The Portofino Hotel & Marina

I'm a wedding planner and interior designer, and I want to tell you exactly how my couple ended up at Portofino Hotel & Marina, because the story is the review.

My couple already had a signed contract at another venue nearby. We only came to Portofino for a hotel room block for their out of town guests. That's it. But from the very first email and phone call with Brittany, her grace, responsiveness and hospitality shined through. We were welcomed with open arms.

So I did something risky. I advised my couple to forgo their previous contract with a venue that was not valuing their business anyway, and take a chance on Portofino.

Here's what I was afraid of. Some places change up their attitude when they're trying to win your business versus after you sign and pay. Brittany and her team never did. They were accommodating, hands on, transparent, responsive and genuinely kind to my couple, their guests, and my event design team. I actually thanked God for them multiple times throughout this experience, because it was clearly divine.

Amanda and Diana were right there through every stage of prep. Luis and the catering team executed flawlessly. Our ceremony was on the Seaside Lawn and reception in the Pacific Ballroom, and every transition was seamless.

And what started as a one day wedding turned into an all inclusive vacation for our guests flying in from St. Louis. They didn't just attend a wedding. They got a getaway.

If you're a couple or a fellow planner looking for a venue with five star quality at reasonable prices, this is it. Ask for Brittany.

My wife and I recently had the most beautiful wedding at the Portofino Hotel, and we couldn’t have been happier with our experience.

We loved staying in our beautiful suite overlooking the marina for the entire weekend, and having our wedding venue and hotel all in one place made the weekend incredibly convenient. The hotel itself is charming, the staff is warm and welcoming, and we were lucky to have beautiful sunny weather that made our outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour spectacular.

One of the biggest reasons we chose the Portofino was that it is pet friendly. Our dog was a very special part of our wedding, so having him included was incredibly important to us. We also loved how our photos and videos turned out along the outdoor seawall and inside the hotel Living Room. The Bayside Ballroom was beautiful and made for a wonderful reception space.

A special shout-out to Rain Villanueva, our Catering Sales Manager, who was incredibly helpful and attentive throughout the planning process. He went above and beyond to accommodate our requests and was truly a great human being to work with.

We will forever cherish the memories we made at the Portofino. We can’t wait to return for a weekend staycation on our first anniversary and for many years to come. We highly recommend the Portofino Hotel to any couple considering a wedding venue—and don’t forget to ask for Rain!

We were blessed to have our wedding at the Portofino Hotel. The venue was beautiful and the staff and organizers were very helpful. All of our guests were very complimentary of the reception staff, especially the bartender who ended up dancing with us. Our event coordinators Rain and Amanda were extremely accommodating throughout the planning and made many last minute changes for us. From the moment we booked with them, they were very responsive. Thank you for making this day special for us!

This is a great place to have medium to intimate group events. The coordinator Brittany was super responsive and accommodating for changes we wanted for our reception. The price is reasonable and the staff is very friendly.

I had such an amazing experience! First of all, the location is beyond perfect. The ceremony space and ballrooms overlook the ocean, and it’s extremely gorgeous during sunset. The staff and service were phenomenal, they went above and beyond to make sure all the details were in place.

Even the staff at the hotel were friendly and accommodating! A few of our family had flights later in the afternoon, so we were nervous they would have to wait around at the airport for a long time. But, front desk was able to extend our checkout easily.

I have to give a few shoutouts! Thank you Diana for your swift responses–you did a great job keeping us updated with the room block. And thank you to Rain! You were such a dream to work with. Not only were you professional and courteous, you made the process streamlined and seamless. I would highly recommend this venue!

We couldn’t have chosen a more perfect hotel for our room block than Portofino Hotel & Marina. From the very beginning, Rain and his team were incredible to work with, partnering with us for nearly a year to coordinate every detail, from our room block logistics to the bridal getting-ready suite and our after-party at Baleen, the hotel's restaurant and lounge.

Most of our guests were traveling cross-country, many of whom had never been to California before, and they were absolutely blown away by the hotel. Between the beautiful waterfront grounds, immaculate rooms, thoughtful amenities, and genuinely friendly staff (Shaw at Valet and Chelsea at Front Desk, to name a few), it was the perfect home base for our wedding weekend.

Check-in was seamless, rooms were ready in a timely manner, and the entire process was incredibly smooth, especially impressive given the number of guests arriving around the same time. There were truly no major issues whatsoever, which allowed our guests (and us) to relax and fully enjoy the weekend.

The Portofino Hotel & Marina exceeded every expectation, and we are so grateful to Rain and his team for their professionalism, organization, and care throughout the entire process. We would recommend this hotel without hesitation to anyone hosting a wedding or special event in the area!

I highly recommend the Portofino Hotel as the ideal Southern California wedding venue. We held our reception there in September 2025 in the ballroom overlooking the ocean. The location could not have been any more special! The Sales Manager, Rain Villanueva, was easy to work with and very knowledgeable and responsive. The Catering Events Coordinator, Brittany Roberts, was on top of every detail and helped execute the day perfectly. Diana Becerra was very patient and helpful in managing our room block.

Our guests raved about the reception food and the service personnel made the evening flow smoothly. We had a great experience at the Portofino.

Its a great venue with wonderful staff and food. Rain sold us immediately and the food and service did not disappoint. Its the closest youll get to the water in the area, and they did a good job at renovating the space from when we first saw it. Kudos to the staff that worked our wedding, they were all fun. Special shout out to Rain for the nice amenity in our room to end our night.

I got married at the Portofino last month and everything was beyond amazing. The venue is stunning and they have such a great team! Rain was super helpful throughout the whole process. He was very prompt with answering any questions we had and made us feel truly cared for. We were so happy with how everything turned out on our wedding day :) We also received so many compliments from guests on how good the food and drinks were!

My spouse and I got married this fall at the Portofino and we had a wonderful experience. The venue is gorgeous and located in a serene, seaside setting. Our guests enjoyed the ocean views, beautiful hotel, and catering. Our wedding day went smoothly, thanks to the kind and hardworking staff at the Portofino. We really enjoyed working with Rain, Dia, and Akira, and appreciated their kindness, clear communication, responsiveness, and attention to detail. They were so patient and helpful in responding to our questions and requests. Dia was the onsite coordinator on the day of our wedding and she was extremely helpful. We are so grateful to the Portofino for making our wedding day perfect.