Good News speaks to Andrea Stark, Public Relations Coordinator for The Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay a few years ago, and the Good News it is still breath taking:).  Set atop an ocean bluff, overlooking 50 miles of rugged California coastline, the AAA Five Diamond Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is a magnificent 26l-room spa and golf resort.  The property opened in spring 2001 and is the first luxury resort to open along the Northern California coast in over a decade. The timeless oceanfront estate provides guests with a relaxed yet refined experience, whether for a romantic getaway, meeting or special event. The resort opened spring 2001 and has earned the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award for the tenth consecutive year.

Located a mere 30 minutes from the San Francisco International Airport and less than one hour from Silicon Valley and downtown San Francisco, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay feels a world away. Featuring an exterior façade of natural cedar shingles, the design evokes memories of the grand seaside lodges of the 19th century with its signature Shingle Style architecture creating a regional “sense of place.”  Epitomizing the relaxed elegance and high-tech features of the new generation of Ritz-Carlton properties, the resort’s interior includes hardwood floors, large stone fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows highlighting the spectacular ocean vistas.

The majority of the guestrooms and suites at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay offer panoramic ocean views, and most include comfortable window seats, inviting fireplaces, or spacious terraces.  Appropriate for a hotel located between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, each room is equipped with high-tech features including wireless, high-speed Internet access and laptop accommodating safes.  Adjacent to the main building are three cottage houses, offering an intimate setting for business retreats, weekend getaways or small groups.  The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge creates the feel of a “hotel within a hotel” and offers a dedicated concierge, and five complimentary food and beverage presentations throughout the day.

With more than 17,000-square-feet of meeting and event space, including a 7,100 square-foot ballroom, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is the perfect choice for everything from intimate gatherings of 10 to grand events for 400. Outdoor function areas offer spectacular views of the ocean and nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. Its convenient location makes the resort a most suitable choice.

Dining choices at the resort are exemplified at the nautically inspired Navio, which serves the finest coastal cuisine from a 1,000 square-foot display kitchen. The relaxed setting of The Conservatory Lounge offers a bistro menu throughout the day and The Wine Room contains over 5,000 bottles of international wines and includes sommelier-selected wine flights.

Situated between two Half Moon Bay Golf Links courses, the resort is tailor made for golfers. The Old Course’s 18^th hole has been ranked among the 100 best in America and The Ocean Course offers ocean views from every hole.  Resort guests enjoy full privileges at both courses.

A 16,000-square-foot Spa and Fitness Center offers a lavish setting to indulge in the co-ed Roman mineral bath and enjoy treatments such as the Pumpkin Body Peel, inspired by Half Moon Bay’s annual Pumpkin Festival.  Other recreational attractions at the resort include a scenic coastal walking path leading to secluded beaches and picnic places, a tennis center, basketball half-court and patio area with outdoor fireplace. Nearby activities include horseback riding, deep-sea fishing, whale watching, sea kayaking, hiking, biking and antiquing.

For additional information on The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, please contact Steven Holt, Market Director, Public Relations for Northern California at (415) 364- 3479, by email Steven.Holt@ritzcarlton.com or visit www.ritzcarlton.com/hmb.

Contact: Steven H. Holt                                                                                   600 Stockton at California

Market Director, Public Relations                                                                     San Francisco, CA 94108

Email: steven.holt@ritzcarlton.com                                                               Cell:   415-312-8264

The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay Launches New Pet-friendly Program at Coastal Resort

Resort’s New Pampered Pooch Program and Pet-Friendly Guesthouses welcome Guests with Pets

HALF MOON BAY, CALIF. – September 14, 2011 – As more and more hotel guests enjoy traveling with their best friends, their pets that is, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay has created two new programs to welcome pets as guests. Pet-friendly guesthouses and the resort’s signature Pampered Pooch program make the resort one of the most pet-friendly in The Ritz-Carlton family.  “Many of our guests live in and around the San Francisco Bay Area often driving to the resort, so it is easy for them to travel with their pets,” said Jay Heidenreich, Director of Sales & Marketing. “Now we’ve made pets as welcome at the resort as any of our guests.”

The resort has created newly-designated Guesthouses, which are specifically pet-friendly and located along the Coastal Trail.  The Guesthouses are larger to accommodate an extra pet-guest and have easy access to the green lawns right outside. When pets check into the Guesthouses, a special amenity including bowls for food and water, a dog bed, a chew toy and woof or meow door-hanger sign to alert the housekeepers. A one-time cleaning fee of $95 is charged for each Guesthouse occupied by a pet. Dog waste bags are also set in stations near the Guesthouses and recommendations on nearby walking areas are provided to guests upon check-in.

In addition to the accommodations, the resort has launched a Pampered Pooch program which is an activity program for dogs.  It’s not a babysitting, or a dog sitting service instead it is a time of activity and entertainment for dogs. Dog walking along the Coastal Trail, playing fetch with a tennis ball, as well as walking along the beach below the stunning coastal cliffs are activities dogs will enjoy. Body-brushing and grooming services are also all available.

For more information or to confirm your reservation, please contact your travel professional, visit www.ritzcarlton.com/hmb or call Ritz-Carlton worldwide reservations at (800) 241-3333. Visit www.experiencehalfmoonbay.com to learn more about the destination.

Situated 23 miles southwest of the San Francisco International Airport, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is a 261-room destination spa and golf coastal hotel and the San Francisco Bay Area’s only oceanfront resort. Set atop a rugged bluff overlooking 50 miles of pristine California coastline, the timeless oceanfront estate provides guests with a relaxed yet refined experience, whether for a romantic getaway, meeting or special event.

The post The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay Experience Northern California Charm in the Most Spectacular Setting appeared first on Good News!.

The 13th Annual Nightwalk in New York to benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind will take place October 13th at the schoolyard, Columbus Avenue and West 77nd Street.

Sign in is at 7 p.m.; the walk begins at 8 p.m.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) is a non-profit organization that provides guide dogs and training for Blind people.  It costs GEB $45,000 to raise and train just one dog!

GEB provides their dogs at no cost to the blind person  and without any government funding.  Donations make it all possible.  Guiding Eyes for the Blind relies solely on contributions.

One hundred  percent of the donations go to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.  Of course, moral support alone cannot sustain a cause as worthy as GEB.  Be it small or large, every dollar matters.  Included is sponsor and donation information for you and your children.  You can also donate online at :  www.guidingeyes.org/nightwalk

For more information contact Bruce Stark here at Beacon Paint, 212.7887.1090, or email him:  bruce@beaconpaint.com

The post Join Bruce’s “Nightwalk in New York” to Benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind appeared first on Good News!.

Bruce Stark of Beacon Paint and Hardware speaks to us about the Good News of his over 100 year old store on the upper Westside of New York. Small town within the big city is his mantra. He lives by his beliefs and continually is there for the world and community. Vote for him for the Chase Mission Small Business Grant by going to www.missionsmallbusiness.com and click Support.

http://www.beaconpaint.com

The post Bruce Stark of Beacon Paint and Hardware appeared first on Good News!.