When I first heard the term Beach Butler, I imagined a
distinguished, gray-haired gentleman, maybe in a tuxedo and
sandals, or at least a uniformed cabana boy. I should have known
better. This is Huntington Beach after all the official Surf City
USA. This is the capital of Southern California beach culture,
where even a wedding I stumbled upon had groomsmen dressed in
khakis and flip-flops.
Our beach butler was named Charlos, and he looked like he had
been out catching waves that very morning which, in fact, he had.
But I didn’t let the surfer-dude appearance fool me, Charlos knew
his job. He was friendly, knowledgeable and ready to take care of
every detail. We could hardly have asked for anyone better. Plus,
he gave us tips on the best Boogieboard spots.
Charlos is part of the Beach Butler program at Toes on the Nose
at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa. Toes on the
Nose is the “Hyatt Adventure” store and guiding service at the
resort, and for $150 per day, they will set guests up in a covered
beach cabana near the water, with beach chairs, towels, sunscreen,
a cooler filled with chilled water and, of course, their very own
Beach Butler. The service is new this year, and it is already very
popular, especially with families who don’t want to have to worry
about schlepping everything they might need for a day at the
beach.
“Most weekends we sell out,” said Brian Donoghue, manager of
Toes on the Nose. “We’ve got five cabanas now, and if we had more,
we’d sell out those too.”
Toes on the Nose is a local Orange County surf company, but the
store at the Hyatt offers a wide variety of services for guests,
including renting bike rentals, surfboards, Boogieboards, sand
toys, baby joggers and more. The store also arranges surfing
lessons and adventure packages, such as kayaking, fishing charters,
parasailing and day trips to Catalina. One of the more unique
services they offer is a sunset bonfire and beach party. Huntington
Beach has legal firepits, but they are first-come, first-served and
on weekends they fill up quickly. Toes on the Nose will reserve a
firepit for guests in the morning and supply the beach chairs and
firewood for an evening bonfire (price depends on group size,
usually under $100). It’s a big hit with small groups. On the
weekend I was there, a sweet 16 party was having a great time with
their cabana rental and firepit reservation, in addition to a suite
at the Hyatt.
“The Fourth of July was just crazy down here. Every firepit was
claimed by 9 a.m.,” said Donoghue. “But it’s a popular service for
parties and even small corporate groups all summer.”
Toes on the Nose Beach Butlers will also bring guests lunch on
the beach. The Hyatt’s Surf City Grocers will prepare several
different picnic lunch options for guests and the Beach Butlers
will be happy to deliver it to your cabana.
Toes on the Nose is located at the resort and there is a
beachfront location as well.
“We give the Butlers a break, so they don’t have to run back to
the hotel for every little thing,” Donoghue said laughing. “They
get a workout as it is.”
Although it’s not like the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach is far
from the shoreline. The resort is across the highway from the
beach, with a pedestrian bridge bringing guests practically right
to the bike path. It is a great base for a weekend getaway for
locals, although Huntington Beach, and the O.C. in general, is
becoming a destination in its own right for people all over the
country and the world.
In addition to the resort’s comfortable modern guestrooms and
its location on one of the world’s most famous surfing beaches,
close to Disneyland, and within striking distance of Hollywood and
San Diego, the 517-room resort has plenty of creative programs
especially for families. For instance, the hotel offers “Dive-In
Movies” by the pool on Friday nights (we saw “Finding Nemo” while
floating under the stars listening to the pounding surf across the
road), and there’s a firepit ideal for making s’mores. (The hotel
sells a S’mores Kit, with marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers
and a stick, for $9.) The resort also has an ice cream parlor and
Game Zone video arcade and Camp Hyatt programs for kids ages
3-12.
For grown-ups and kids too the resort offers a
20,000-square-foot Pacific Waters Spa, with 21 treatment rooms and
a broad menu of treatments. One of the more unusual treatments is
the Chocolate Kiss Hand & Foot Delight, designed for kids 8 and
up to enjoy alongside a parent in a dual treatment room.
Finally, the hotel has an extensive range of indoor and outdoor
function space, many with breathtaking views of the ocean. Just be
sure to tell your corporate clients to bring their flip-flops. This
is Surf City after all.
| CONTACT
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa
Rates start at $370 for an Ocean View Standard room
714-698-1234
www.huntingtonbeach.hyatt.com
Toes on the Nose
714-845-4638
www.toesonthenose.com |
