WIDE-OPEN SPACES AND NATURAL SOCIAL DISTANCING MAKE CATALINA A PERFECT GETAWAY CLOSE TO HOME

AVALON, CALIF. (JUNE  23, 2020) — Offering an island escape and unique experiences for visitors of all ages, Catalina Island Company announced today the reopening of many of its venues, including hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, adventures, and private tours and activities. Properties open now include the Pavilion Hotel, Banning House Lodge & Villas, Descanso Beach Club, Zip Line Eco Tour, as well as five campgrounds. Additional tours and activities, the recently remodeled historic Hotel Atwater and Mt Ada will reopen on June 26 to round out Catalina Island Company’s complete resort experience by the end of the month.

Now that leisure travel is permitted in California, many experts predict that people will largely seek to visit domestic destinations closer to home because of new health and economic preferences. Renowned for its wide-open spaces, natural scenery, pristine beaches and unique terrain, Catalina Island is a dream destination that offers organic opportunities for social distancing. Located just 26 miles off the coast of Southern California, Catalina offers a serene, secluded escape, just a short ferry ride away for those ready to travel again.

Catalina Island Company owns and operates a broad array of lodging and dining choices, along with more than a dozen activities, such as the Zip Line Eco Tour and Bison Expedition (a biofuel Hummer tour). It has been busily preparing to receive guests again through development of its KeepWell™ Commitment* of superior standards of cleanliness and care across all of its venues throughout the island. Elements of the KeepWell Commitment include the use of UV light to sanitize high-touch surfaces, complimentary Healthy Traveler Kits (containing a disposable face covering and single-use sanitizer towelettes for each hotel guest), furniture arranged in public spaces to encourage social distancing, plexiglass partitions to lessen contact between team members and guests, and reduced capacity on all tours and activities.

“Catalina Island is an ideal destination for many people throughout California. While secluded, it offers diverse outdoor activities—all close to home,” said Randy Herrel, Sr., president and CEO of Catalina Island Company. “The well-being of our employees and our guests is of utmost priority to us. We are meeting or exceeding state health and CDC recommendations for sanitation and cleanliness. We look forward to welcoming guests back to our hotels and activities on Catalina – California’s Island Escape – and hope they will make lasting memories and start new traditions.”

These Catalina Island Company properties have reopened to guests, featuring some amazing deals and packages:

  • Pavilion Hotel is in the heart of Avalon, just 14 steps from the beach, offering 71 rooms and suites tastefully appointed in coastal casual style, complete with fresh ocean breezes and harbor views. A complimentary breakfast and popular daily afternoon wine and cheese platter are now delivered directly to guests’ rooms.

For a limited time, Catalina Island Company is offering its “Boat’s on Us” promotion that includes round-trip transportation for two with its partners, Catalina Express (from Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point) or Catalina Flyer (from Newport Beach) with mid-week stays of two nights or more.

  • Descanso Beach Club offers a relaxed open-air setting that defines Catalina’s laid-back island lifestyle, and is the only place where guests can relax in a cabana or on a chaise lounge, cocktail in hand, and feet in the soft white sand. Just a short stroll past the historic Catalina Casino, Descanso Beach Club features Avalon’s only beachside restaurant and bar, serving a variety of appetizers, burgers, wraps, sandwiches and salads, as well as signature dishes and classic Catalina cocktails, like the famous Buffalo Milk. Menus can be downloaded to your mobile phone, and single-use paper menus are available.

For a limited time, you can enjoy the beach with a Catalina Unquarantini, a fresh delightful concoction containing vodka, Aperol and fresh citrus juices that is sure to put you in a vacation mood.

  • Campgrounds are available throughout Catalina and feature something for every type of camper—from natural sites close to the conveniences of town, to rustic and remote sites accessible only by hiking or boat. Surrounded by beauty and naturally socially distanced, all have traditional tent sites, with Hermit Gulch in Avalon and Two Harbors Campground also offering tent cabins. 
  • Land and Ocean Tours allow visitors to explore Catalina’s interior — with a chance to see bison, bald eagles, or island foxes — and to discover the island’s diverse marine environment from both above and below the sea. Private Land and Ocean Tours, such as the Sealife Safari, Biofuel Hummer Tour, Undersea Expedition or Zip Line Eco Tour, are now a favorite for visitors of all ages to experience the most popular activities with their friends and family.

Experience all of Catalina Island Company’s tours and activities in the Unlimited Fun package, available at its hotels.

  • Outdoor Activities are plentiful in the sun, sand, water and rolling hills found throughout Catalina. Whether solo or in small groups, hiking, biking, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling and kayaking are just a few of the fun ways to enjoy the island’s unique beauty.

*For more details on the steps Catalina Island Company is taking to help ensure that guests enjoy a happy and healthy vacation, please visit its KeepWell Commitment here.

For more information on visiting Catalina Island and to make a reservation, call 877.778.8322 or go to VisitCatalinaIsland.com.

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ABOUT CATALINA ISLAND COMPANY

As Catalina Island’s premier resort operator, Catalina Island Company provides exceptional guest experiences, with dining establishments, hotels, a beach club, spa, entertainment venues, and more than a dozen land and sea tours and activities. The debut of the newly renovated Hotel Atwater adds to the company’s other Avalon accommodations at Mt Ada and the Pavilion Hotel. Other notable entities include Island Spa Catalina, the island’s only complete spa destination, and Descanso Beach Club, home of Catalina’s only beachside restaurant & bar, as well as the Zip Line Eco Tour, Catalina Aerial Adventure and Catalina Falconry Experience, all part of Descanso Adventures. Catalina Island Company also has an extensive portfolio of premier meeting and event venues including oceanfront Catherine’s Terrace at Descanso Beach Club and the Avalon Boardroom in Hotel Atwater. Additionally, Catalina Island Company oversees the entire village of Two Harbors on Catalina’s west end, including Harbor Sands, Banning House Lodge & Villas, Harbor Reef Restaurant, several campgrounds, and more. For additional information, go to VisitCatalinaIsland.com.