John Wayne was arguably Newport Beach ' s most famous resident . That remains true today as it was when he moved to the coastal southern California city back in the 1960s . Rumor has it he was so enmeshed in the fabric of the community that he oftentimes picked up checks at local restaurants and watering holes and scooped up hitchhikers in his capacious station wagon . He also was famous for holding court on his boat , Wild Goose , still docked in the Newport Harbor , sharing films and recounting stories of Hollywood yore .
His star shines so much that , today , if you want to visit Newport Beach , flying into John Wayne Airport is the best option and , when in town , you can even stay at the Hyatt Regency John Wayne .
The Duke remains the doyen of Newport Beach .
One of the clubs that he often frequented was the Balboa Bay Club , situated right on the harbor and part of the Balboa Bay Resort . Today , it ' s owned by local real estate firm , Eagle Four Partners , which , like Wayne , is as embedded in the city , a steward of local hospitality real estate .
Kory Kramer , a partner with Eagle Four Partners , who serves as its investment officer , knows the area well : he ' s an Orange County native . And while Kramer wasn ' t around to hear Wayne ' s tales , the legend still lives on . The Balboa Bay Club is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year — if its walls could only talk .
" It ' s pretty awesome ," Kramer enthusiastically told HOTELS recently . " All the old Hollywood and , of course , John Wayne . So cool . There ' s a lot going on ."
Like fans of John Wayne westerns , when it comes to Newport Beach real estate , Eagle Four Partners , which was founded in 1996 and has participated as the lead equity investor in more than $ 3 billion of real estate transactions , are huge admirers . And when it comes to locales , Newport Beach is as good as it gets , and they aren ' t building more of it .
" We ' ve taken advantage of the last couple of years in terms of opportunities and investing in our hometown ," Kramer said . " That ' s the story ."
Of its 13-asset portfolio , Eagle Four Partners has equity stakes in four
The Pendry Newport Beach , formerly the Fashion Island Hotel , is scheduled to open later this year .
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