Sandcastle Inn Pismo Beach

Pacifica Hotels buys Pelican Inn in Cambria

Hotel company buys Inn at Morro Bay

The Inn at Morro Bay, a waterfront property beleaguered by debt, has been purchased for about $9 million by Pacifica Host Hotels, the hotel ownership and management arm of San Diego-based Pacifica Companies.

Local hotelier John King relinquished the property to lender Wells Fargo Bank in August when no one stepped forward to meet the asking price of $8.5 million at a public auction on the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse steps.

The 98-room inn on State Park Road, which was built in 1960, will remain open during the transition, said Michael de Jesus, vice president of sales and marketing for Pacifica Host Hotels. All of its roughly 70 employees have been retained.

Biz Buzz: Cantina set to go in Native’s space

A new restaurant, Cielo Cantina, will open at the former site of Native Lounge on Chorro Street in downtown San Luis Obispo as soon as today. Workers could be seen Monday busily preparing the restaurant for its transformation — refinishing tables and moving things around inside.

The 3-year-old Native Lounge, a San Luis Obispo nightclub and restaurant, closed Saturday night. Eric DeMatteo, the new general manager, said the new restaurant — which will serve Mexican food in a family friendly atmosphere — has been in the works for months. The cantina-style restaurant will serve Mexican food seven days a week for lunch and dinner, he said.

At night the restaurant will continue to be a nightclub but more “toned down” than the former lounge — geared more toward a margarita and tequila bar, DeMatteo said.

Alder Creek slide isn’t getting businesses down

Even with the six-week closure of Highway 1, the shaky economy, high cost of gasoline and cool May weather, State Parks officials and North Coast businesses are counting on selling out this holiday weekend.

They figure there’s lots for visitors to do and see: Gray whales are swimming past on their way north, molting elephant seals lounge on the shore north of San Simeon, beaches are pristine, shops and restaurants are stocked, and motels and the state campground have put out their summertime welcome mats.

The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is historically the single-busiest day of the year at Hearst Castle, according to John Fixler, ticket office supervisor. As of last Wednesday, the Castle was on target to meet that trend, he said, because visitors tend to make their reservations late.

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