Review: Lido House, Autograph Collection (Newport Beach, California)

Review: Lido House, Autograph Collection (Newport Beach, California)

About Lido House

Lido House, Autograph Collection, is a luxury hotel located on Lido Isle in Newport Beach, California. The hotel is constructed on the site of the former City Hall and blends classic Cape Cod architecture with modern California cool for inspired results. The hotel features 130 luxury guest rooms and suites, and five custom three-story cottages, each designed by a local Newport Beach designer. The hotel’s features include a rooftop bar, a spa, a fitness center, and an outdoor pool.

Image: marriott.com

At A Glance:

• Average Nightly Cost During Stay: $538
• Loyalty Program: Marriott Bonvoy
• Loyalty Category: N/A
• Discount Applied: 58,000 Points
• Room Type as Booked: Guest Room, 2 Queens
• Room Upgrade: None
• Resort Fee: $35
• Parking Fee: $60 (Valet Only)

Booking/Redemption

Location & Parking

The hotel is situated on the water near Lido Marina Village and Balboa Peninsula, making it perfectly positioned for discovering Newport Beach’s vibrant atmosphere, bustling marina, and white-sand beaches.

Lido House only offered valet parking, which went for $60 per night.

FHOP Tip: $60 for parking is steep. I found plenty of parking on the backside of the hotel (near Crew) on 32nd Street.

Lobby

The lobby area of the hotel was decked out with a nautical theme reflective of the hotel’s location.

Front Desk & Check-In

When I arrived for check-in, I strangely found the front desk attendants to be somewhat standoffish – as if they had just gotten into a fight with each other or something.

They hardly spoke to me, but quickly checked me in and handed me the room keys. Before I could ask any questions, they were gone to the back. Definitely no Bonvoy recognition.

Image: marriott.com

Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Loyalty Program Benefits

One of the quirks of the Marriott Bonvoy program is that it has too many quirks, especially when it comes to the breakfast benefits. While Bonvoy benefits often differ by brand, they can also differ by version of the brand, as is the case at Lido House, an Autograph Collection brand.

Here’s a link to a great post on Marriot’s Breakfast that One Mile At A Time did here: Marriott Bonvoy’s Complicated Elite Breakfast Benefit Explained 

Bonvoy provides free breakfast – for two – at Autograph Collection resorts. Lido House is an Autograph Collection brand, however, it is NOT an Autograph Collection resort, therefore in Marriott’s infinite wisdom, they do not need provide complimentary breakfast as an amenity for two. Rather, Lido House only provides a breakfast credit, in this case a $30 per room (not per person) as a benefit.

Got all that? Thought so.

Aside from that, Marriott Bonvoy’s program benefits for Platinum elites are supposed to include complimentary room upgrades, late checkout, and access to the hotel’s exclusive lounge.

In my case, late checkout wasn’t available and there was no room upgrade even though the hotel was practically empty. No love for Platinum members apparently.

Welcome Package

Room Key

Elevator Area

Hallway

Room Walkthrough Tour

Room Entrance

The Guest Room, 2 Queens, was attractively designed with coastally inspired furnishings, boutique comforts, and a Juliet balcony with a pool view.

The room featured two queen beds, a flat-screen TV, a lounge area, and a coffee maker.

Bedroom

Living Area

Room Amenities

Closet

Bathroom

The bathroom was clean and came with D.S. Durga’s Debaser brand of toiletry amenities.

These Can Be Yours For The Low Price Of…

The Debaser products also came with a warning sign: If you take it, you’ll be charged $69 per bottle.

Balcony

Room Condition

Overall, the room was clean. But…there was an unsettling mystery stain on the side of the mattress. I’m just going to assume (believe) that it was barbecue sauce.

Dining Options

Dining options nearby include The Mayor’s Table, which serves steak, seafood, and handcrafted cocktails, and Topside, Newport Beach’s only rooftop bar.

Breakfast At The Mayor’s Table

We utilized the $30 breakfast credit at the Mayor’s Table – a surprisingly beautiful and impressive restaurant.

We went with the Lido House Benedict (great, although potato-heavy) and Lattes (excellent).

Image: marriott.com

Crew Coffee + Cremerie

The Mayor’s Table Bar

Image: marriott.com

Image: marriott.com

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The Property Interior

Image: marriott.com

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The Property Exterior

Image: marriott.com

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Image: marriott.com

Swimming Pool

The hotel’s outdoor pool was hemmed in by the hotel, but was still a great place to relax and soak up the sun. The pool area featured a poolside bar.

Image: marriott.com

Fitness Center

FHOP Tip: What’s Nearby

Newport Beach is one of the most picturesque towns in America. There are plenty of things to do nearby the resort, including shopping, dining, biking, swimming and surfing. The hotel is located near Lido Marina Village, which offers a variety of shops and restaurants and is just a short walk from the beach.

Image: marriott.com

THE FHOP BOTTOM-LINE 10 RATINGS

The Bottom-Line Review: Lido House, Autograph Collection (Newport Beach, California)

Lido House, Autograph Collection, is a luxury hotel that offers a unique blend of classic Cape Cod architecture and modern California cool. The hotel’s location near Lido Marina Village and Balboa Peninsula makes it perfectly positioned for discovering Newport Beach’s vibrant atmosphere, bustling marina, and white-sand beaches.

While I wasn’t blown away by the room or the service, and I was outright disappointed at their treatment of Bonvoy Elites, the hotel did have a lot of things going for it. The location was great because Newport Beach is great.  The overall vibe was relaxing and upscale. The hotel’s dining options were also impressive, with The Mayor’s Table being a true gem (for breakfast & dinner) with a gorgeous bar. Also great was Newport Beach’s only rooftop bar and the overall nautical decor of the hotel.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay well enough. I find it strange that although Autograph Collection is my favorite Marriott Bonvoy brand, I think back on this Autograph Collection stay as being just “lukewarm”. I’ll chalk it up to the service and weather this time. With that said, I would recommend this hotel for staycationers, couples, families, and even bachelorette parties, and I’ll probably give it another go one day myself. With some minor tweaks, Lido House could have easily garnered top marks, but still – an 8 out of 10 ain’t bad.

Final Rating: 8 out of 10