By Dana Olsen / Friday, December 16th, 2011 / Features, Tourism / Comments Off on Tourism tapping into apps: Visitors bureaus bet on ubiquity of smartphones
The tourism bureaus in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties have gone mobile with apps targeted at the region’s visitors.
Santa Barbara-based Magellan’s Travel Supplies and Colorado Bag’n Baggage are joining forces to battle the difficult retail climate. The two companies, both of which are considered leaders in the U.S. luggage and travel products industry, announced the merger on Dec. 1. Magellan’s operates mainly as a catalog business, with a customer base of 1.8 million Read More →
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By Marlize van Romburgh / Friday, November 25th, 2011 / Columns, Real Estate / Comments Off on Architects redesign State Street hotel as modern, affordable inn
Santa Barbara’s lower State Street and Funk Zone areas are experiencing somewhat of an architectural revival, thanks in no small part to the architects at AB Design Studio.
The international hotel firm behind El Encanto Hotel in Santa Barbara has received $45 million in construction financing for the project and plans to open the luxury hilltop villas by late 2012. When all is said and done, Orient-Express Hotels will have spent more than $90 million to buy and renovate a project it’s not Read More →
