Following my stay in Palm Springs for FinCon 2026, I decided to stay a night in Orange County and fly out of John Wayne Airport (SNA) instead of PSP. That plan eventually led to me spending the night at the Atlanta Airport — but, ahead of that, I got to check out the Voco Orange County – Airport hotel.
My previous experience with the Voco brand was the Tiger Hotel in Columbia, Missouri, so I had high expectations. Did this airport hotel live up to those? Let’s take a look at the property and my experience.
Voco Orange County – Airport: Reviewing My Hotel Stay
How I Booked
Since my original plan for booking the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs (which I stayed at just before the Voco) was to use IHG points before I chose to use my Amex Hotel Collection credit, I ended up booking the Voco Orange County – Airport with points instead. Specifically, I used 28,900 points for my stay. If memory serves, the nightly rate was around $150 at the time.
Of course, while booking directly through IHG is an option, the property can also be found on third-party sites.
Check In
The arrival process at Voco was pretty painless. Beyond getting my key and checking my preference for points or a snack as a perk of my IHG status, there wasn’t much else to say. Although I had seen online that the property offered free rides to the airport (more on that later), I also made sure to ask about this since they didn’t volunteer the info.
With that, I was on my way… almost.
Elevators
After checking in (and grabbing my snack), I headed to the elevator, where I stood staring at the door for what felt like a really long time. I actually felt kind of bad because, just before the cart actually did arrive, the guests in front of me got called back to the desk. Also, housekeeping/maintainence exited the elevator at the ground floor, leading me to believe they were doing something that caused the delay and that this wasn’t indicative of normal operation.
Well, I didn’t really get to test my theory much as I didn’t end up leaving my room again until it was time to check out! That ride down worked perfectly fine, so I’ll have to rate Voco’s elevators with an “Incomplete.”
The Room
Stepping into the room, the impression that I got was that this was more of a refurbished and remodeled room rather than a new build. Hold onto that thought because I think I proved it later. Anyway, this is to say that, while it had some nice fixtures and features, other parts felt a little lackluster. For example, you’ll notice the A/C unit near the window versus central air. Also, the tub in the bathroom seemed a bit damaged, whereas I would have expected a nicer standing shower, truth be told. Apparently, for that, I would have needed to upgrade to a Premium Room. C’est la vie.
Those minor negatives aside, there was plenty to like about the room as well. For one, the desk was useful as I had some work to catch up on when I arrived. Meanwhile, the numerous power outlets near the nightstands were very convenient and appreciated.
Speaking of things I appreciated, I was excited to see that the room was equipped with a Nespresso machine. But I was then confused as to where to plug it in! It turns out that, as far as I can tell, you’re meant to lift the complete tray with the machine on it, put it on the desk, and then plug it in. That really isn’t that much work, but it did strike me as odd.
Lastly, I found the bed to be quite comfortable. That was good news since my noon flight meant I actually got to sleep in a bit!
Overall, I thought the room looked and felt fairly modern but could have used a couple of practical enhancements. Again, though, I suppose I should have shelled out a few more points for the upgraded room if that’s what I was after. Instead, though, I did fine for my one-night stay.
Dining
Voco Orange County – Airport is home to the Lake Seven Kitchen. This casual restaurant offers a Mediterranean-inspired menu and is open for all three meals. They also offer in-room dining.
There’s also a grab-and-go market next to reception. In fact, since I was entitled to a snack and drink thanks to my IHG status, I ended up making that my meal for the night rather than heading down to the restaurant itself. In hindsight, I kind of regret that, as the Mediterranean Burger sounds pretty tasty.
Airport Transportation
I don’t know if it’s an actual rule or just common sense, but if you’re going to have “airport” in your hotel name, you better have an airport shuttle. Sure enough, Voco does… sort of.
Rather than operating its own shuttle service, Voco guests can request a free Lyft for rides to SNA. All I needed to do was tell the front desk, give them my phone number, and it was all set. I don’t know how it works if you don’t already have a Lyft account, but for me, the ride popped up in my app right away, and my ride arrived within a few minutes.
Oddly, when the Lyft notification came in, it said that DoubleTree Orange County Airport had requested it. Well, I guess it made a little more sense after I learned that the Voco property used to be a DoubleTree — but you’d think they’d be able to update the account name, no?
Anyway, I thought that this approach to airport shuttledom worked well! I didn’t need to worry about catching a ride at a specific time or wait for other guests. Instead, I was on my way quickly and arrived at the airport within minutes (thankfully, traffic was light). The only downside is that I didn’t have the option to tip, and I’m not sure if Voco does tip. For the sake of the driver, I hope there’s some sort of arrangement.
Speaking of pay, while I failed to look up pricing at the time, looking now, it seems that a ride from Voco to SNA would be around $18. That makes this included service a pretty decent savings in addition to being a convenient perk.
Final Thoughts on Voco Orange County – Airport
Considering my experience at The Tiger Hotel and my perception of the Voco brand, I expected something a bit more elevated from what this Orange County – Airport location had to offer. However, that’s not to say that my stay wasn’t enjoyable, because it was. Also, the sub-$150 price tag probably should have been a hint that this wasn’t going to be the most upscale property in the portfolio.
As far as meeting my needs — offering me a place to stay before heading to John Wayne Airport the next day — the Voco excelled. In particular, I loved the complimentary Lyft ride and hope that guests who pick this spot are aware of this perk. And while I didn’t personally get to try the food, the menu does look pretty interesting.
So while Voco Orange County – Airport may not be the most luxurious or exciting hotel I’ve stayed at, it definitely fit the bill in this case, and I’d absolutely consider staying there again.