Newport Beach Guide (May 2023)

We did one night at Marriott's VEA Resort and booked it using a Marriott free night award topped off with points. The resort was nice and the location was really good, but the overall feel was a bit generic rather than distinctive.

It was cold during the stay, so the pool scene was not especially inviting and most people ended up crowded into the hot tub instead. Even so, kids always love a hotel with a pool, so that still gave the stay an easy built-in activity.

We had Mother's Day lunch at Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens, and it ended up being one of the best parts of the trip. The garden is lovely, the setting works especially well for a family brunch, the food was tasty, the service was great, and everyone we interacted with was friendly. It makes for a genuinely great family meal.

Overall, VEA was perfectly fine and the location worked, but it did not leave us wanting to come back specifically for the hotel. We would probably stay somewhere else next time.