As sure as waves crash into the shores up and down the West Coast, group-friendly destinations along the picturesque coastline are consistently updating their meetings portfolios.
From British Columbia down to Mexico, there is much to report, including information about a slew of new properties, renovations, activities and attractions for attendees to enjoy during their next coastal meeting.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Vancouver
Being one of the only coastal cities to ever host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, scheduled for February and March 2010, sets Vancouver apart and highlights it as a winter meetings destination, according to Shannon Donegani, manager, meeting and convention sales at Tourism Vancouver. Of course, this coastal charmer with a mountain backdrop is quite simply a beautiful place to hold an event at any time during the year.
"You can start the day’s program with a pancake breakfast in a mountain chalet with a view of the harbor, move to our waterfront convention center for meetings and end the day sipping champagne and eating oysters on a yacht," Donegani says, citing the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC), which recently completed a major expansion, tripling its size.
"Forty percent of the new building is actually built out over the water," she says. "A convention center doesn’t get much more coastal than that!"
In other Vancouver news, the Fairmont Pacific Rim will open opposite the VCC’s new building in January 2010; the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside recently completed a multimillion-dollar guest room renovation; and several new properties opened over the past year, including the Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver and the Loden Vancouver Hotel.
Two off-site options for group gatherings are the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, downtown Vancouver’s newest public art gallery and the UBC Museum of Anthropology, which just completed a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion project.
Victoria
Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria offers the amenities of a resort destination with the convenience and accessibility of a capital city, according to Cathy Ray, manager, travel media relations at Tourism Victoria.
"The city takes pride in the fact that it is a very walkable city and therefore transportation is not an issue," she says. "The wild beauty of the Pacific coast combined with a favorable lifestyle makes Victoria a desirable destination to both live and visit."
Visiting groups will notice changes at the Victoria Conference Centre, which earlier this year completed an expansion incorporating the newly renovated Crystal Garden Building, an historic landmark originally designed by Francis Rattenbury over 80 years ago as a glass-enclosed saltwater swimming pool.
In other Vancouver Island news, the Four Points by Sheraton Victoria Gateway opened in May 2008 with 6,500 square feet of meeting space; the Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa has a new meeting room for up to 40 people in rounds; the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, which accommodates special events and offers group rates, opened in June 2009; and Bear Mountain Resort opened The Cellar at Bear Mountain, a 12,500-bottle cellar and private dining room for intimate gatherings of up to 20 people.
WASHINGTON
Bellingham
Situated in the shadow of Mt. Baker and surrounded by lush rolling hills, the waterfront community of Bellingham is just 90 miles north of Seattle and 20 miles south of the Canadian border.
The city has dedicated the past five years to remaking its downtown Arts District, including the creation of innovative new facilities and a series of pedestrian-friendly streetscape upgrades throughout the six-block downtown core.
Bellingham’s cultural revival is anchored by the recently completed multimillion-dollar renovation of the historic Mount Baker Theatre, which is listed on the National Historic Landmark Register. According to Loni Rahm, president and CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, two additional group-friendly facilities are slated to open in late 2009: the Pickford Film Center and the Whatcom Museum of History and Art.
Recognized as a leader in the sustainable-living movement, Bellingham also introduced the new Depot Market Square, which is home to the Bellingham Farmers’ Market. Open Saturdays, April through December, the farmers’ market offers an opportunity to browse locally grown food and homemade crafts in a relaxed downtown location.
Ocean Shores
Covering six miles of beautiful beach on the Pacific Ocean with 23 miles of freshwater lakes within city limits, Ocean Shores is another Washington standby for group events.
"Most people just love the atmosphere, clean air and attitude of being away in a resort town," says Ken Mercer, director of tourism and business development for the city of Ocean Shores.
The relatively new Ocean Shores Convention Center, which opened in late 2005, is situated two blocks away from the ocean and near some 1,000 hotel rooms, many of which are beachfront.
OREGON
Lincoln City
Most of the meeting facilities in the tidy, quaint community of Lincoln City boast stunning ocean views, according to Sandy Pfaff, director of the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau.
Group-friendly properties in the area are Chinook Winds Casino Resort, Salishan Spa & Golf Resort and the Inn at Spanish Head. Meeting space is also available at the Liberty Inn and the Lincoln City Cultural Center.
Major new attractions, Pfaff adds, include the Jennifer L. Sears Glass Studio, which arranges glass-blowing classes for groups, and the Culinary Center in Lincoln City, which hosts team-building events after which attendees can eat the fruits of their labor for lunch.
CALIFORNIA
Sonoma County
In Sonoma County, north of 250 wineries meet a scenic slice of the Pacific Coast for memorable small group events.
Bodega Bay features a number of bed-and-breakfast properties and meetings-capable hotels such as Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa and the Inn at the Tides. For other waterside events, planners count on Sea Ranch Lodge, located in Sea Ranch; Timber Cove Inn, located north of Jenner; and Sheraton Sonoma County–Petaluma, which is situated on the bay.
Monterey Bay
On the northern side of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is known as a sunny, relaxed destination where people take to the ocean to surf and to the famed Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to enjoy amusement rides.
Among Santa Cruz’s meetings-friendly properties are the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley, the Santa Cruz Dream Inn, the University Inn & Conference Center and Cocoanut Grove, which is located on the boardwalk with function space, arcade games and miniature golf. Seascape Beach Resort and Best Western Seacliff Inn are located in nearby Aptos.
Following a $2.5 million renovation, the popular Spa at Chaminade reopened earlier this year.
To the south, the Monterey Peninsula has made many updates to its meetings inventory.
Carmel Valley Ranch, Carmel Mission Inn, Monterey Marriott, Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey Hotel, Casa Munras Hotel, Hotel Pacific, Spindrift Inn, Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa, Ventana Inn, InterContinental Hotel The Clement Monterey and Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa have all recently completed or are on track to complete renovations.
Plus, the Fairmont Resort Seaside is scheduled to open in 2011 with 330 guest rooms, a 14,000-square-foot spa, 24,000 square feet of meeting space and existing golf courses, Bayonet and Black Horse. Bayonet and Black Horse recently reopened all 36 holes of golf after a $13 million renovation.
San Luis Obispo County
Located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and within convenient driving distance of Sacramento, San Luis Obispo County offers meeting planners affordable and fun meeting packages that include group activities such as tours of Hearst Castle, private wine-tasting excursions and guided kayaking adventures, says Carrie Head, communications manager at the San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conference Bureau.
Recent county developments include a $3 million renovation, featuring updates to guest rooms and more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space, at the Holiday Inn Express San Luis Obispo; and a renovation, including meeting space updates, at the Sea Crest Resort.
"San Luis Obispo County offers an array of facilities to accommodate the needs of each particular meeting," Head says, citing various options, from the Alex Madonna Expo Center, holding up to 2,600 people, to the Avila La Fonda Hotel or Villa Toscana in the Paso Robles Wine Country, both suited for intimate board retreats.
Santa Barbara
Located just 90 miles north of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara is a world apart, according to Catherine "Cat" Puccino, director of sales at the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission.
"In addition to the natural and built beauty of Santa Barbara, planners enjoy the manageable size of our destination and the diversity of venues and leisure activities that can be worked into programs," she says, adding that Santa Barbara is ideal for smaller meetings.
Named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of this year’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, Santa Barbara delivers what organizations and planners need today—meetings with substance and social responsibility. To that end, Puccino says the Santa Barbara CVB created a toolkit to help planners tap into the abundant resources at their disposal, from greening a conference to facilitating partnerships between local nonprofits and visiting corporations.
"Planners can count on maximizing their clients’ ‘return on integrity’ when they choose Santa Barbara," she says, adding there are several other noteworthy items that might be of interest to planners.
Hotel Oceana completed a renovation in September 2008; the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club reopened in July 2008 after a two-year, $65 million renovation; the boutique Canary Hotel recently underwent a complete makeover and the Hotel Mar Monte renovated all of its guest rooms. Additionally, Solvang’s Royal Scandinavian Inn has reopened as Hotel Corque; the Santa Barbara Zoo unveiled a renovated hilltop location and new catering kitchen; the historic Granada Theatre reopened after a three-year restoration project; and Roblar Winery and Cooking School, a brand-new facility that caters group events with a food and wine component, is open.
Oxnard/Ventura
The outdoors play a big role in Oxnard, an affordable meeting destination located one hour north of Los Angeles and 30 minutes south of Santa Barbara. According to Janet S. Sederquist, president and CEO at the Oxnard CVB, boat trips to Channel Islands National Park, located 11 miles off shore, is the area’s No. 1 attraction, followed by Segway rentals and beach volleyball at Channel Islands Harbor and the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel & Resort.
Updates in Oxnard include this year’s $6.1 million renovation of all 252 guest rooms at the Residence Inn Oxnard River Ridge by Marriott and the fairly recent arrival of the Scarlett Belle, a paddle wheeler that accommodates 50 to 150 people for meetings and banquets.
Other unique off-site venues for group events in Oxnard are Herzog Wine Cellars and Heritage Square, which is ideal for outdoor gatherings.
Set on the Central Coast just an hour’s drive north of Los Angeles, Ventura’s foothills are the gateway to the Los Padres National Forest. According to Jim Luttjohann, executive director at the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau, groups often enjoy outdoor team-building exercises during peaceful retreats, as well as fresh local seafood and produce.
The Marriott Ventura Beach, situated right next door to Ventura State Beach, where groups can coordinate a bonfire or hiking excursion, recently added new meeting space that includes a private patio ideal for meal breaks or outdoor meetings.
Construction is slated to begin later this year on two new hotels: a beachfront Embassy Suites planned for downtown and a Hyatt Place planned for midtown just off the Ventura Highway.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica, located only eight miles from Los Angeles International Airport, features the highlights found in Los Angeles in a compact, easily navigable 8.3 square miles, including world-class dining, arts and culture, beaches and more than 300 days of sunshine a year, according to Lara Chanley, public relations specialist at the Santa Monica CVB.
"Santa Monica is a walkable city with efficient public transportation, which sets it apart from greater Los Angeles," Chanley says. "A choice of meeting spaces ranges from ballrooms to poolside cabanas, and many of the unique venues here offer breathtaking ocean views."
The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, a 499-seat theater available for buyouts, opened in September 2008 with a diverse selection of meeting and event space, including a beautiful lobby and a courtyard with a garden. Hotel Shangri-La recently reopened after a $30 million renovation and The Fairmont Miramar Hotel recently opened Exhale Spa and its new French brasserie-style restaurant, FIG.
In addition, the Annenberg Community Beach House, originally developed in the 1930s by William Randolph Hearst, opened in April 2009 with meeting rooms and event space as well as swimming (both pool and beach), volleyball and other recreational activities for incentive and team-building programs. And Pacific Park, the admission-free amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier, just opened its 3,300-square-foot Seaside Pavilion for corporate events adjacent to the two-acre amusement park.
Long Beach
Among the highlights of meeting in Long Beach are its central position in Southern California, great air access, affordability, a downtown waterfront, more than 11 miles of beachfront and waterways and more than 100 restaurants serving everything from hot wings to haute cuisine within an eight-block area surrounding the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, according to Steve Goodling, president and CEO at the Long Beach CVB.
And more than $1 billion has recently been invested in a revitalized pedestrian-friendly downtown, Goodling adds.
Three distinctive new properties near the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center are Hotel Maya and AVIA Hotel, both boutique properties, and the 11-story Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown, which opened in May with views of the Pacific Ocean, Rainbow Harbor and the downtown skyline.
The convention center, with more than 300,000 square feet of meeting space, recently underwent an $8 million renovation, and after an extensive renovation, the historic 1920s Dolly Varden Hotel has reopened as The Varden, a boutique property located blocks from the convention center.
Orange County
While Orange County’s major group facility is the Anaheim Convention Center, there are a number of coastal resorts and hotels with significant meeting space. Groups meeting in the area, where beach parties, cookouts, waterborne activities and strolling the boardwalk are favorite pastimes, will enjoy a 42-mile coastline that includes a variety of beach towns, each with their own distinct appeal, including Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach.
Newport Beach, according to Tim Aylsworth, vice president of sales at the Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, is a great shopping, dining, golf and water sport destination.
"It has the best of both worlds, the amenities of a cosmopolitan city but maintains the beauty and vibe of a small beach town," he says. "Not only do we have nine miles of beaches but we also have a recreational harbor popular for sailing and kayaking."
In the last three years all of Newport Beach’s hotels have made major investments, so "the overall hotel product in Newport Beach has never been better," Aylsworth says.
Among the changes, the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach completed a $2.6 million renovation in March, including the addition of a new ballroom; the Island Hotel Newport Beach completed a two-year renovation encompassing all guest rooms and meeting and public spaces; and the Newport Beach Fairview Marriott completed an $8 million renovation of its guest accommodations.
The newest property to open in Newport Beach, in November 2008, is the ultra-luxe Resort at Pelican Hill.
A historic, quaint artist’s village, Laguna Beach is a casual, walkable city where meeting attendees can take advantage of world-class dining, shopping, more than 70 art galleries and studios, spas and oceanfront accommodations, according to Judith A. Bijlani, CMD, executive director at the Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau.
Joining Laguna Beach’s portfolio of meetings-equipped properties, such as Inn at Laguna Beach and Montage Laguna Beach, is Seven4One, a boutique hotel that opened last year with unconventional function spaces, including an outdoor courtyard and a second-floor oceanview terrace.
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel recently introduced a new per-person pricing concept to help planners stay within their budgets. The components of per-person pricing include meeting room and complete setup, full continental breakfast, morning and afternoon breaks and a lunch buffet, or a customized meeting experience that can be arranged.
Like its Orange County neighbors, Huntington Beach isn’t short on new meetings infrastructure, says Elaine Cali, vice president of communications at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau.
Pacific City, an eclectic retail village scheduled to open at the end of this year overlooking the Pacific Ocean, will feature Orange County’s first W-branded property, the W Huntington Beach. The 250-room hotel is slated to open in 2010.
Other area developments include the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa’s Pacific Waters Spa, which underwent an interior renovation with the addition of an outdoor co-ed relaxation area with Jacuzzi and fireplace; and the Shorebreak Hotel, which opened earlier this year with oceanview guest rooms and versatile event space.
San Diego
San Diego is extremely fortunate in that its coastal destination is many things rolled into one, according to Margie Sitton, senior vice president of sales and services at the San Diego CVB.
"We are a downtown, bay front, convention, airport and international gateway destination all at the same time," she says. "Also, we believe the people and the coastal climate of our region inspires optimism. Optimistic people are more productive and engaged, and San Diego provides [the elements] that lead to an overall feeling of optimism, which makes for a successful meeting."
New hotel developments worth noting, Sitton adds, include the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, located on San Diego Bay just steps from the San Diego Convention Center, the historic Gaslamp Quarter and San Diego Padres PETCO Park; the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, also centrally located in downtown; the Se San Diego; and the Grand Del Mar, a premier luxury resort and spa in Del Mar that features an 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed golf course.
San Diego County also boasts the San Diego Convention Center and the Mission Valley Regional Convention Center, as well as approximately 131 hotels that incorporate conference and convention facilities.
MEXICO
Los Cabos
Los Cabos is another dream destination with wonderful year-round weather that invites group travel to Mexico, according to Ella Messerli, vice president of marketing at the Los Cabos CVB.
In addition to easy airlift from the U.S., a wide range of updated hotels and experienced DMCs, the new zero percent tax for meetings has made the destination even more attractive to planners, she says.
"Master-planned communities and developments consisting of high-end residences combined with first-class resort amenities such as championship golf courses and marinas are also on the rise," she says.
Among them, Cabo Riviera broke ground in January 2008 and its marina and 18-hole Pete Dye-designed golf course are scheduled for completion by 2010; Capella Pedregal, a 66-room hotel and residence resort is on track to open this summer; the Montage Los Cabos, a luxury hotel, will open in 2010 along the Sea of Cortes; and Quivira Los Cabos will feature two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, on track to open in early 2010, and the Ritz-Carlton Los Cabos, Quivira, which is scheduled to open in 2011.
Also important to note is the guest room renovation at the Barcelo Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo, which is poised to reopen in November 2009.
"There’s also considerable growth in our eco-tourism and active adventure travel sectors," Messerli says, citing desert safaris and canopy tours.
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is also attractive in terms of ecotourism and adventure tourism, from rafting in the mountains, horseback riding and bicycling to motorcycle tours.
Vallarta Adventures is one area outfitter that organizes outdoor excursions, including whale watching, scuba diving, sailing, Jeep safaris and multiday jungle survival experiences that make for terrific team-building events.
In meeting news, Riu Hotels & Resorts last year opened the 484-room Riu Palace Pacifico, and Puerto Vallarta is also planning a new convention center, with the first phase slated to include more than 54,000 square feet of event space.
Acapulco
Acapulco distinguishes itself from other popular tourist destinations in Mexico by offering cultural experiences beyond its sun-drenched beaches and celebrated nightlife, according to Jesus Radilla, director of the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office.
"In addition to the existing collection of world-class hotels, celebrated cuisine, spectacular beaches, rich culture and timeless glamour, Acapulco offers an impressive array of new hotels, cultural attractions and streamlined business facilities and services, making it a premiere destination for meetings and conventions," he says.
The roster of new projects completed and under way in Acapulco includes the flag change of the Grand Hotel Acapulco, formerly the Hyatt Acapulco; a $30 million renovation featuring the introduction of Pearl, an exclusive guest room unit within The Fairmont Acapulco Princess, which is also on track to open a new 2,000-square-foot exposition center soon; and the construction of Aqua Acapulco Hotel, scheduled to break ground in 2010.
Cancun
In Cancun, the Marina El Cid Riviera Maya recently opened in Puerto Morelos with meeting facilities for up to 500 people; the Aqua Cancun opened in 2007 with 371 guest rooms; and the Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort debuted last summer.
The new Privilege Aluxes Resort opened in February on Isla Mujeres, a charming island located just 40 minutes via ferry from Cancun International Airport. The property suits small groups with three on-site restaurants that are available for luncheons and group dinners, as well as beachfront space available for group functions.
