Monterey
- The Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay (831.649.4511; www.portolahotel.com) completed a major room renovation on its 369 guest rooms and 10 suites earlier this year. Among the elegant new touches are high-grade, sustainable mattresses made from renewable resources and 42-inch flat-screen TVs.
Santa Cruz Area
- An 84-room Fairfield Inn (831.427.2900; www.fairfieldinncapitola.com) is slated for a July opening in seaside Capitola. The three-story property will include one meeting room with 1,800 square feet of space.
San Mateo County
- The Beach House Half Moon Bay (800.315.9366; www.beach-house.com) recently completed a series of substantial upgrades that have impacted nearly every aspect of the property. Fresh paint, new carpeting in guest rooms and meeting room improvements such as new fixtures and furnishings are among the changes. Lush new landscaping has just been integrated, as well as new signage and significantly enhanced wireless service.
Humboldt County
- A new fisherman's plaza and fish market on the waterfront in Old Town Eureka is set for a summer opening by the foot of C Street along the Eureka boardwalk. The plaza will feature a retail seafood counter, cafe and fisherman's terminal building. The 60-foot-wide public square will include a ticket booth for the Madaket, one of the oldest operating passenger ferries in the U.S., which provides tours of the bay. The pedestrian-friendly plaza will be enlivened by ocean-inspired artwork and will expand the length of the existing boardwalk by several blocks.