Hotels Have Rooms to Spare

Despite end-of-the-century hype about grand New Year’s Eve parties, many large Orange County hotels say they still have rooms available for Dec. 31, and some have slashed rates and trimmed minimum stay requirements to lure customers.

Even some low-priced events have been canceled as residents opt to skip organized celebrations to stay at or near home.

The Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Tennis Club has dropped the price of its two-night New Year’s party package from $1,231.99 to $850 per couple. For one-night, the price has been lowered from $999 to $700.

The Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point reduced its three-night minimum to two nights when customers balked, as did the Inn at Laguna Beach. And the price of the two-night package at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach--which includes a New Year’s Eve party, a dinner show, all meals and a casino night--has shrunk by more than half. The Hilton Waterfront and others also offer less pricey options.

“It didn’t sell,” said Irvine consultant Randall Hiatt, referring to the hotels’ initial New Year’s Eve strategy. “And the biggest culprit is overpricing.”

On the other hand, some higher-end options were snapped up.

The Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach has sold its four most expensive suites, which go for $1,400 and up. The hotel still has other rooms available for its regular rates, $405 to $665 per night.

And the Ritz-Carlton has rented its one-bedroom, 1,840-square-foot Presidential Suite for a $100,000 tab that includes a butler, his-and-hers Bulgari wristwatches and a 2000 Jaguar XJ8--which generally sells for about $60,000--that the guest will get to keep.

The three-night package also features a private New Year’s Eve dinner for 12 in the hotel’s wine room.

“It’s the ultimate,” spokeswoman Deanne French said of the three-night package, which can be extended by two days at no additional charge. “Your every wish is, basically, the hotel’s command.”

A Few Hotels Are Sold Out

In Los Angeles County, some high-end hotels are sold out, or close to it.

The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills has been booked for New Year’s weekend since mid-November. The 196-room hotel required a two-night minimum stay with prices ranging from $395 to $3,000 per night.

“Because we asked for a full deposit, people had to make sure in their minds that they were coming before they paid,” marketing director Christine Judd said. Other hotels have also demanded full payment in advance, preventing mass, last-minute defections.

With all the price cutting, guests who signed early also are likely to receive rebates, said consultant Hiatt, president of Fessel International.

Indeed, when the Hilton Waterfront slashed the price of its two-night stay from $1,999 to $850, it called customers who had already booked rooms to tell them they would pay less.

“It was only fair,” spokeswoman Diane Turner said.

Sometimes, however, price isn’t the problem.

The city of San Juan Capistrano’s New Year’s Eve celebration was canceled this week because of low ticket sales. While the family-oriented, nonalcohol event was planned for 1,000 people, the city sold just 120 tickets, which cost $8 for adults and $5 for youngsters.

“Generally, for our events we have huge turnouts,” city spokeswoman Cristi Silverberg said. Many people seemed to want to stay home or attend smaller parties, she said. “People seem to want something more intimate.”

As consultant Hiatt sees it, the shift away from big events reflects a longer-term trend toward “cocooning,” snuggling at or near home, partly to avoid drunken drivers.

Still, many civic events are on track.

The city of Los Angeles has planned huge public parties in five communities stretching from San Pedro to Van Nuys. Each one is expected to draw thousands with activities such as parades with local musical and dance troupes and other live performances. The band Los Lobos, for example, is scheduled to perform at an outdoor stage downtown.

City officials said they are anticipating large crowds for the free events, which begin at noon Dec. 31 and stretch into the early-morning hours of New Year’s Day.

Meanwhile, hotels say the price reductions--and the ticking clock--have begun to spark sales.

“Now that the date’s approaching, they’re booking,” said Turner, with the Hilton Waterfront. The lower prices “definitely helped,” she said.

Many hotels with rooms still available say they eventually expect to sell out.

The Westin South Coast Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa, where New Year’s Eve rooms are $205--a typical midweek rate--has sold all but 20 of its 390 rooms for that night.

“We’re pleased with the way it turned out,” Allison said. “We took a position that we wanted to be fair in our pricing and not try to be greedy.”

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Times staff writer Ann Conway contributed to this report.