Catalina Island Vacation Rentals Prepares for Record Bookings as New Island Attractions Open

Summer is always the high season on Catalina Island. The charm and novelty of the island community, the easy access to outdoor recreation of all kinds and, of course, the warm sunshine and cool ocean breezes attract visitors from all over the globe. But this year, visitors will see a Catalina they've never seen before. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) July 16, 2010 - AVALON, CA - Summer is always the high season on Catalina Island. The charm and novelty of the island community, the easy access to outdoor recreation of all kinds and, of course, the warm sunshine and cool ocean breezes attract visitors from all over the globe.

But this year, according to Catalina Island Vacation Rentals president Kevin Strege, visitors will see a Catalina they've never seen before.

"The Santa Catalina Island Company has been working for a long time to create new and unique experiences here on the island," Strege says, "and this is the year that we'll see a lot of them debut. We expect a great turnout of new and repeat guests this summer."

Among the new offerings this summer is a completely revamped Descanso Beach Club. While the Beach Club has always been a destination offering plenty of recreation options, the new club includes upscale additions like private cabanas, fire rings, outdoor bars, massage services and an open-air restaurant with gourmet cuisine.

"It really brings back that sense of glamour that classic Catalina had," Strege says.

Another highly anticipated addition to Catalina this summer is the Avalon Grille, a new waterfront restaurant that features American cuisine paired with a world-class selection of wines and micro-brews.
Perhaps the most exciting 2010 addition to the island, however, is the new Zip Line Eco Tour. The Zip Line takes guests from 500 feet above sea level to Descanso Beach at speeds of over 40 miles per hour. The Zip Line consists of five separate sections that cross 3,671 feet over Descanso Canyon.

"Zip lines have become adventure travel attractions all over the world," Strege says. "And this one is just an hour from Los Angeles."

These new attractions are just the latest additions to a host of things to do and see on Catalina. In recent years, the Catalina Island Conservancy, stewards of most of the island's 76 square miles, has opened more of the backcountry to visitors. New and improved trails offer access to hikers and mountain bikers and there is now unprecedented camping access. The island's unique ecosystem and native wildlife are accessible on the Trans Catalina Trail and there are even opportunities to help the Conservancy during Volunteer Vacations.

And, of course, visitors can still snorkel, scuba, golf, shop and just lounge in the sun and soak up the relaxing ambiance of Catalina.

"More than ever," Strege says, "Catalina is worth a longer stay. You can't do it all in a weekend. And more than ever, it makes sense to stay in a vacation rental rather than a hotel."

"Longer stays get very expensive in hotels," Strege says. "Everything you do, you do outside of the hotel. So, everything you do costs more money."

But in a vacation rental, the accommodations are part of the recreation. Many of the nearly 200 properties managed by Catalina Island Vacation Rentals include extras like hot tubs, barbecues, sun decks or other amenities.

The big savings, though, Strege points out, is on food. "Eating out three times a day adds up fast," he says. "For a family, food can often be the most expensive item in a vacation budget, although a special night out at one of the Island's great restaurants should be a scheduled treat."

With fully equipped kitchens, vacation rentals allow guests to prepare many of their own meals and snacks on their own schedule. Avalon has multiple grocery stores with pricing comparable to stores on the mainland.

Then, of course, there's the appreciable difference in living space. "After a few days," Strege says, "the walls in a hotel room can start to close in."

Catalina Island Vacation Rentals' properties include condos, cottages, houses and villas that can comfortably sleep entire families-in their own rooms-and indoor and outdoor living space that allow guests to spread out and make themselves at home.

"There is so much more to see on Catalina now," Strege says, "that we want to make sure people have time to see it all."

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