The Golden State is witnessing dynamic changes that continue to shape its eclectic atmosphere and build upon its many riches. From urban enclaves to mountain retreats to coastal hamlets, the sweeping developments keep California in a constant state of renewal.
Northern California
In the state’s upper reaches, the coastline transforms from idyllic Monterey to rugged Mendocino by way of the surfing mecca of Santa Cruz. Silicon Valley, hotbed of big ideas, is here, as well the liquid gold of Napa and Sonoma counties. With iconic San Francisco centering the artistic, culinary, intellectual Bay Area, the gold rushes through the state capital of Sacramento and into the four-season paradise of Lake Tahoe.
According to the San Francisco CVB, "Everybody’s Favorite City" drew $8.52 billion in 2008 visitor and convention spending, with "ambiance and atmosphere" named as the top reasons for coming. The city wants more: Hotel room assessments will fund the intended renovation and expansion of the Moscone Convention Center.
Among the city’s many meetings hotels, the Parc 55 celebrated its 25th anniversary in style by completing a $32 million guest room renovation, while handsomely boosting its meetings capacity to over 30,000 square feet. The 533-room Hotel Nikko will soon introduce its renovated ballroom, while the venerable 1,195-room Westin St. Francis spent $40 million transforming 614 rooms, modernizing elevators and introducing hotel-wide Wi-Fi.
New hotel arrivals this year in San Francisco include the 347-room Marriott Union Square.
Farther south, the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, with 789 newly renovated rooms and 52,000-plus square feet of space, is one of the many meetings-equipped hotels in the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) area. The 421-room Sofitel San Francisco Bay has significantly boosted wireless capacity in its renovated meeting rooms, and this August, Hilton took over the former Sheraton Gateway SFO. The property renovated its rooms, executive lounge and lobby in 2008.
Marin County retreats include the new Cavallo Point Lodge at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge and the refreshed Inn Marin in Novato.
Across the Bay, Berkeley’s historic 199-room Hotel Shattuck Plaza joins the reflagged 143-room Hotel Durant in completing makeovers, while the new multifunctional David Brower Center sets new standards for green architecture.
In the hills above Berkeley, the historic Claremont Hotel Club & Spa celebrated the completion of its multimillion-dollar renovation in August. All 279 rooms and suites, the lobby and meeting spaces have been uniquely redesigned in a winning combination of Old World charm and casual California elegance.
Oakland greets Harvest at Jack London Square early next year. Set to become the West Coast’s largest public market, this lively assembly of shops and restaurants, some offering culinary classes, includes plans for a 248-room conference hotel.
For athletically inclined groups, Marriott’s Renaissance ClubSport hotel-fitness center concept has a 170-room property in Walnut Creek.
In compact, walkable San Jose, the 339-room Hilton San Jose & Towers and 508-room San Jose Marriott link to the McEnery Convention Center, while Dolce Hayes Mansion is a historic choice. San Jose’s Mineta International Airport, gateway to Silicon Valley, expects to complete its $1.3 billion modernization in 2010.
Neighboring Santa Clara just debuted a 22,400-square-foot ballroom at its glass-pyramid-topped convention center, which connects to the 501-room Hyatt Regency Santa Clara. The 168-room Best Western Avatar Hotel debuts this fall.
Napa and Sonoma counties are wine-and-dine favorites, and the vineyard-rich landscape continues to blossom with new and renovated properties.
In Napa County, longtime group retreats include the elegant Silverado Resort, organized around its landmark mansion, and two standout newcomers in the region are the Westin Verasa and Avia Napa in downtown Napa, while in Yountville, Bardessono Inn and Spa is another luxury addition. Additionally, Yountville’s Villagio Inn & Spa unveiled its luxurious Spa Villagio last year, a 13,000-square-foot sanctuary with 16 treatment rooms and five personal spa suites. Farther north, the accolades keep coming for Solage Calistoga, which opened two years ago and last year made Travel + Leisure’s 2009 World’s Best list, ranking 11th in the U.S. and Canada.
American Canyon, just south of Napa, is home to the new Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, which received gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system.
In Sonoma County, several properties have recently completed enhancements, including Flamingo Conference Resort and Spa; The Lodge at Sonoma, a Renaissance Resort and Spa; MacArthur Place; and Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa.
Sonoma County’s newest property is the Hilton Garden Inn Sonoma County Airport.
Ninety miles northeast of San Francisco, Sacramento’s event space includes the Sacramento Convention Center and adjacent 500-room Sheraton Grand. The masterpiece Crocker Art Museum opens its $100 million transformation in 2010, and over the next 20 years, the $5.3 billion Railyards project will transform the city’s historic transcontinental rail terminus into a miniature city.
Joie De Vivre Hospitality has put its signature stamp on the 198-room Citizen Hotel, Sacramento’s first downtown boutique property. Formerly an office tower, the hotel is close to all major business and entertainment addresses —and the rooftop terrace boasts views of the California State Capitol.
In Lake Tahoe, a $300 million, 170-unit, meetings-ready Ritz-Carlton will debut on the North Shore in December. The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe, the area’s first major new-build resort in decades, will feature a slope-side ski concierge service, a water- and woods-themed spa and Manzanita restaurant from star Bay Area chef Traci Des Jardins. On the South Shore, the 400-room Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Hotel & Ski Resort now has 10,000 square feet of space following a multimillion-dollar renovation.
Earlier this year in Monterey, the 208-room InterContinental the Clement Monterey, with 14 meeting rooms, debuted on historic Cannery Row next to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Other coastal gems include San Mateo County’s newly renovated, 221-room Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, and Carmel’s 850-acre Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club. Set on a 300-acre bluff overlooking Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz’s 156-room Chaminade, itself recently refreshed, has reintroduced its renovated spa. High above the Pacific in Big Sur, the Ventana Inn & Spa has been reborn as a 60-room boutique that is perfect for small meetings and incentives.
Central California
Sweeping from the coast through the agricultural Eden of the San Joaquin Valley into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California’s central region travels from wine and waves to sequoias and snow. Digging into the heart of California’s golden treasure chest, planners have "America’s Riviera," Santa Barbara; Yosemite, one of its grandest parks; Mammoth, one of its finest ski resorts; and much more besides.
The scenic Central California Coast is home to San Luis Obispo County and its inviting locales such as Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach and Avila Beach. The famous Hearst Castle near San Simeon recently enhanced its facilities and visitor services, and the Orchid Inn at San Simeon recently finished a $1 million renovation and was reflagged as The Morgan.
In nearby Cambria, the meetings-friendly El Colibri Hotel & Spa is scheduled to debut this fall. The Mission Inn Pismo Beach is another newcomer with meeting space, and the SeaCrest Resort, a Pismo Beach destination for over 50 years, completed a multimillion-dollar modernization in May.
Mediterranean in every way, Santa Barbara County is the essence of California wining, dining and dreaming.
New developments include the recent transformation of Solvang’s Royal Scandinavian Inn into a hip new property with unique meeting venues and a signature restaurant by celebrity chef Bradley Ogden. Just outside of town, Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort has been a local treasure since 1946.
Meanwhile, Montecito’s Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, open to members and guests of the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort, recently wrapped up a major renovation, as did Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara.
Ventura County’s namesake city of Ventura sets itself apart with meetings properties located right on the beach or just steps from it, including the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach, which sits adjacent to the city’s historic pier and stages ocean-facing events in its Top of the Harbor ballroom.
New developments and revitalization projects are taking shape in the city of Oxnard, home to the 67,000-square-foot Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center. The city’s 252-room Residence Inn recently completed its $6.1 million renovation.
In the inland part of Central California, the Westin Monache is the latest addition at the high-altitude escape of Mammoth Mountain, and Yosemite’s magnificent, wood-hewn Ahwahnee Hotel, one of America’s grandest wilderness lodges and perfect for discrete corporate retreats, is newly wired with Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs.
Central Valley communities are also sprucing up. Stockton, 50 miles south of Sacramento, has invested around $115 million in its downtown over recent years, including a new 10,000-square-foot arena. Fresno’s $1 billion-plus infrastructure investment is starting to pay meetings’ dividends, and Visalia recently boosted its room count to over 1,200.
Southern California
Few places on Earth are as gifted as Southern California. World-class beaches command its golden coastline, Los Angeles wears the world’s entertainment crown, Orange County is home to the Magic Kingdom, and the Inland Empire unfolds en route to Palm Springs. Amid the majesty, major makeovers are under way. Downtown L.A.’s pulse is quickening, Long Beach is aglow, Anaheim is raising the roof, Palm Springs is a wellspring of growth, and San Diego has dramatically emerged from its cocoon.
The 879-room JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles—headquarters for the nearby Los Angeles Convention Center—and the 123-room Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles will debut in February 2010 in a 54-story tower at the L.A. Live sports and entertainment complex in L.A.’s burgeoning downtown.
The 670-room Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa will be joined this December by the 305-room W Hotel, part of the mixed-use Hollywood & Vine project.
At the famed 569-room Beverly Hills Hilton, the legendary Trader Vic’s lounge has moved poolside, and there are plans for a Waldorf=Astoria on the Hilton site. The destination’s latest hotel, the elegant Montage Beverly Hills, includes rooftop space for 40.
In West Hollywood, the former Bel Age has been transformed into the stylish, all-suite London West Hollywood, complete with a signature Gordon Ramsay restaurant, a rooftop deck and a spacious ballroom. Additionally, Hyatt’s 257-room Andaz West Hollywood opened in January, and the city also recently unveiled the meetings-capable Voda Spa concept.
L.A.’s beach cities are "surfing" a wave of hotel developments. Newly minted for $30 million, Santa Monica’s 71-room Shangri-La reopened this spring, while in Marina Del Rey, the Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey have completed top-to-bottom renovations, group space included.
Eclectic Long Beach, California’s fifth-largest city, is more switched on than ever. Along with the rejuvenated Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, the city has just announced a series of hotel relaunches and debuts, including the 35-room Varden, a remake of the historic Dolly Varden; the $20 million recast of the Coast into the Latin-themed Hotel Maya; and the new 138-room Avia Long Beach. The city’s glittering downtown is now 9,000 LED lights brighter, and its signature attraction, the Queen Mary, is continuing the $6 million makeover of its guest rooms and meeting space. On the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the new 582-room Terranea Resort has over 63,000 square feet of waterfront space.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles International Airport is undergoing a $723.5 million expansion.
In Orange County, Huntington Beach’s Spanish-influenced Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa comes with 517 rooms and more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, while Newport Beach recently welcomed the luxurious 204-room Resort at Pelican Hill, and the $75 million renovation of the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa is reportedly the brand’s largest makeover ever. Laguna Beach’s 130-room Pacific Edge Hotel is getting a vintage beach-themed makeover, and farther inland, the 174-room Renaissance ClubSport Aliso Viejo has six meeting rooms.
Joining the Anaheim Convention Center on Anaheim’s expansive new Center Walk are the newly transformed Anaheim Marriott and Hilton Anaheim, together boasting 2,603 rooms and nearly 1.5 million square feet of space. With its landmark arena currently being modernized, the convention center is slated for an expansion. Once Disney’s Grand California Hotel & Spa expansion is completed this fall, the hotel will feature 945 guest rooms.
Delegates arriving at John Wayne International Airport can get straight to business at the recently upgraded Hilton Irvine/Orange County Airport. Other hotels in affordable, well-linked Irvine include the Doubletree Hotel Irvine Spectrum and Crowne Plaza Irvine.
Ontario Airport arrivals have the newly remodeled Hilton Ontario Airport, while the 484-room Doubletree recently completed a $22 million renovation, and the city’s convention-ready Citizens Business Bank Arena opened last October.
Completed in March, the Pasadena Convention Center’s $150 million expansion includes 55,000 square feet of new exhibit space and a 25,000-square-foot ballroom. The city’s landmark 380-room Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa is a local treasure.
San Diego has forever possessed the natural appeal of, say, St. Tropez or Miami. Now with dozens of meetings and convention hotels and counting, it’s ready for its global close-up.
The San Diego Convention Center just announced plans for an expansion, while sleek new hotel options include the 184-room Se San Diego, the 1,109-room Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the 210-room Hotel Indigo, while the opulent, century-old US Grant, a Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel, is back after an extended renovation.
The iconic Hotel Del Coronado comes fully equipped for meetings and leisure, while another area treasure, the circa-1935 La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, is custom-built for secluded incentives and retreats, along with its sister property, La Jolla Shores Hotel.
La Jolla is also home to the recently renovated Embassy Suites San Diego-La Jolla.
In San Diego North, the latest luxury resorts to debut are The Grand Del Mar and the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa. Additionally, Rancho Bernardo Inn unveiled a major renovation last year; L’Auberge Del Mar Resort & Spa recently opened a new spa; and Pala Casino Resort recently completed a $100 million expansion.
In East San Diego County, the newest option is the upscale Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa in Borrego Springs, complete with an array of outdoor adventure pursuits.
Palm Springs and its surrounding desert communities provide the setting for a world-class collection of 240 hotels and resorts. More than $2 billion in ongoing hospitality projects are scheduled to come on-line in the region by 2011.
Recent arrivals include the new incarnation of the Riviera Resort & Spa following a $70 million transformation of the landmark property; the funky Ace Hotel & Swim Club; Embassy Suites La Quinta Hotel & Spa; and the Holiday Inn Palm Springs City Center.
Properties scheduled to open over the next couple of years include the Fairmont Avanterra in Palm Desert; Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs; the Mondrian Hotel in Palm Springs; The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage; and Sheraton Resort Hotel and Conference Center in Cathedral City.
Among the many properties that have recently completed renovations are Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs and Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas in Rancho Mirage, a Moroccan-styled desert palace set on 360 acres surrounded by water and lush gardens.
