Resort

Alexandra&Karyne Help! We were on vacation in Laguna Beach last week and lost our camera right before leaving on Sunday August 16 th! We think we left it at the outside showers on one of the Montage resort beaches around 4.30 pm. It was a silver Canon PowerShot digital camera. A bit worn out with a scratched screen. PLEASE if you found it you can take the camera but PLEASE save the pictures and contact us via e-mail: gr_alexandra@yahoo.com or the cell # 650-452-2129 We're willing to cover any shipping expenses and even arrange the pick up. Thank you!

Auri Inc., an upscale shoemaker once touted as one of America's most promising companies by Forbes, has shuttered its line of shoes to focus on licensing its technology to established luxury footwear brands. The company closed its North Laguna showroom and headquarters earlier this year as part of the move. "The costs associated with being a footwear brand are exorbitant," said founder Ori Rosenbaum. "It's overwhelming. " Rosenbaum, a Laguna Beach resident, cited the high costs associated with trade shows, samples, marketing materials, factories, inventory and being a public company.

DINING OUT Boasting a trio of diversified restaurants plus the lovely Lobby Lounge for afternoon tea, light fare and cocktails, the magnificent new Montage Resort and Spa has brought to Laguna Beach some delightfully new dimensions in dining. Launched with an inviting VIP reception on Feb. 21, the elegant event proved a superb showcase for the resort's many and varied gustatory indulgences. An unexpectedly happy surprise was the presence of executive chef Jonathan Pfluegar whom local foodies have missed since the sudden termination late last year of his innovative Vertical Wine Bar Restaurant on Forest Avenue.

Dave and Diane Connell Well, we just got back from a lovely dinner at the Loft Restaurant at the Montage Resort and thought we would share the experience with our fellow Lagunans. Following the dedication ceremony of Art in Public Places at the Montage Park we enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the park area. After dusk, we went up to the main lobby and were very impressed with the view of the illuminated surf on the reef from that vantage point.

Barbara Diamond Since the Montage Resort and Spa and Treasure Island Park opened, customers at Aliso Creek Plaza shopping center can't find a place to park, causing headaches for everyone, including the center's tenants, who think their businesses are suffering. "I stood at the signal and watched 27 groups of people cross to the park in one hour," said Sid Fanarof, owner of Z Pizza. "It will get worse when the parking meters are put in on the highway."

Billy Fried won’t launch his kayaking business at Treasure Island Beach after considering the conditions imposed on the permit by the California Coastal Commission. At the June 11 hearing, the commission sided with opponents of the project, who claimed the City Council’s terms of approval for the project conflicted with the Treasure Island Local Coastal Program, certified in 1999. “We are going to pick up the permit, but we won’t be pursuing operations at Montage at this time,” Fried said.

A parking study around the Montage Resort and Spa on Friday and Saturday will determine if the resort's parking needs for guests and employees can be met under the worst-case scenario — if the hotel, restaurant and ballrooms are filled to capacity. The study was required by the city, and the results will be reviewed by city staff for later release to the City Council. The study consisted of hourly counts of vehicles and spaces in the resort parking structure, the porte-cochere and the public parking on the site, plus supplemental parking sites, the residential neighborhood and along South Coast Highway, according to John Montgomery, community development department director.

Glori Fickling The art of fine dining is no more eloquently expressed than at Laguna's fabulous five-star Montage Resort and Spa, which debuted in all its classic splendor on Feb. 22 last year. With a trio of diversified restaurants from which to choose, dining doesn't get much more delightful than at the Loft, overlooking a lush poolside setting with the Pacific Ocean mere steps away. Graciously appointed with classic furnishings, the room is replete with a corner bar where guests are offered tastings of imported and regional cheeses.

DINING REVIEW The scene was simply splendiferous. Surrounded by the shimmering Pacific Ocean under clear blue skies, tables sparkled with iridescent teal blue covers, matching napkins sprouting above one of the proud parade of wine stems. A shining lineup of polished silverware completed the magnificent setting. This memorable celebration was held atop the sprawling Catalina deck at Surf & Sand Resort, culminating a four-month series of Cheesemakers' dinners featured earlier this year at Splashes, the hotel's beautiful beachfront restaurant.

Barbara Diamond Residents in the condominiums at Montage Resort and Spa, called villas, have appealed the city approval of the first estate home. Architect Morris Skenderian designed the home, which was first approved by the Montage Design Review Committee, composed of Skenderian; John Mansour, vice president of Athens Group, which re-developed the old Treasure Island Mobile Home Park; and Bill Claypool, Montage director of technical services. "It's a stacked deck," said Darren Aitkin, speaking on behalf of his parents, who own one of the condos.

A Los Angeles Police Department officer was convicted Monday for stealing from the Surf and Sand Resort in October 2011. Jeffry Paul Quinton, 47, of Anaheim Hills pleaded guilty to one felony count of grand theft and a felony count of commercial burglary, according to a Orange County District Attorney press release. Quinton was sentenced to 120 days in jail, three years formal probation and restitution. He starts his jail sentence on Oct. 12, District Attorney spokeswoman Farrah Emami said.

The program for the American Assn. of University Women Literary Luncheon on Saturday at the Surf & Sand Resort will include information on women's suffrage. Money raised at the luncheon will help fund AAUW programs that help advance equality for women and girls in school and in the workplace. Funding includes sending two Thurston Middle School students to science camps annually, as well as presenting scholarships to graduating Laguna Beach High School girls and women returning to higher education.

Greetings Laguna Beach from Punta Mita, Mexico, where I have been visiting for the past week. I’ve been staying at the St. Regis here, helping the resort develop a new program titled “Surf with a Pro,” set to launch this spring break. It will be offered to beginning through advanced surfers alike. Outside my window is a sparkling, crystal clear ocean with a slight offshore and a 2- to 3-foot peeling right. Not a soul or surfer in sight. However, I plan on changing that once I finish writing my column.

Alexandra&Karyne Help! We were on vacation in Laguna Beach last week and lost our camera right before leaving on Sunday August 16 th! We think we left it at the outside showers on one of the Montage resort beaches around 4.30 pm. It was a silver Canon PowerShot digital camera. A bit worn out with a scratched screen. PLEASE if you found it you can take the camera but PLEASE save the pictures and contact us via e-mail: gr_alexandra@yahoo.com or the cell # 650-452-2129 We're willing to cover any shipping expenses and even arrange the pick up. Thank you!

Billy Fried won’t launch his kayaking business at Treasure Island Beach after considering the conditions imposed on the permit by the California Coastal Commission. At the June 11 hearing, the commission sided with opponents of the project, who claimed the City Council’s terms of approval for the project conflicted with the Treasure Island Local Coastal Program, certified in 1999. “We are going to pick up the permit, but we won’t be pursuing operations at Montage at this time,” Fried said.

The Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach was honored April 16 with the Employer Award, which is given annually by the California State Department of Rehabilitation for outreach and employment of disabled persons. Montage was nominated by Vocational Visions, its nonprofit association partner whose mission is to serve the vocational, economic and social potential of the disabled by placing them in jobs through their Direct Placement Program. James Bermingham, managing director of the Montage, said the award was a great credit to the success of the program, and how well the clients of Vocational Visions have integrated into the work environment at the resort.

Investigators are still trying to determine what drove a Mission Viejo woman to brandish a gun at bystanders near the Montage Resort & Spa, leading to a police-involved shooting that killed her and her husband April 22. Joni and Kevin Park, who were both in the real estate business, had rented a $2,200 per-night bungalow room at the Montage under a false name late the night before and paid in cash, police said. Kevin Park used the name "Alan," according to police logs from the incident.

A parking study around the Montage Resort and Spa on Friday and Saturday will determine if the resort's parking needs for guests and employees can be met under the worst-case scenario — if the hotel, restaurant and ballrooms are filled to capacity. The study was required by the city, and the results will be reviewed by city staff for later release to the City Council. The study consisted of hourly counts of vehicles and spaces in the resort parking structure, the porte-cochere and the public parking on the site, plus supplemental parking sites, the residential neighborhood and along South Coast Highway, according to John Montgomery, community development department director.

Barbara Diamond The Laguna Beach Taxpayers Assn. dined at the Montage on Tuesday and digested the financial impact of the resort on Laguna. An estimated $5.1 million in local taxes and fees will be paid this year, according to a report prepared for the association by luncheon speaker John Mansour, vice president of Athens Group, developer partner of Montage Hotels and Resorts. Since opening in February 2003, the resort has produced $4.5 million in bed taxes.

Glori Fickling On the brink of a new year, it is a pleasure to report exciting new happenings at the Surf and Sand Resort, where a whopping $6.5 million renovation of the property is in the offing. Add to this, general manager Blaise Bartell has just announced the appointment at Splashes of food and beverage director, Gary Murray, in concert with executive chef, Matthew McClinn. A native of Scotland, the energetic Murray has impressive worldwide associations in the hotel industry.