other.
Next door, you can rent a bike for $7.50 an hour or test the waters off the pier with a rental fishing rod ($7).
And then there’s that beach. This is one of the best family beaches in Southern California, well-groomed and carefully patrolled. If you like your beaches wide, with gradual drop-offs, this is the place. Beware of riptides, though, for the south-facing beach can get pounded.
OVERALL
Comfortable and convenient for families, Doryman’s is probably at its best as a honeymooners’ retreat, or for an anniversary weekend for mom and dad (the desk offers gift certificates).
It has far more character than most of the 20 other hotels that compete for your business in this section of Newport Beach, where traffic pours in all summer long. I have to confess, I’ve had my torturous summer days getting in and out of this area. “Blade Runner” isn’t my idea of dystopian Los Angeles. It’s Balboa Boulevard on a hot holiday weekend, when thousands of drivers battle for what seem like hundreds of parking spots.
So here’s my solution. Book a room at Doryman’s Oceanfront Inn on a Thursday night, splurge at 21 Oceanfront for a special occasion, then give the budget some salvation with Charlie’s the next night.
By Saturday, when the hordes pour in, swirling ‘round and ‘round the parking lot, you’ll be gone with the summer wind.
Doryman’s Oceanfront Inn, 2102 W. Oceanfront, Newport Beach; (949) 675-7300, www.dorymansinn.com.
