A Double Dose of Immersive Entertainment Awaits at This New Irvine Attraction

Ashley Ryan
2 days ago
6 min read

From the high-energy challenge rooms at Hijinx Hotel to Holey Moley’s over-the-top mini golf courses, this vibrant playground offers character, competition and just the right amount of chaos.

The indoor miniature golf course at Holey Moley is a great spot for date nights. Photo courtesy of Funlab

Stepping into Hijinx Hotel or the adjoining Holey Moley golf club, your stress instantly melts away – and it’s replaced by sheer fun.

This new space opened at the Irvine Spectrum Center in mid-December, pairing two wildly different themed concepts in one riveting playground. Built around competition and entertainment, the sprawling 35,000-square-foot complex also folds in dining and retail for an all-encompassing experience.

Designed by an Australia-based company called Funlab, the Irvine location marks the first Hijinx Hotel in the United States and, while Holey Moley has California locations in Santa Monica and San Francisco, it is the golf club’s first Orange County venue. These creative spaces take familiar settings and transform them into spectacularly immersive realms that encourage social connection.

Though they complement each other perfectly, each brings its own distinct brand of play. Here’s a closer look at what they have to offer.

At Hijinx Hotel, from left, the concierge desk where your group signs up for the challenge room experience; a lounge area where guests can wait before heading upstairs to compete; and one of the challenge rooms, where players throw plastic balls into multi-colored doughnuts. Photos by Ashley Ryan, Culture OC

High‑Class Hijinx

Check in at Hijinx Hotel by visiting the concierge desk in the lobby. Although you’ll book rooms to enjoy during your stay, this isn’t a functioning hotel. Instead, each accommodation is a different challenge room.

Arrive early to enjoy the amenities offered at the “hotel” before reporting to your room. Adjacent to the lobby is a bar area with plenty of seating. Unwind amid colorful lighting while savoring a menu of $20 pizzas, from the hot honey pepperoni to classic margherita. They may be smaller in size than you’re used to for the price, but they make up for it in amazing flavor. The menu also features burgers, sandwiches and sharable dishes like pretzel bites, Suite Heat coconut shrimp drizzled in pineapple hot honey and elote corn ribs coated in creamy mayo, cotija cheese and a savory spice blend, all ranging from $10 to $18. Sweet or savory high tea options are also available, served with an array of treats or delectable finger foods.

Visitors can also enjoy signature sips during their stay at Hijinx Hotel, ranging from the Maid Service Martini, lavender lemonade, Suite Escape and Lobby G&T (gin and tonic) to the Fancy Flamingo, a gin and Aperol cocktail served with an Instagrammable smoke bubble in unipedal flamingo-shaped glassware. Cocktails hover around $15 while other beverages like signature shots, draught beers, wine by the glass and mocktails are nearly all $10 or under. Laze long enough and a strolling magician may just come share a card trick with your crew, too.

When it’s time for your game to begin, make your way upstairs and connect with the bellhop to get started. Instead of helping with your luggage, he’ll provide your group – you’ll need between two and six players – with detailed instructions before leading you to your first challenge room. Every group competes in five unique rooms, spending four minutes in each while trying to score as many points as possible.

Whether you’re racing to step on the correctly colored squares, tossing small plastic balls into doughnut-shaped hoops or spelling words on a life-size game board, each puzzle requires you to work together. Most will get your heart pumping. Some will get your brain turning. But in all, you’re nearly guaranteed to experience bouts of laughter and excitement (and maybe a little shortness of breath.) Some of the most popular challenge rooms at Hijinx Hotel X’s and O’s, an iteration of tic-tac-toe played with plush toys; and Buzzwire, a steady-hand contest inspired by the classic board game Operation. But my personal favorite was Poke a Dot, where colored buttons crisscross the room, requiring you to run back and forth pressing them as they light up.

But the fun doesn’t end there. When you’ve completed your session and returned your room key (you’re supposed to get a printable page with your results, although the printer was experiencing difficulties during our visit), there is still more to explore. Sing your heart out with your entire crew in a private karaoke room or take a picture in the upstairs photo booth, then continue through to the other side to discover the hotel’s hidden speakeasy, Suite 404. The swanky club offers its own lineup of beverages in a luxe setting. Alternatively, head next door to Holey Moley for a whole new adventure.

At Holey Moley, the pro shop and welcome lounge includes a golf cart for photo ops, left, and the giant-scale pizza box hole showcases the whimsy of the course. Photos courtesy of Funlab

Mini-Golf Madness

It’s been a little over a year since Holey Moley opened at Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade and now, the quirky golf club has made its way to the Irvine Spectrum. Part miniature golf, part vibrant cocktail bar, the O.C. iteration is ideal for many different occasions. While I’ll surely be returning for date night, it could also be fun for bachelor/bachelorette parties, family get-togethers, girls’ night out and more.

The Irvine location houses three distinct 9-hole courses, but this isn’t your traditional putt putt. Instead, it’s a sensory experience that blends high-energy music, colorful neon lights and dynamic photo opportunities with 27 nostalgic holes of golf inspired by classic games, pop culture and pure imagination.

Creative elements, such as a cozy golf cart and pro shop filled with vivid balls and putters, welcome guests before they make their way to their designated golf track. Holes like Vincent Van Golf, modeled after the artist’s beloved bedroom paintings, and Arty Party, designed to look like a gallery, appeal to art enthusiasts while those with a sweet tooth will love the design of Sugar, Slice, All Things Nice, adorned with candy hearts and melted popsicles, and the sugar-coated Kid in a Candy Shop hole.

Visitors can also putt through a money machine, past the Flintstones’ car, across the carpet in Grandma’s house, around a space astronaut or beneath the Empire State Building at the themed golf club. Still other holes capture the magic of classic games like Plinko or Labyrinth. And with others playing all around you, it’s easy to create conversation and connection with strangers while asking them to snap your photo or recommend a cocktail, too.

While you play, you can order sips to enjoy on the course. Crowd favorites include $15 specialty drinks like the Watermelon Twinkle Toes, a vodka-based cocktail served in a ceramic unicorn mug, and the Rub a Dub in the Tub, which mixes gin and sparkling wine with peach flavors in a bathtub-shaped vessel – complete with a mini rubber ducky. These were a thrill for their aesthetic alone, but also offered some fruit-forward refreshment during our round. Groups looking for sharable beverages can also try the oversize Disco Disco drink, served in a giant sparkling disco ball, or the Tres Margaritas in a Holey Moley trophy. These range from $40 to $50, but serve two to three people.

After you’ve worked up an appetite, you can visit the expansive dining area to nosh on concept-driven dishes like the Par 3 Dip Trio (hummus, queso and guacamole), A Hole Lotta Meat pizza, Caddy classic burger, Wingin’ It fried chicken and the Holey Guacamole nachos. Another whimsical option, The Snack Cart, is rolled out to diners’ tables for a unique presentation of battered pickles and jalapenos paired with sriracha aioli. The best part is that everything on the menu is $21 or less, with many of the shared plates ranging from $10 to $13.

In the end, both Hijinx Hotel and Holey Moley offer more than a simple night out. They create a place where people can play, explore and reconnect, without screens. Whether you’re working up a sweat in a surreal challenge room or lining up your next putt on a green illuminated by neon lights, both venues deliver the kind of lighthearted escape that feels essential in our increasingly fast-paced world.