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Written by Hans Feuersinger
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Wednesday, 16 January 2008 |
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The iconic 163-room Santa Cruz Coast Hotel, one of only five resorts located on the sands of a California beach, closed Jan. 1 to undergo renovations. An initial 2004 proposal to completely demolish the existing structure was scrapped for the current “facelift” plan after much public discontent with the original project. According to Coast Hotel officials, the 100-room “tower” is scheduled to reopen on June 1, and the rooms in the secondary “low-rise” building are planning to reopen July 1. Construction will be fluid from now until that time, and the three-phase remodel could even finish early. The entire hotel will have a fresh look, with interior design work being spearheaded by California’s largest boutique hotelier, San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hospitality. Robin Donovan, the hotel’s general manager, is excited about the remodel. “It’s a fantastic project,” Donovan says. “The hotel is an icon here in Santa Cruz, and it definitely needs some TLC.” The goal is to add safety features and create a more beautiful experience for guests while remaining an affordable family destination. “We’re also trying to capture business that is driving by Santa Cruz and going to Monterey and Carmel,” Donovan says. Some of the current staff will be kept on during the remodel, but approximately 85 employees—represented by Local 483—will be laid off, though they will still receive medical benefits during the closure. The hotel’s marketing team is currently considering contest entries to select a new name for the destination resort.
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