The classic Huntington Beach Instagram post is a sunset shot of Pacific Coast Highway, with the silhouette of Huntington Beach Pier on slender stilt legs reaching out 1,850 feet into the Pacific and bonfires dotting the 10-mile stretch of beach in the foreground, and a caption with the hashtags #SurfCity #BeachLife #SoRelaxed. The pier and city date back to the early 1900s, when legendary Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku introduced the sport to mainlanders in this Southern California destination. Today, Duke’s statue anchors the downtown and a meeting professional’s paradise.
Need to Know
- 500,000 Visitors for U.S. Open of Surfing
- 1,200+ Dogs attended Corgis on the Beach Day
- 66 People rode the world’s largest surf board
Arrive
As the closest beach to Disneyland, with easy access to Long Beach Airport (LGB), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and John Wayne Airport (SNA), this Orange County destination stands on its own or pairs with other events looking to add a Pacific Ocean vibe to the agenda.
Meet and Sleep
Visit Huntington Beach markets four oceanfront resorts as HB Collection, offering a total of 1,400 guest rooms and 185,000 sq. ft. of meeting space within steps of each other and the sand. Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa capitalizes on the location and year-round comfortable temperatures with not one, but three ocean-view ballrooms—the largest clocking in at 20,000 sq. ft.—and six open-air courtyards. The grand, Spanish-style property even adopted the fire-pit tradition in the open areas and many of the suite balconies—with s’mores kits available on demand.
Next Door, Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel is completely redesigned with a new Twin Dolphin Tower that balances Huntington Tower, opposite Driftwood Beach Club, with its own separate entrance for secrecy and convenience. A picturesque rooftop lounge, new Drift spa and generous helping of breakout rooms for med/pharma meetings complete the cool retreat ambiance. Ask about securing a “beach butler” to deliver campfire essentials and start your fireside meetings.
Pasea Hotel & Spa is the hip, artsy destination in the group. From Treehouse Bar at Tanners to Aarna, a Balinese-inspired spa, and the sweeping Sapphire Ballroom, the views and creative touches wash over guests like the ripples in the building’s neon-lit facade.
A few blocks away, Kimpton Shorebreak Resort offers a healthy, casual take on a SoCal meeting with sight lines to the ocean and Main Street. F&B from Pacific Hideaway restaurant tends toward beach tavern meets Latin American and Asian fusion, served in the ballroom or around the fire pit on the open-air patio. The gym features a 40-foot bouldering wall; the welcome bar taps local brews; and the lobby stores gear in surfboard lockers.
Eat
From beach to city to boardroom, SeaLegs is the source for local flavor. Whether you enjoy the best local ingredients at the original SeaLegs Wine Bar, a genteel way to toast a successful meeting, or take the group to SeaLegs at the Beach for Reggae Sundays and poke nachos, your group will get a taste of why the local keep coming back.
No time to leave the venue? Then have SeaSalt Woodfire Grill deliver to your group smoked Santa Maria tri-tip, with your choice of finishing salts—alae volcanic red, sun-dried tomato or Maldon smoked sea salt.
Do
In the middle of all this meeting space is Pacific City, a centerpiece of restaurants (Bluegold’s milk rolls with sea salt and lavender are worth the trip by themselves), shops (Lot 579 puts everything cool under one roof) and play (The Bungalow brings legendary laid-back style to a flexible indoor-outdoor gathering place).
A 4,000-square-foot concept Hurley Pacific City store features a fleet of demo boards and access to Ocean Deck, where groups can gather under twinkling lights to watch surf movies and enjoy libations from The Dudes’ Brewing Company.
Group outings often include trips to the water for surf lessons, bike rides—even bird watching at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. This is not a place where your attendees want to stay inside.
