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Balboa Inn

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Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Other miscellaneous taxes and hotel fees which are not fixed or due at time of booking may be payable at the property at time of stay. Please see our partners for more details.

About

#17 of 17 hotels in Newport Beach
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The newly remodeled Balboa Inn, in Newport Beach, Orange County, is a place where casual beachside ambiance and classic Old World charm combine in a historic landmark that’s lured Southern California's rich and famous for decades. Set on the colorful boardwalk at the foot of the Balboa Pier, this oceanfront establishment’s relaxed air may have you kicking off your high heels before you stroll down the aisle. Built in 1929, this upscale Orange County inn has entertained such notables as Howard Hughes, Barry Goldwater and a host of other politicians, entertainers and honeymooners. Once owned by the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kareem Abdul Jabbar, its nine-foot ceilings still bear a telltale sign of the basketball star. A recent $6-million addition features two oceanview terraces, a new oceanview Italian tile sundeck with hot tub, 34 upgraded rooms, 11 top-of-the-line suites and convenient subterranean valet parking. Guests enter the Inn through the Mediterranean-style courtyard, a natural space for pre-ceremony mingling. With its original tile, adobe walls, potted palms, bar and the soothing sound of surf crashing in the background, the space is a comfortable area for people to come together. Meanwhile, you, your groom and all your attendants have full use of an oceanview honeymoon suite with a Jacuzzi and fireplace. For the wedding ceremony itself, options include the hotel’s magnificent second-floor Siena Terrace overlooking the ocean, as well as the nearby gazebo at Peninsula Park and the adjacent rugby field fronting the ocean, where a decorated arch can provide a focal point. After you’ve said your “I do’s,” the Pacific Ocean provides fabulous scenery for photos taken on the pier, the sand or the grassy field next to the beach. When you’re ready to receive your guests, return to the upstairs terrace with its panoramic views from Catalina Island to Dana Point. Or, hold your wedding reception in the Siena Grand Dining Room and adjoining courtyard, where antique streetlights and colorful murals of gondolas on canals capture the romance of Venice. Along with five-star Italian cuisine by the restaurant’s gifted executive chef, you’ll enjoy a dreamy indoor-outdoor setting cleansed by refreshing sea spray. Far removed from the straight-laced formality of more corporate properties, the Balboa Inn is just steps from Newport’s famed Fun Zone. Here, you can pose for some playful photos on the historic carousel and Ferris wheel, or take a stress-busting ferry ride across Newport Bay. After you’ve returned to your guests to dance the night away, there’s one more thing you’ll probably want to do before heading for your honeymoon suite: go for a moonlit stroll along the sand.
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Property amenities
Parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Free breakfast
Restaurant
Beach
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Non-smoking hotel
Room features
Air conditioning
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
3.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Ocean View
326Reviews1Q+A80Room tips
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Kathyjo R wrote a review Feb 2024
2 contributions
RIP OFF FOR THE PRICE. Upon checking in, I pre-paid through a travel web-site and was treated as if I was second class. They asked for my credit card for essentials. That is when I found out that they charge $60.00 per night for parking ( On their own property!) The room in the off season was over $250.00 a night and the hotel was 1/2 empty. FREE TIP- CHECK IN IS AT 4:00. PARK BEHIND THE HOTEL, PAY FOR 2 HOURS, $5:00. -FREE FROM 6:00PM-8:00 AM. THE ROOM THEY GAVE ME FACED A STUCCO WALL. I REQUESTED TO BE MOVED. THEY DID MOVE ME TO A SLIGHTLY BETTER ROOM BUT ZERO BEACH VIEW. I HAVE STAYED HERE BEFORE, BUT HONESTLY, YOU CAN TELL THE HOTEL IS RUN DOWN. SMELLED DIRTY, FLOORS DID NOT FEEL CLEAN, AND THE ONE WINDOW I COULD SEE OUT OF, WAS SO DIRTY, I COULD NOT SEE OUT. THE ROOM HAD A FIREPLACE BUT DID NOT WORK!!!! NOT WORK THE MONEY. WHY WILL I NEVER STAY HER AGAIN? UPON CHECKING OUT, I NOTICED A $30.00 (RESORT FEE.) FOR WHAT I ASKED? "FOR WIIFI!" I WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT THE RESORT FEE WHEN I CHECKED IN. THEN I CHECKED THE WEB SITE AND IT ADVERTISED "FREE WIIF" DO NOW WASTE YOUR MONEY. THE OWNERS ARE ARROGANT, THE PRICE IT TOO HIGH, AND THE ROOMS FEEL VERY DIRTY. IF I HAD PAID THE $60.00 PARKING FEE, AND NOW I WAS CHARGED $30.00 FOR "RESORT FEE, (WHICH THE AUTOMATICALLY ADDED TO MY CREDIT CARD.) IT WOULD HAVE BEEN $90.00 EXTRA. BUYER BEWARE. DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL. OWNERS ARE RUDE, ROOMS ARE DIRTY.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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nativenancy wrote a review Aug 2022
portland, or17 contributions12 helpful votes
Hotel's Favourite
Location is great! Room was nice. AC worked great. Continental breakfast set up outside in courtyard was very nice. Overall good stay. The room lack a couple small amenities like luggage rack and no hangers in closet but oh well.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
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Hilda B wrote a review Oct 2023
31 contributions7 helpful votes
This hotel has got to be the best location in Balboa. Unfortunately the hotel it’s self is old which is not and excuse for the shape it is in. It is truly falling apart. The rooms are old, everything in them is old nasty stuff. Torn drapes, nasty bedding, towels, and dirty. Windows that don’t close and the noise around it is terrible as there is a restaurant/ bar across the street. The owners are rude and don’t care about their guests. They’d rather tell them they can leave than fix anything. I know if people who checked in and checked right Bach out. I’d do the same except for the expense of these rooms are high (not worth the price except the location) I’d never go back ever! The pool is dirty, closed a lot due to malfunction and pool furniture is broken. Only redeeming factor is that you can park at a rate of 40.00 a day! And walk almost everywhere.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Bring your own bedding. The stuff there is nasty. Be sure to check your room before being...
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Jan B wrote a review Jun 2023
1 contribution
Expensive/overpriced and dirty. We were overcharged for parking. They talked each of 4 couples into “upgrades” but they were far from upgrades. View of the beach was a view of the parking lot. Light and fan did not work Mold in shower. Dents and gouges in the walls. Window was broken, one window missing a screen. Continental breakfast was prepackaged item and coffee/juice. The area and clientele can be noisy at night.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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cljordan3 wrote a review Apr 2023
Salt Lake City, Utah1 contribution
It was dirty in the room.No AC for 3 days.No plug for tub.Charged an extra 30 a night for resort fees we were not told about until arrival.The card key kept going out so we had to make many extra trips to the front desk.
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Date of stay: April 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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julssmith33 wrote a review Oct 2022
Frinton-On-Sea, United Kingdom13 contributions11 helpful votes
+1
Shocking accommodation for the price. We paid $500. For one night. The location is the only go thing about this hotel. Our room was dirty with stained carpets. Broken blinds and mesh on the windows . Also very noisy being so close to the bar across the road. The pool is tiny and not very appealing. This hotel is extremely overpriced. I feel like I’ve been robbed!!!
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Avoid this hotel
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Sarah B wrote a review Oct 2022
3 contributions
This old hotel is really nice on the outside and in an excellent location. The rooms needs some TLC. The walls of our room were painted a lovely blue but there was white paint slapped up on the walls to patch damage don to the walls. Come on, it would have taken 10 minutes to paint over! Otherwise, don't be afraid. Some of these reviews scared us but the hotel is clean with a nice continental breakfast.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Cleanliness
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Melissa L wrote a review Sept 2022
2 contributions
Last time we came to visit California from the UK we stayed in the Balboa Bay Resort but decided on this one instead this time due to the location. It did not disappoint. We upgraded our room to a sea view and it was 100% worth the money. Breakfast is simple but appreciated as the portions in restaurants are huge and sometimes you just want something more continental. The hotel hot tub is great it was right outside our room and had an amazing view. The staff are amazingly friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed you stay and won’t hesitate to book again when we are next in California!
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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NDJ152 wrote a review Jun 2022
Dallas, Texas60 contributions30 helpful votes
Dirty / filthy / loud / run down. Where do I start to warn other travelers? The pictures are not accurate. Curtains literally torn & shredded. Smelled. There were 2 bags of dirty laundry on our front door when we checked in. I thought maybe they were cleaning the room next door. Nope - still there the next morning. This place is in the heart of a sketchy village area. Loud, party, gritty area. We only booked as we needed one night in between stops and the location worked. We were not expecting glamour but this was horrible. I really don't think this place is healthy / clean. I can't say enough but please don't stay here - especially if you have kids. We kept thinking thank goodness our kid is not with us tonight. Really awful.
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Date of stay: June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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C4L wrote a review May 2022
Palm Springs, California1 contribution
You will not have a solid night sleep here at all. Walls are paper thin, you can hear people talking in other rooms, you can hear the thumps walking down the hall/stairs, constantly slamming of doors through the night/early AM. College dorms are quieter than this lol …. in addition, Anytime someone is swiping their room key to get into their room it literally sounds like someone trying to come through your door. Really freaky sounding in the middle of the night… The A/C sounds like one of those old loud bathroom exhaust fans. There were other poor details with the room that weren’t great but those were overlooked compared to the insane amount of noise. For $450 a night and $60 in parking (parking is double if you have an suv) it truly sucked. Had i stayed at a best western for $100-200 understandable but i didn’t get what in paid for at all here. I called to speak to the MOD at 8am and he told me “yeah, that’s just how it is here the rooms are thin and i can’t control the noise” …. you’d think reading your hotel reviews you’d at least have a system in place to help alleviate or at least remedy your guests complaints. It just seems like no one cares and this happens all the time sort of thing.. Too many other great hotels around for similar pricing so go anywhere but here.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PRICE RANGE
₹19,648 - ₹29,763 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
balboa hotel newport beach, balboa newport beach, balboa inn
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaOrange CountyNewport Beach
NUMBER OF ROOMS
45
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Other miscellaneous taxes and hotel fees which are not fixed or due at time of booking may be payable at the property at time of stay. Please see our partners for more details.
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BALBOA INN (Newport Beach) - Hotel Reviews, Photos, Rate Comparison - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Balboa Inn
Which popular attractions are close to Balboa Inn?
Nearby attractions include Balboa Pier (0.05 km), Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt: Newport Beach (0.2 km), and Balboa Fun Zone (0.2 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Balboa Inn?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Balboa Inn?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and an on-site restaurant during their stay.
Is parking available at Balboa Inn?
Yes, parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Balboa Inn?
Conveniently located restaurants include Harborside Restaurant & Grand Ballroom, Great MEX, and Newport Landing.
Are pets allowed at Balboa Inn?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to Balboa Inn?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Kellogg House (13.2 km), Murphy-Smith Historical Bungalow (12.5 km), and Laguna's Gate (12.6 km).
Does Balboa Inn have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.