TRAVEL NEWS & TIPS | FIRE SEASON
Not quite business as usual for hotels in SoCal fire zones
Many are offering reduced rates to evacuees and waiving pet fees. But they also say they will honor all room reservations.
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The fires bearing down on Southern California have closed popular tourist destinations, state parks and national forests in the region. The state's record number of emergency evacuees -- perhaps more than 800,000 -- means travelers heading to affected areas may find it's not business as usual.
Editor's note: For continuously updated news on the Southern California fires, visit The Los Angeles Times’ Breaking News Blog.
For more fire-related Southern California travel and trip planning resources, and to contribute your own, see our Daily Travel Blog.
Hotels from around the area are reaching out to evacuees who need a place to stay by offering reduced rates.
The U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego reports that one-half to one-third of their guests are local evacuees but says it will honor all room reservations, said manager Mark Dibella. He said even the hotel's owners -- members of the Sycuan Indian tribe -- have come to stay after being evacuated from their reservation.
The 97-year-old hotel has reduced room rates for evacuees--from $300 per night down to $165 to $250, depending on the type of suite needed--and relaxed its policy on pets. "It's Noah's ark here," said Dibella, noting guests are now allowed to bring large dogs, fish, birds and other pets. "We are not turning away anybody in need of keeping their pet with them." The hotel also reduced the per-pet rate from $150 to $50. Contact the hotel at www.usgrant.net or call (800) 237-5029.
The La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., remains open and is also assisting evacuees. But the website says that all reservations will be honored. Go to www.lacosta.com or call (800) 854-5000.
The Parker in Palm Springs is offering a $99 per night rate tonight and Thursday to those displaced by fires.
The 173-room Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa, which escaped fire damage, was open for emergency personnel but closed to regular guests. It is expected to fully open next week, according to a note posted today on its website, www.laresort.com. Any deposits collected for stays this week will be applied to future visits, the website said.
In the San Diego area, Barona, Harrah's, Golden Acorn, Pauma, Santa Ysabel, Viejas Outlet and Valley View casinos are closed today. Pala, Sycuan, Viejas and Pechanga are open today.
SeaWorld ( www.seaworld.com), the San Diego Wild Animal Park ( www.sandiegozoo.org) and Legoland ( www.legoland.com) are closed today, according to updates on their websites. The San Diego Zoo, however, is open and plans to continue to operate.
SeaWorld, which hasn't been affected directly by the fires, says it will try to reschedule guests with pre-purchased tickets or packages (Dine With Shamu, Trainer for a Day, etc.) or provide refunds. Call (800) 257-4268.
Pre-purchased tickets for the Wild Animal Park, which is run by the zoo, can be exchanged at the zoo's guest relations window.
The Wild Animal Park plans to reopen Thursday, its website says. Endangered California condors were evacuated to its Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center, though one of the condor breeding facilities, which was empty at the time, was lost to fire.
Legoland's website says the park is closed and won't reopen until Friday.
Closures in Balboa Park, according to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau website ( www.sandiego.org), include the Museum of Man, the Air & Space Museum and other museums (see the website for a complete list.) But the Museum of Art is open, as is the Natural History Museum ( www.sdnhm.org), which will honor visitors' unused tickets to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition through the run of the show on Dec. 31.
Performances today at the Old Globe theater have been canceled. If you have tickets, call the box office at (619) 234-5623.
In Valencia, Six Flags Magic Mountain ( www.sixflags.com), which is open only during weekends this time of year, is monitoring the situation but plans to open its gates Friday as scheduled, said spokeswoman Connie Lujan. She said the fire had not reached the theme park.
Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim were open, said Bob Tucker, spokesman for Disneyland Resort. He said Disney hotels were waiving penalty fees for guests who canceled stays because of the fires.
The following 17 state parks are closed, according to the California State Parks website, www.parks.ca.gov:
Los Angeles County
Point Mugu State Park
Will Rogers State Historic Park
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