A Newport Beach Icon

The Balboa Inn often escapes the public limelight despite its colorful past.

Some Peninsula icons immediately bring the past to mind: the Balboa Ferry, the Balboa Theater and the Balboa Pavilion. Others are not as well known, but just as storied. Such is the Balboa Inn, located at the foot of the Balboa Pier and closing in on its 90th birthday (it opened in 1929). In fact, if the Balboa Inn were not surrounded by reminders of past eras, it might get a bit more credit for its refusal to sacrifice its roots by striving for modern luxury. For instance, the original Spanish architecture remains virtually unchanged, as does its cobblestone courtyard. And though it has been frequented by everyone from past and present Hollywood celebrities to former L.A. Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who has his own suite named after him, with nine-foot-high doors), it has remained below the radar, overshadowed by the grand resorts that now line the Orange County coast. Yet at one time, the Balboa Inn was the place to stay in Orange County, a hot spot for the Swing Era L.A. crowd who came down to dance the Balboa and carouse with the hard-drinking, hard-swearing Balboa Theater owner Madame LaRue.

Now, however, Balboa is less bawdy and the Balboa Inn a bit more plush, with Siena, a fine restaurant and lounge, a warm Jacuzzi and the finest amenities. Of course, the colorful past isn’t totally dead; if you have a hankering for bawdy, walk across the street to Cabo Cantina, where some patrons could put Ms. LaRue to shame.

For more on the historic Balboa Inn, visit www.balboainn.com.

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