Ready to impress

Mary A. Castillo

If the Montage Resort were a woman, she’d be a gracious arts patron

with a bit of scandal to make her interesting. But whether she were

in bare feet or a gown, she would always appear elegant.

When I walked into the Montage for a behind-the-scenes tour, she

was busy with associates fitted for uniforms, chefs huddled over

bubbling pots and hospitality staff dry-running meals to every part

of the 262-room resort.

Despite the plastic sheets protecting the floors and the whine of

power drills, it was clear that the Montage has the soul of a bygone

era. But her heart beats young with the 550 people behind the scenes.

“Come take a look at our back yard,” General Manager James

Bermingham said as he escorted me to the windows dominating the lobby

lounge.

The sky, the ocean and a seagull conspired to put on a dazzling

show that Thursday afternoon. The sunburst patterned pool waited

below for swimmers and splashing children. The Lucy and Desi palm

trees, reputed to have been in the 1954 film “The Long, Long

Trailer,” had already been replanted along with 160 trees in their

native soil.

With his finger in every pie, Bermingham knows every corner and

cushion. “To launch a new luxury hotel is exciting,” he said. “We

want our guests to remember our associates.”

Last September, Bermingham, 36, moved with his wife and two sons

from Scottsdale, Ariz., where he managed the Phoenician. A native of

Dublin, he entered the hospitality industry when he discovered -- in

his own words -- that he wasn’t as talented in the kitchen as his

older brother.

In his 20-year career, Bermingham has managed luxury hotels in

London, Houston, Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas.

“This is the last move,” he promised. “Because it’s the best

move.”

The Montage Resort traveled a bumpy road to completion when crews

broke ground in October 2000. The project formerly known as the

Laguna Beach Colony Hotel was purchased by the Montage Hotels and

Resorts and the Athens Group in June 2002.

The 30-acre site was purchased for $190 million and then renamed

the Montage Resort and Spa, Laguna Beach.

In early December, nearby residents voiced concerns about parking

to the City Council. Councilman Wayne Baglin stressed to the

developer that public parking on the site had to be maintained and

employee parking on residential streets would not be allowed.

Most recently, the resort was reported by local environmentalists

for a contractor power-washing the buildings and allowing the debris

to flow into the storm drain.

Despite past controversies, Bermingham hoped that locals would

visit the resort for afternoon tea starting in mid-March, picnic

baskets prepared by the chefs at Studio or to use the world-class

spa.

“No matter what their price level is, we still have something over

the top that doesn’t hit the wallet,” he said.

As we walked through the service halls that make the resort feel

like a giant rabbit warren, Spa Director Barbara Schultz and a

colleague pushed a cart piled high with boxes into the

20,000-square-foot spa.

Schultz stood in the workout room, whose main walls had been

pushed open to let the breeze in.

“I’ve already seen three whales today,” she said.

She walked into the main entrance, where built-in cabinets stood

dark and empty.

“It feels like Christmas, opening all these great things,” she

said.

With a long career managing and opening fitness centers and spas,

Schultz is particularly excited about this project because of its

holistic approach to health.

“Spa in Latin means health through water,” she said. “This is a

place of solitude and respite from routine.”

The spa itself is designed so that guests gradually walk away from

the hustle bustle of the workout, salon and main reception area.

Even though Schultz auditioned and recruited the therapists, her

staff will regularly undergo training that emphasizes the intention

of their work.

“We focus on how the treatment is delivered,” she said. “The goal

is to add touches that make it really special.”

One of the first priorities of the Montage was creating a

resort-wide dining experience that would rival nearby luxury

properties. Executive Chef and artist-in-residence James Boyce was

recruited from the Five-Star Mary Elaine’s of the Phoenician Resort

to build and design the distinctive themes for Studio Restaurant, the

Loft and the Mosaic Bar and Grill.

“I came out here to do my own restaurant, work with people who

understood it,” he said.

Boyce’s career has taken him to Le Cirque, Loew’s Coronado Bay

Resort and the Palace Court at Caesar’s Palace.

For weeks, the team, which also includes Wine Director Christopher

Coon, has been testing recipes to work out the details of each dish.

“Experience and versatility to make an amazing experience is our

strength,” Coon said.

A fellow emigre from the Mary Elaine’s, Coon enjoys the ego-less

dynamic among the chefs and sommeliers. The synergy allows each half

of the whole to create a memorable dining concept.

“We don’t just want to think of sommeliers just pulling corks,” he

said. “They know the cuisine and they can connect the dots to meet

the guest’s expectations.”

* MARY A. CASTILLO covers education, public safety and City Hall.

She can be reached at mary.castillo@latimes.com.