A nifty hotel deal for 50-and-over crowd in Central California

OK, so you’re still 12 years away from drawing Social Security and 15 years from getting Medicare. Aren’t there any perks for turning 50? Well yes, and we’re not talking about getting an invite in the mail to join AARP or receiving snarky birthday cards with over-the-hill jokes. The over-50 set can score reduced room rates and more this winter at five inns in San Luis Obispo County in Central  California.

Deal: If you or someone in your party is 50 or older, you’re eligible for the “Nifty Fifty” special at five inns run by Boutique Hotel Collection: Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo, the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach, Inn at Morro Bay in Morro Bay, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in Avila Beach and SeaVenture Resort in Pismo Beach.

The details of the deal differ from inn to inn. But generally, you’ll get discounts on your room, food and items from the gift shop. Room rates vary by location, and not all rooms may be included in the deal, which is subject to availability and other restrictions.

Dates: The deal is generally good for stays around Nov. 29 to Feb. 11, 2010; exact dates may vary by property.

Tested: I called the 104-room Apple Farm Inn, a longtime favorite of Los Angeles Times readers, which offered rooms under this deal for $125, pre-tax, Sunday through Thursday and $175, pre-tax, on Friday and Saturday. I was able to get the deal for Dec. 6 (Sunday) and Dec. 4-5 (Friday and Saturday) for three types of rooms: king traditional, queen deluxe and king deluxe.

I couldn’t look up the regular rates because the inn’s online reservation system was down. But the reservations desk said these rooms normally go for $169-$189 on weekdays and $209-$229 on weekends.

Along with the room discount, you get a free wine-tasting for two at a local Edna Valley winery; 50% off a second entree at the inn’s restaurant; and a “50s-era commemorative CD.”

Contact: At the Apple Farm Inn, “Nifty Fifty” must be booked by phone; (800) 255-2040. Booking practices vary by property; some offer online booking of this package too. The other phones are (800) 826-7827 for the Cliffs Resort; (800) 321-9566 for the Inn at Morro Bay; (800) 234-5831 for Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort; and (800) 662-5545 for SeaVenture Resort.

—Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel editor

Photos: Top, exterior of Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo; bottom, a king deluxe room at the inn. Credit: Courtesy of Apple Farm Inn

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 5:57 am by Jane Engle and is filed under California, California's Central Coast, Deals, Honeymoon, Spa & Romance, Hotels, Luxury Travel, Morro Bay, News, Tips & Advice, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Weekend Getaways, Winter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.