Hotel receives highest AAA rating

Irvine Co.-managed hotel gets award just weeks after name change from Four Seasons to Island.The Four Seasons Hotel Newport Beach name has been consigned to local business history for about two weeks. Now known as the Island Hotel Newport Beach, the Newport Center hotel is under the direct control of the Irvine Co., which has made hotel management a new part of its operations.

The hotel’s new general manager, Hans Maissen, wants the transition to be a subtle one. In the immediate future, his goal is to maintain continuity with the hotel’s past.

“It’s still going to be a luxury hotel and run as such,” he said.

An example of one small change that has already been made at the hotel is a twist on the tradition of leaving candies on guests’ pillows. Island Hotel visitors now receive seashells.

Guest rooms at the hotel were recently renovated, and a spa was added in January. Maissen said he expects to renovate suites next year.

The Newport Beach-based Irvine Co. assumed management control of the hotel Nov. 1. The hotel was successful under the guidance of Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Friday, the hotel was awarded the American Automobile Assn.’s Five Diamond Award under its new name. The hotel has received the AAA’s highest rating for 14 consecutive years.

“It’s obviously great for us and the staff,” Maissen said.

One method used at the hotel to maintain a smooth transition was to keep most of the Four Seasons employees. Maissen said more than 80% of the employees who worked for the hotel when it operated under the Four Seasons banner kept their jobs when the Irvine Co. took over management.

One of the key challenges facing the hotel will be to attract guests without the benefit of the Four Seasons brand name, Maissen acknowledged. He and the Irvine Co. are promoting the hotel through New York City-based Leading Hotels of the World Ltd. The company promotes high-end hotels around the world.

An advantage of operating the hotel under Four Seasons’ name was access to Four Seasons’ directory of potential guests, said Bruce Baltin a senior vice president at PKF Consulting, a hospitality consulting firm.

Independence means hoteliers have the opportunity to leave a distinct stamp on a hotel, Baltin said.

But it’s key to make sure travelers know about the hotel’s new identity.

“You’ve got to reintroduce the property to the marketplace,” he said. Working with a company like Leading Hotels gives independent hotels like the Island Hotel access to a system that can help increase awareness in the marketplace.

On a more local level, Maissen said the Irvine Co. will keep the hotel as a member of the OCeanfront.

The OCeanfront is a joint promotional venture between 10 coastal Orange County hotels that advertises the local beachfront region as a whole.

“It helps to establish yourself and most of all sell the destination,” Maissen said.

The Irvine Co. owns two hotels and a third is on the way.

The company plans to manage the Pelican Hill at Newport Coast Resort, which is slated to open in 2008.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at andrew.edwards @latimes.com.