Great Taste Magazine

by Rev. Joanne Tucker - Fall 2007 Issue

Irvine’s Atrium Hotel - once just a 70s-era airport locale - has recently morphed into an uber hip spot for Orange County’s “in-the-know” crowd. What do they all know? The Atrium Hotel’s $3 million renovation has transformed this destination into South Orange County’s only modern boutique hotel with world-class food and beverage and a decadent pool party scene.
The Atrium Hotel stands directly across from John Wayne airport and is one of the most centralized and most reasonably priced hotels in Orange County.

In fact, the Atrium Hotel is located in a prime spot for taking in all of OC’s plentiful lifestyles including shopping, dining, entertainment, cultural activities and recreation in and around OC’s famed surf and sand. For business travelers, the Atrium Hotel is certainly comfortable, affordable, central and can even turn into a relaxing weekend getaway with the hotel’s poolside paradise ambiance.

Upon arrival in Orange County and after a very short ride on the complimentary airport shuttle, guests are greeted by the friendly Atrium staff and a background vibe that immediately transports guest into an enjoyable, relaxed atmosphere. Passing under the hacienda-like portico with flowing waterfalls, the glass doors open into a two-story garden atrium adorned with a soft, warm color palette resplendent in the plush couches and chairs. At night, the lobby glows as candles of all sizes and a modern water feature give the place an even more relaxing vibe topped by the pyramid-shaped skylight.

The highlight of a stay at the Atrium Hotel is a visit to the Waterfalls Restaurant. Executive Chef Theo Ioannou, who has taken over the kitchen at the Atrium Hotel, masterfully blends Mediterranean flavors and cooking styles from his homeland, the island of Cyprus. Chef Ioannou was also a two-time cook for England’s Prince Edward and his wife Countess Sophie Rhys-Jones, which he says was the highest point in his professional career.

At the Waterfalls Restaurant, Ioannou infuses sumptuous Euro-Mediterranean cuisine by executing his strong knowledge of different flavors and cooking styles. One reason Ioannou’s dishes are so flavorful is that he is committed to only presenting food prepared with the freshest seasonal ingredients available. For instance, his signature chilled cucumber and mint soup, a recipe made by his mother and grandmother, was created for the refreshing summertime menu. Chef Ioannou’s goat cheese crostini stays on the menu all year long as seasonal vegetables are grilled and then topped with arugula, extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar on a crunchy toast point.

Breakfast at Waterfalls Restaurant is an overflowing buffet as well as an a la carte menu. At lunch and dinner, Chef Ioannou also offers a good entrée salad selection from the menu, plump sandwiches and several upscale pasta dishes. His halibut entrée is sure to please the health conscious with its grilled vegetables, oven-roasted tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and a lemon juice tarragon infusion. “Pan seared,” Ioannou says “it’s one of Waterfalls bestsellers.” The blackened pork chops with fresh mango-papaya relish and the grilled veal are crowd pleasers too.

The nearby business lunch crowd shows up for Ioannou’s all-you-can-eat Mediterranean lunch buffet, which even includes rotisserie meats and an antipasto bar. On special occasions Sunday’s decadent brunch is reasonable, plentiful and features some of Ioannou’s signature Mediterranean flavors. As the hotel’s executive chef, Ioannou also oversees party-pleasing menus for his poolside tapas-style plates, drinks and desserts.

A few evenings a month, The Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show comes to the Atrium Hotel for sheer Saturday evening entertainment. This spine-tingling “whodunit?” caper is actually an interactive stage play, which merges dinner guests into the script as the actors sit amongst the tables and entertain. With Ioannou’s mouth-watering fare at $59.95 per person and intricate plots with twists and turns, guest detectives keep coming back in hopes of winning rewards for solving these grisly “crimes.” Visit www.thedinnerdetective.com for dates, times and reservations.

The Atrium Hotel is Orange County’s newest hip nightlife destination and the hotel’s iLūm Ultra Poolside Lounge is becoming an alluring night spot. Surrounding the Atrium Hotel’s lagoon-style pool is a tropical oasis filled with modern V.I.P. cabanas complete with lighting systems and flat screen monitors. These poolside cabanas are fast becoming OC’s most infamous “see-and-be-seen” locations. Evenings, the iLūm Ultra Poolside Lounge pulses with high-energy dance tunes, and a sophisticated party crowd.

Coming in the Spring of 2008, iLūm Ultra Lounge, an upscale lounge with a bar accessible from both in and outdoors. An ideal location to enjoy all the resort style partying that Southern California has to offer.

The ultimate Atrium Hotel experience happens Sunday afternoons in season. The “Reflections” pool party was recently called “wild and raucous” by 944 Magazine. “It’s a six-hour, no-holds barred free for all where the 20’s plus crowd, numbering anywhere from 200-500 well-dressed girls and guys get together for food, DJs, dancing and lots of play,” says Teri Williams, the hotel’s media consultant.

Seeking something more quiet? When the hip crowd is in bed or at work, guests lounge quietly by the pool and enjoy happy hour from 5-8 p.m. daily. This is when The Atrium Hotel’s relaxing poolside lounge offers half-priced appetizers and specialty drinks. For those in the hospitality industry, The Atrium Hotel’s offers half-priced drinks and appetizers all-day every Tuesday, which can be enjoyed while relaxing on a luxurious lounge chair or in a private cabana.

The Atrium Hotel has 211 guest rooms and provides modern amenities such as high-speed internet service in all rooms, complimentary airport shuttle, newspaper, valet, concierge, fitness center (a new pool-view fitness center is scheduled for completion later this year), gift shop, room service, dry cleaning, laundry service, fax and business center. For meetings, The Atrium Hotel has several banquet and conference rooms appropriate for every occasion, from intimate meetings to grand receptions of up to 700 people.

Situated directly across the boulevard from what was formerly known as the OC Airport in Irvine, The Atrium Hotel was originally owned by the Duffy family and first opened in May 1970 as the Airporter Inn. Throughout the 70s, the hotel was a popular site for television press conferences attended by both local and national government officials. Some of the attendees included Governor Jerry Brown, President Ronald Reagan and White House aides for President Richard Nixon.

Orange County Airport, now known as John Wayne Airport, was also once a popular site for stunt pilots to film movies and a place for aviation pioneers such as legendary Howard Hughes and Eddie Martin of Martin Aviation to meet.

In 1992, the Golden Hotels Limited Partnership, a local independent Hotel company purchased the hotel from the Duffy Family and today, more than 30 years later and with an additional $3 million renovation, the 211-room property is one of Irvine’s finest hotels with guestrooms rates ranging from $99-$500 per night.

The Atrium Hotel embraces business and leisure travelers both local and from all over the World. With quick access to the 55, 73 and 405 freeways, the hotel is just minutes away from major OC attractions and convenient to Orange County’s business and corporate center.

For more information, call 1-800-854-3012 or visit www.AtriumHotel.com.