Destination wedding and incentive planners have the Central California Coast’s Monterey and Santa Barbara on their speed dial, but do you? These NorCal/SoCal destinations are known for their beauty and proximity (two hours drive time) to San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively. Both cities have also moved with the times while retaining traces of their Spanish Colonial origins, and both are eager for meetings.
Planners with strict DEI and/or sustainability requirements will also be assured that these will be met.
“Regarding DEI, we're staying true to who we are as a destination, and we've always been known for being a warm and welcoming destination,” said Teresa Savage, SVP business operations, See Monterey.
“Santa Barbara is the original home of Earth Day, and environmental stewardship is part of our ethos,” noted Beth Olson, director of sales for Visit Santa Barbara.
Even the stars love the Central California coast. While attending meetings in Monterey or Santa Barbara, attendees may spy celebrity residents like Clint Eastwood, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt.
These destinations may fly under the radar, under the shadow of their large neighbors, but that makes them even more alluring. Here’s why you should consider these Central California Coastal destinations for your next meeting or event.
Monterey
“We're a good resource for Bay Area corporations that want to get away—not have their office one block down the street from their meeting,” Savage said. “We're really close to all Bay Area corporate destinations, as well as corporate businesses within those destinations.”
Monterey can host up to 3,000 attendees in a variety of venues and accommodations. Located in the heart of downtown and steps from the Monterey Bay, the Monterey Conference Center is categorized as a mid-sized facility, recognized nationally for modern infrastructure, LEED Platinum designation and sustainability, according to Savage.
“We have the Monterey Meeting Connection, the 379-room Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay and the 241-room Monterey Marriott, in proximity to the conference center,” she said. “We can do groups and large conferences of 1,000 to 1,200 people in those destinations. There’s also the 560-room Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa.”
Among its unique downtown venues are the historic Barns of Cooper Merola and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the latter of which is available for buyout. Nearby are famous peninsular attractions like Folktale Winery & Vineyards and the golf courses of Pebble Beach and luxury resorts like the 73-room Bernardus Lodge and the 269-room Inn at Spanish Bay.
In addition to luxury resorts and Michelin-recognized restaurants (Monterey has two starred restaurants and 15 of note), Monterey has preserved its rough-and-ready history in Cannery Row. Immortalized by author John Steinbeck, Cannery Row is now a historic landmark, though the remains of Monterey’s fish-canning legacy have given way to hotels, restaurants and mixed retail.
“When groups have their meetings and events in our destination, they have higher attendance. It's on record,” Savage said. “We have studies that show that people love the walkability of the downtown area or the close proximity when they're doing an offsite.”
[Related: A Bleisure Tour of San Francisco Bay With Visit California]
Santa Barbara
Like Monterey, Santa Barbara has its own “fish tale.” Now called the “Funk Zone,” the area is an arts and history district, having gotten its name from the “aroma” when the city was also a hub for fish processing back in the day.
Within the Funk Zone is the 121-room Hotel Californian’s 2,800-square-foot ballroom, which connects to a beautiful outdoor courtyard for that indoor/outdoor California lifestyle.
Santa Barbara had a raffish past as a “rum-running” depot during Prohibition, but today it is the heart of SoCal viticulture, with about 200 vineyards within the county. Its walkable State Street features a variety of restaurants and retail, including the very first McConnell’s ice cream store, opened in 1950.
“Meetings that choose Santa Barbara are searching for a sense of place,” Olson said. “They come here because the destination is part of the attraction—meeting attendees are attracted to the casual elegance and natural authenticity of the destination.”
Santa Barbara’s largest meeting spaces are found at the 358-room The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara and the 360-room Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
“Each hotel features a 12,000-square-foot ballroom for general sessions of up to 900, with affiliated breakouts, additional smaller ballroom spaces and a unique outdoor gathering space on property at each hotel,” Olson said. “In addition, Montecito’s 161-room Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort features a 6,000-square-foot ballroom with crystal chandeliers, and the 200-room Hotel Mar Monte’s 15,000 square feet of meeting space includes a 3,600-square-foot ballroom with natural light and a wood-beam ceiling; the property also offers a 24-room in-house retreat, the Palmoro House.
Culinary attractions abound in an area known for farm-to-table preparations. There are two Michelin-starred restaurants as well as 13 others recognized by the guide.
For wine enthusiasts, it’s possible to have a “wine-around” in downtown’s 40-plus wine tasting rooms, most within minutes of the conference hotels.
“Culinary walking tours, events featuring wine—like painting in the vineyards or customized tastings—and wellness activities such as sound baths and yoga on the beach are also very popular activities to include with group itineraries,” Olson added.
