The Montage Club – Orange County Business Journal

As it reaches the 20-year mark of operations, Irvine-based Montage International continues to draw visitors and investors alike to its collection of 14 luxury properties, with over 3,000 rooms across the U.S. and Mexico.

Nowhere is that more clear than at its flagship location in Laguna Beach, which sold
in November for $641 million, or nearly $2.5 million per key, setting several local marks.

The price paid by billionaire Tilman Fertitta for the 259-room Montage Laguna Beach was the most ever paid for a hotel in Orange County, and was the second priciest on record for the state, on a total and per-room basis.

The Montage sale was the biggest single-property commercial sale in Orange County for the year; those deals are highlighted in this week’s Top Deals of 2022 Special Report.

“The deal was a terrific boost of confidence,” founder and Chief Executive Alan Fuerstman told the Business Journal. “We have a great owner that is focused on the stewardship of the property and committed to investing and supporting efforts to innovate and provide extraordinary experiences for guests.”

More’s in store going forward for the company, which continues to expand with new developments and an emerging offshoot set to debut in OC later this year.

“[Laguna Beach] was the first opportunity we had to plant the flag, create the brand and become the platform for all Montage hotels,” Fuerstman told the Business Journal.

Where it’s Going

The high-end hotel operator will open four new hotels in the next three years, starting with the Pendry Newport Beach this summer.

Taking the spot of the former Fashion Island Hotel, it will be the first Pendry for OC, and the eighth in the company’s portfolio.

Next year, Montage will open the Montage Cay in the Bahamas, building on the company’s international portfolio that kicked off with the 2018 opening of Montage Los Cabos in Mexico.

The firm has signed 11 new management contracts in the past year with a growing focus on Mexico, and new sights set on the Caribbean.

“Just going to a [new] market is not enough—being in the right location of any particular market is incredibly important,” Fuerstman said. “We’re as much defined by the deals we turn down as by the deals we actually do.”

It’s part of the brand consistency Fuerstman hopes to set up across the portfolio, starting with a focus on Montage’s “own backyard.”

“If we do a great job with that, our reputation will spread and become well known regionally, nationally, and ultimately internationally,” he said.

The opening of Pendry Newport Beach marks “an exciting and dynamic time” for the company, according to Fuerstman.

“It is a hotel that will be truly of Newport Beach and a remarkable addition to the community.”

The nearly 300-room property will bring Montage’s newest offerings in the luxury segment with a focus on food and beverage offerings and a unique membership-based social club.

The Pendry company, co-led by…