SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- San Luis Obispo County, located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California's naturally beautiful Central Coast, offers many new reasons to visit this summer, from new and renovated hotels to fascinating tours. Here are just a few of the latest visitor industry developments below, and you can find the complete list here at Visit San Luis Obispo County's website www.VisitSanLuisObispoCounty.com - featuring everything from regional overviews and events to activities and trip ideas.
Accolades
San Luis Obispo County recently won national accolades such as Wine Region of the Year (Paso Robles - Wine Enthusiast 2013). San Luis Obispo was just ranked #3 on Travel + Leisure's Best College Towns list, and the Central Coast was named among Lonely Planet's Top 10 US Travel Destinations (#4).
Unique Hotel Packages Available Year-Round
Paso Robles Celebrating its 125th Anniversary With A BIG Wedding: In celebration of Paso Robles' 125th anniversary, the Paso Robles Inn will host a wedding celebration of gigantic proportions when 125 couples make their vows - or renew their vows - on Sunday, September 14, 2014.The wedding will be held in the expansive gardens at the Innwith a lavish buffet to follow in the Grand Ballroom. Reservations for the ceremony, buffet, and hotel can be made by calling 805.238-2660. www.pasoroblesinn.com
Hearst Castle Adventures with the SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel: This package, starting at $259 a night, lets you visit William Randolph Hearst's San Simeon Hearst Castlein style! Wine Wranglers will pick you up directly from the SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel and drive you to the Hearst's legendary estate for the Grand Rooms Tour. After the tour, you can enjoy a complimentary gourmet deli lunch and, time permitting, you may have the opportunity to go wine tasting locally or shopping in Cambria and visit an elephant seal rookery. Add a person for just $120.www.seacrestpismo.com
Ziplining & Stay in Pismo Beach: Stay a minimum of two nights at the SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel and soar with your companion on a thrilling zipline tour of Santa Margarita Ranch with Margarita Adventures including an epic 1,300-foot valley crossing and soaring forested vineyard views.Guests will learn about the ranch's sustainable winegrowing practices and role as part of California's famed Mission Trail, and experience the ranch's diverse plant and wildlife habitats. Package starts at $409 and includes: Ocean View guestroom. www.seacrestpismo.com
Romantic Rendezvous on the Coast Package: Starting at just $219.50, enjoy a night at Beach Bungalow Inn and Suites in Morro Bay and get with a chilled bottle of California sparkling wine, decadent hand-made truffles, a wine flight tasting at "Stax Wine Bar" on the waterfront and a $40 gift card towards dinner at the Galley Restaurant or Windows on the Water. www.morrobaybeachbungalow.com
Farm to Table Package at the Apple Farm: Love fresh food? Starting at $339, enjoy a two-night stay at the Apple farm and receive a $75 dining credit at the Apple Farm Restaurant. Your taste buds won't be disappointed with this delectable deal. www.applefarm.com
Spa Essence Package: For just $269 treat yourself to a one-night getaway at the Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, including an indulgent 60-minute Spa Treatment and get a $30 dining credit in the Gardens of Avila Restaurant. www.sycamoresprings.com
Hotel Renovations and Openings
Paso Robles Inn, Paso Robles, CA: The Paso Robles Inn is winding down a two-year renovation of the historic boutique hotel, which began with a guest room renovation, including 18 spa rooms. These rooms were each uniquely designed by local wineries, with fun touches such as a grape vine in the Ancient Peaks room, and wine barrel chairs in the DAOU room. A mural focusing on the history of the area now adorns the exterior of the winery themed building.The Grand Ballroom building is being renovated and will feature all new luxury furniture and décor.In front, there's a newly created garden designed to connect the Inn with the town square - a perfect place to enjoy a specialty coffee from the redesigned Coffee Shop. www.pasoroblesinn.com
Ayers Resort & Spa, Paso Robles, CA: Gracefully spanning across 20 breathtaking acres this new Tuscan-style resort is scheduled to be completed in November 2014, featuring 169 guest rooms, a fine dining restaurant, on-site spa, boutique, 36 extended stay apartment style accommodations and 5,000 square feet of conference space. This is one of the most environmentally conscious projects of its kind and will pursue the prestigious SLO Green Building Certificate of Recognition. www.ayreshotels.com/newsroom/press-release/pasorobleshotel.aspx
Summerwood Winery & Inn, Paso Robles, CA - The nine-room inn recently completed a major renovation, including updates to all guest suites, a re-design of the 9,000 square-foot inn's entrance, grand living room, and dining room along with the addition of a demonstration kitchen and an outdoor dining space. The site plan utilizes energy-efficient materials and LED lighting, with an overall holistic look at sustainability. Guests are now treated to a daily farm fresh cooked-to-order breakfast, an afternoon wine and appetizer reception, evening dessert and coffee, and more. www.summerwoodwine.com
Oxford Suites, Paso Robles, CA: With the opening planned for 2015, the Oxford Suites will be constructing a 127-room hotel in downtown Paso Robles. It will offer 5,300-square feet of meeting space, an outdoor pool, spa, sauna, steam room, full exercise facility and onsite catering for meetings and events. The suites will be decorated the highest standards of comfort including plush bedding, a sitting room and a desk area.
Marriott SpringHill Hotel, Atasacadero, CA: Opening in December of 2014, this 130-room, four-story hotel will feature a large reception area, a bar and dining area, meeting room and 5,000 square foot exhibit space for events and conferences. The outdoor area will include a patio, pool, fire pit with seating and a barbecue pit.
Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, CA: To enhance its offerings for weddings, parties and corporate events, the Madonna Inn recently built a 250-capacity Secret Garden boasting a tranquil pond, Roman statuary, grassy areas and elegant paths. The project also included the additions of a Kitchen Garden, so Madonna Inn Chefs can offer guests the freshest ingredients in their dishes. www.madonnainn.com
Shoreline Inn, Cayucos, CA: After closing its beachfront building for two weeks in January to do a $350,000 upgrade, the Shoreline Inn features an expanded and enhanced parking lot and 170 solar panels that will provide most of the hotel's power. Within just a few months of the solar panels being installed the amount of energy produced is equivalent to the planting of 410 trees, saving 15,900 lbs of CO2 emissions. Quiet exhaust fans were also added to all the beachfront rooms. www.cayucosshorelineinn.com
La Quinta Inn & Suites, Paso Robles, CA: The hotel recently launched a year-long expansion scheduled for completion in Winter 2014. Changes to include 37 new rooms, some of which will include luxurious Villa Suites with special features such as full size balconies, fireplaces, and full kitchenettes. www.lq.com
New International Traveler Services
Hearst Castle's exclusive new mobile app now available for free download: This new app provides continuously expanding content and frequent updates to ensure there will always be something new to discover. The more time you spend on the app, the more it learns about your preferences and directs you to the content you'll be most interested in. In Library mode, it can be used from anywhere in the world. In Explorer mode, it's GPS-activated for onsite use at the Castle. Apple named it one of their top travel apps, featuring it on the App Store. The Hearst Castle app is available alongside Lonely Planet,Trip Advisor, andNational Geographicin the new Travel Guides collection on iTunes and is available in numerous languages. www.hearstcastle.org/tour-hearst-castle/hearst-castle-mobile-app/
For more information go to www.VisitSanLuisObispoCounty.com.
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SOURCE Visit San Luis Obispo County
