Orange County's new resorts bolster image, business: once-quiet suburbia comes into its own as resort destination.

Little more than a generation ago, T Orange County was still a bed room community for Los Angeles commuters and had vast pockets of agriculture dotting the land scape. But visitors who come to Orange County today will find a vibrant and self-sustaining business, residential and tourist Mecca.

Home to Mickey Mouse since 1955, Orange County is no cartoon creation. Disneyland may have put Orange County on the map, but in recent years it has reinvented itself as an urban destination.

Sometimes called the California Riviera, Orange County's beaches are said by some to be the finest in Southern California. And the county's location-halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego-is an ideal spot to kick back and decide which way to head next.

Coming south from Long Beach on Pacific Coast Highway, visitors will get a glimpse of old California in Sunset Beach and Seal Beach and then arrive in Huntington Beach where the new coastal Riviera begins.

Orange County entered the resort sector in the 1970s when the Surf and Sand in Laguna Beach evolved from a '50s-style motel to a beachfront resort. It was the only game in town, so to speak, and gained renown as the home of the White House press corps whenever President Richard Nixon was at his Western White House in San Clemente. Newscaster Tom Brokaw--then a fledging journalist-recently returned to host a birthday bash for his mom at the resort.

Today, the Surf and Sand is a destination resort on the beach in the heart of the Laguna Beach arts district. It includes an executive conference center and the Aquaterra Spa where patrons can enjoy an ocean breeze while indulging in fitness or yoga training. The spa will undergo a remodel this year to add a couples' treatment room, outdoor fire pit and more retail space.

During the 1980s, other resort-class properties like the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Four Seasons Newport Beach at Fashion Island and the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach came online, putting Orange County on the resort map.

But the recession of the early '90s dealt the area a blow.

While Anaheim reinvented itself into a premier resort district geared to vacationers and conventions, Orange County's 42 miles of coastline languished throughout the decade.

That all changed in 2001 when the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point opened its doors-the first of a quartet of resorts that have brought new renown to coastal Orange County.

In Anaheim, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel in the new California Adventure theme park raised the bar for that visitor destination.

But since the start of 2003 alone, Orange County has welcomed three new jewels along the coast: the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, the Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach and the first public hotel at the venerable Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.

Orange County has about 3 million residents, but planned cities, greenbelts, national forests and coastal development guidelines have left much of it with a wide-open feel. Wilderness trails and canyons are easily accessible-sometimes just outside of town-and small beach coves complement the wider expanses of Doheny State Beach and Huntington Beach.

The county is unique by its lack of a downtown identity.

Anaheim is the focal point for the visitor industry, with Disneyland, the convention center, baseball stadium and hockey arena.

Now, coastal Orange County is getting its own identity as a resort destination.

Newport Beach, the largest coastal city in Orange County, claims the largest marina and counts corporate executives and celebrities among its residents on the mainland and two exclusive islands in its harbor. It's also a favorite destination for Asian travelers, drawn by shopping at Fashion Island and nearby South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

Pelican Hill Golf Course overlooks the Pacific Ocean at Newport Coast, and the city's restaurants rival the best in any major metropolis. A new resort hotel is planned near the golf club. About a dozen types of sailing vessels are available for charter and private parties, including Hornblower Yachts & Events, whose fleet includes the John Wayne yacht, Wild Goose.

In May, the private Balboa Bay Club-once governed by the legendary John Wayne- opened a 132-room public hotel on the bay. It has the only oceanfront ballroom in the city and has drawn kudos for the clubby feel of its new First Cabin restaurant and Duke's Place Lounge, named in honor of Wayne.

Laguna Beach has long drawn the arts crowd to its annual summer arts festivals and the tableaux vivant presentation at the Pageant of the Masters. But it often lost meetings business because of its lack of a large ballroom. That changed in February when the beachfront Montage Resort & Spa opened its doors.

The resort is the product of a joint venture between Phoenix-based Athens Group and Montage Hotels & Resorts, which purchased the property from Marriott International last summer.

The Craftsman-style resort is perched on a cliff above the ocean with plenty of access paths to the tidepools and beach below. The resort has a marine biologist on staff and the grounds are dotted with public artworks from local and regional artists.

A public park fronts the property, providing residents beach and picnic access not previously accessible.

Huntington Beach is known worldwide as Surf City and the surf culture is still a draw, but the new Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa has given tourists and meeting planners reason to consider it an upscale destination as well.

The new Hyatt includes a 52,000-squarefoot conference center on property that adjoins the Hilton Waterfront, providing a self-contained convention complex just steps from the beach. In fact, the Hyatt won approval for a pedestrian bridge directly from the hotel to the beach and can cater beach parties.

"It's a very high-end property at very good value," said Brett Jarvis, partner at International Site Alliance in Laguna Beach.

Other guests can watch the parade of morning and evening surfers (a group that often includes CEOs as well as teens), or head over to the Pier for dining and entertainment.

The meetings portion is in a separate wing from guestrooms; there's also a spa wing for those who come first for the treatments- and spa pool-available there.

The Hyatt plays to the surf theme in artwork throughout the resort and in an eatery called Surf City Sunset Grille in the retail village on site. Patrons wanting more can visit the city's Surfing Museum nearby.

Dana Point-long a local secret of sorts-has invited the world to enjoy its coastal charm at its three coastal resorts. The Ritz-Carlton has the oceanfront advantage, while the St. Regis across the street has golf at Monarch Beach Golf Links onsite. And the nearby Laguna Cliffs Marriott overlooks Dana Point Harbor. Both the harbor and town were named in honor of author Richard Henry Dana who wrote "Two Years Before the Mast." The novel is said to be an account of the harbor's 19th century discovery.

Meanwhile, the Anaheim Resort district-created in a unique public-private partnership-has added to the appeal of the city. Roadway, landscaping and architectural upgrades, as well as a convention center expansion completed in 2000, have given the area a whole new look and feel. And the addition of a second park at Disneyland and Downtown Disney shopping and dining district has made the area as popular with locals as with visitors. Meeting planners say it's a big hit during conventions--especially for dine-around events.

At Disneyland, the meetings staff em arrange in-park theme events that include a performance of "Aladdin" at California Adventure, followed by dinner in California Adventure. These events are exclusive for meetings and conventions groups.

Another retail, dining and entertainment district called Garden Walk Is set to debut its first phase in Anaheim next year. Tentative plans include an aquarium and possibly an NBA-themed eatery.

Near the county's John Wayne Airport, Costa Mesa has become the cultural hub of the county, serving as home for the Orange County Performing Arts Center, nationally acclaimed theater, South Coast Repertory and a host of performing arts organizations.

Costa Mesa also Is a business hub and has half a dozen full-service hotels within walking distance of the arts complex and South Coast Plaza across the street.

South Coast Plaza is one of the largest shopping plazas in the country with unique shops like the West Coast-exclusive of designer Roberto Cavalli and New York apothecary Kiehls as well as eateries that range from Morton's Steakhouse to the new Claim Jumper due to open this summer. It was one of the first to offer shuttle service from area hotels and to reach out to the international market.

In all, Orange County has about 50,000 hotel rooms--about half of them in Anaheim. Like other resort areas, it has not regained the pre-9/11 tourist momentum, with countywide occupancy at about 64%, about the same as last year. Average room rates range from a low of $77 in north county to a high of $139 in South Orange County, which includes several of the coastal cities.

The convention market in Anaheim remains strong-and new services like the Anaheim Golf Shuttle, the Anaheim Resort Transit trolley system and the nearby California Welcome Center in Santa Ann help to promote the area.