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It Was One of the First U.S. Resorts to Offer a Full-service Spa; KSL Resorts Redefining the Resort with a $140-million Renovation |
 October
6, 2003 - WHEN it opened its doors in 1965, La Costa Resort and Spa
was 25 years ahead of its time as the first U.S. resort to offer a full-service
spa. Today, guided by its new owner, the Southern California-based KSL
Resorts, La Costa is poised anew to redefine the total resort experience
as it undergoes a $140-million renovation.
The first phase is scheduled for completion in January 2004 and encompasses the following: The New Spa at La Costa
New Grounds
Two Historic Golf Courses
Two New Restaurants
North San Diego County's Largest Ballroom
California Colonial-Style Design
The award-winning hospitality design firm, Hirsch Bedner Associates, is responsible for the concept and design of the resort's decor. Interiors throughout the resort, including the 474 newly renovated guest rooms, feature light-colored walls contrasted by rich dark woods such as walnut and mahogany, rich-toned marble and leather furnishings. La Costa Resort and Spa: A Colorful Past The spectacular site in Southern California where La Costa Resort and Spa now stands enjoys a colorful history. The land has roots in the earliest days of California colonialism and the time of rancheros. This simpler period was followed by centuries of Native American settlement which gave way to Spanish and Mexican occupation before California became a part of the United States in 1838. Spain laid early claim to the California coast. In 1769, Route 101 was forged as El Camino Real (�The Royal Road�). The old Spanish colonial trail along the California coastline linked the missions that were established to make Catholics and farmers of the local Indians. The effort eventually failed, but Spain�s legacy still resonates in local architecture and flavor. It is apparent in the names of the mountains, streams, cities such as San Diego and other area landmarks including La Costa (�The Coast�). Today, La Costa Resort and Spa stands on the border of two old Mexican land grants from the mid-19 th Century, Agua Hedionda to the north and Rancho Las Encinitas to the south. The seed for La Costa Resort and Spa was first planted in 1960 when real estate entrepreneur Allard Roen discovered the awesome albeit empty landscape on horseback. Inspired by the site�s remarkable history, Roen was determined to find a use for the land that would honor all those who came before. Already involved in the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, Roen joined with a partner to purchase some of these lands and start a development project called Rancho La Costa. Roen�s original vision for Rancho La Costa called for a residential community with recreational facilities including golf, tennis and horseback riding. Roen�s personal interest in the game provided the impetus for two golf courses. A clubhouse was erected to give prospective residents a preview of the property. Roen soon became hooked on the idea of a spa at Rancho La Costa. On a stretch of sand not far from La Costa, Victorian pioneer John Frazier founded the town of Carlsbad after discovering mineral water there in the 1880s. He initiated the Carlsbad Mineral Spa, which became the namesake community�s main attraction, creating a precedent for spas in the area and luring visitors from this time onward. In 1965, La Costa became the first U.S. resort to introduce a full-service spa, and what started off as a 90-room inn to accommodate prospective Rancho La Costa homebuyers had turned into a luxurious country club. The inn became the main draw, putting Rancho La Costa on the map. Through the years, La Costa, set among the beautiful coastal foothills north of San Diego in Carlsbad, has evolved from its humbler beginnings as the 90-room Rancho La Costa into the 473-room, world-class La Costa Resort and Spa. Some things have not changed. The entrance to the grounds lies along the old El Camino Real, California�s road to its rich and colorful history. The KSL Resorts Collection includes:
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| Contact:
La Costa Resort and Spa http://www.lacosta.com www.kslresorts.com |