The Waterfront Beach Resort, A Hilton Hotel

The Waterfront Beach Resort is a business-friendly Hilton, with a chilled out beach vibe. Bright spaces with big windows and skylights let in lots of natural light, with thriving potted plants throughout. In the lobby an enormous rock waterfall sits at the base of an open staircase. The decor embraces the beach, with sandy browns and tranquil blues accents. Shells are the main decorative flourish, silk-screened in vibrant colors hanging in the halls and rooms. The hotel showcases local artwork in the common areas, with interested visitors invited to purchase pieces right off the walls.

Located across from Huntington Beach in Orange County, The Waterfront Beach Resort, A Hilton Hotel, is right in the middle of surf central. The beach is a short walk over the Pacific Coast Highway, past a sprawling parking lot. Guests can also rent bikes on the hotel's grounds and peddle to nearby nature trails or bike to the busy Huntington Beach Pier, which is 11 minutes away on foot. Local attractions such as the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Queen Mary are both around 45 minutes away by car. Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm are a half-hour drive away, and Newport Beach is about a 10-minute drive; from here you can catch an hour-long ferry to Catalina Island. The hotel is a convenient drive along Pacific Coast Highway to three airports: LAX (55 minutes via the I-405 N), Orange County's John Wayne Airport (18 minutes via Victoria Street), and Long Beach Airport (half an hour via the 1-405 N), depending on traffic.

The hotel's 290 rooms are decorated in a contemporary style while embracing their beachfront location with lamps and artwork that have coral and shell motifs. Dark wood furnishings have white tops, including the work desk with its accompanying ergonomic roller chair. The large Standard Rooms have small furnished balconies with partial beach views along with 42-inch flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, and mini-fridges. The bathrooms have marble-tiled shower/tub combos. Suites add full ocean views, wet bars, and living rooms with sofa beds. Some also have whirlpool tubs, and the unique Twin Dolphin Suite is designed as a live/work unit with an integrated meeting room.

The hotel is centered around a large outdoor pool surrounded by a sundeck with a hot tub and posh cabanas (which must be booked in advance). The high-tech cabanas are loaded with comfortable loungers, flat-screen TVs, Xboxes, and solar-powered coolers that double as laptop safes and charging stations. Host to regular corporate events, the indoor and outdoor event spaces sometimes encompass common areas like the pool. A total of 21,500 square-feet include typical boardroom-style meeting rooms to a 5,850 square-foot Grand Ballroom and a state-of-the-art video conferencing room with 85-inch flat-screen monitors. Another event room, The West Coast Room has floor-to-ceiling windows with a full bar, a fireplace, and a pool table. There's also a business corner with a PC and a MAC workstation. 

There is no spa, but the fitness center provides outlets for physical exertion on cardio machines with integrated monitors. Those who prefer the beach can access it easily from the hotel, with bike rentals and beach equipment like loungers and umbrellas available for a fee. Guests can also rent cabanas for the beach, with or without butler service, along with private fire pits.

For dining, Shades Restaurant & Bar serves international cuisine with a popular champagne brunch on Sundays and live entertainment on weekends. It also two fire pits for added ambiance, one indoor and one on the outdoor terrace. On the low end, Surf Hero Market has poolside snacks, sandwiches, and Starbucks coffee.