Meeting groups love “bleisure” destinations — places that combine business and leisure by offering state-of-the-art event venues as well as fun things to do for the entire family. Here are five classic California bleisure destinations that offer theme parks, tours, wine tastings, aquariums, hiking, biking and water activities for groups of all ages.
Carlsbad
Carlsbad is a first-class bleisure destination about 45 minutes north of San Diego. It has near-perfect weather year-round and seven miles of beautiful beaches. The family-friendly destination is known for the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, which bloom in April and May, as well as Legoland California Resort, Sea Life Aquarium and the Museum of Making Music. In addition to water activities, resorts in the area are close to scenic hikes.
The destination has more than 5,000 hotel rooms across 46 properties. Omni La Costa Resort and Spa is the largest full-service hotel in the city, with 600 rooms and more than 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. The resort offers five restaurants, golf, a spa, tennis and pickleball courts and a kid-friendly pool area with waterslides. The Costa Del Sol Ballroom is 18,000 square feet and can host 1,400 for a banquet or 1,700 for a reception.
The Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club and Spa has 83,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. The Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa features 71,404 square feet of meeting space, and Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, a Hilton Resort and Spa, offers ocean views and 11,345 square feet of meeting space.
Off-site venues include the Flower Fields; Agua Hedionda Discovery Campus, which overlooks the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, a 400-acre estuary and wetland; and the Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park.
Burbank
Burbank is known for its movie studio tours, live tapings of TV shows, unique shopping and restaurants, golf and the great outdoors. Meeting groups wanting to mix business and pleasure can host their meetings at several full-service hotels. Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport and Convention Center is the largest venue in the city with 395 rooms, 93 suites, 50,000 square feet of event space and 22 individual meeting rooms. Its largest room can hold 2,240 attendees.
Ramada by Wyndham Burbank Airport has 4,000 square feet of event space that can accommodate groups of 350. Cambria Hotel Burbank Airport has 6,900 square feet of space that can host groups of 200, and Hotel Burbank, with 30,000 square feet of event space, can host up to 300 in its largest room. There are also several smaller meeting hotels.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour takes visitors through the movie studio’s backlots, as well as special collections, such as a film archive and the Picture Car Vault. Universal Studios Hollywood also offers behind-the-scenes tours, rides, shows and attractions that put visitors inside some of the biggest movies ever made. Universal CityWalk, outside of the studio, offers shopping, bars, restaurants and other family-friendly attractions.
Movie buffs will enjoy visiting famous movie film locations around the city, and Burbank has large murals throughout that are worth a photo stop.
Santa Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island offers a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Located 26 miles off the coast of California, the island is only accessible by ferry. After an hour-long boat ride, meeting groups can escape to the rugged landscapes and crystal-clear waters surrounding Avalon, the largest community on the island. The historic Hotel Atwater recently underwent a major renovation that restored the property to its 1920s grandeur. It can host smaller events for up to 65 guests. Mt Ada, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr.’s former mansion, is a more intimate luxury hotel.
There are 800 guest rooms in Avalon within walking distance of each other. The iconic Catalina Island Casino, built in 1929, sits on the edge of Avalon Bay. The Casino Ballroom has 50-foot ceilings with five Tiffany-inspired chandeliers and a stage, and it can accommodate 800 guests at rounds. The Avalon Theatre on the lower level of the Casino can seat 1,184 people. Catalina Country Club can host events from 10 to 200, and groups can incorporate a round of golf. Descanso Beach Club offers spectacular ocean views in an outdoor setting for up to 3,000. Catherine’s Terrace at Descanso Beach can accommodate up to 250.
For fun, groups can tour Wrigley’s Arabian horse ranch, El Rancho Escondido; take Catalina Tours’ Zip Line Eco Tour that soars 600 feet above Descanso Canyon; or enjoy glass-bottom boats, semi-submersible submarines and snorkeling in the island’s sparkling blue water.
Temecula
Temecula Valley is less than two hours from every major metro area in Southern California, making it a great destination for both business and leisure travel. Old Town Temecula, which dates to the 1880s, features hotel accommodations, nightlife, shopping and restaurants.
Pechanga Resort Casino offers 1,090 rooms and suites and 24-hour gaming. The full-service resort features 13 restaurants, Spa Pechanga and The Cove, a 4.5-acre oasis with three pools, a swim-up bar, a family pool with two waterslides and a splash pad for kids. The destination features 229,090 square feet of indoor event space. The nearly 40,000-square-foot Summit Ballroom can seat 3,300 for plated events. It also includes a large pre-function foyer and can be divided into five rooms. The facility features plenty of breakout rooms for groups of all sizes.
The Temecula Valley is Southern California’s wine country with nearly 50 wineries. Groups meeting in the area can participate in wine tastings, wine blending and culinary programs. Many of the area’s wineries offer group cooking classes and other activities.
South Coast Winery Resort and Spa sits on 38 acres of rolling vineyards. It has 40,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. Groups staying in the area can take hot-air balloon rides over wine country or visit Lake Skinner Recreation Area, a wonderful spot for picnics, hiking, horseback riding, sailing and fishing. The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve is home to 200 species of native birds and 49 rare animals and plants. Groups can hike, bike or ride horses along the various trails throughout the reserve.
San Rafael and Marin County
San Rafael is the oldest and largest city in Marin County. Victorian buildings, ethnic restaurants and boutique shops line the downtown area. Marin County is known for its natural beauty, particularly the towering redwood forests of Muir Woods National Monument. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking and biking along its many trails. San Rafael also is a great jumping-off point to visit San Francisco and Sonoma’s wine country.
The 236-room Embassy Suites by Hilton San Rafael Marin County is the largest meeting property in the city, with 19,332 square feet of event space. A Sonoma-Marin Smart Train stop is within walking distance of the hotel, running from Larkspur to Santa Rosa in Sonoma County. For a scenic route into San Francisco, groups can take the Smart Train to Larkspur and then hop on the ferry for a ride across San Francisco Bay.
Marin County has 2,300 hotel rooms and several unique meeting venues. Slide Ranch is an outdoor education facility on the Marin coast. Groups can explore its beautiful trails and coastline or book outdoor gatherings or events at its Farm-to-Table Teaching Center, which has a professional kitchen and large outdoor deck. Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company offers cheese tastings, lunch, dinner and corporate events in The Fork, the property’s culinary and educational center.
McEvoy Ranch in nearby Petaluma is a small, family-owned farm that produces certified organic extra virgin olive oil. Groups can take tours of the ranch and have lunch or schedule an olive oil and wine tasting there.
