Omni La Costa Transforms Carlsbad into a Meeting Mecca

On the map, Omni La Costa Resort & Spa sits high above the bustle of downtown San Diego, and just below the amusement park buzz of Orange County, positioned in the little-known seaside village of Carlsbad, offering respite from city life and easy access to California dreaming. Both the Omni La Costa and Carlsbad offer attendees an escape from the hustle and traffic of a big city but all within striking distance of two nearby airports. Carlsbad is 30 miles from San Diego International Airport and 50 miles from John Wayne/ Orange County Airport. The charming location and resort amenities, coupled with the largest meeting space footprint in Southern California, make it an ideal location for meetings and incentive programs.

Costa de la Luna (photo credit: True Photography)

The Largest Meeting Space Footprint in Southern California Anchored
by a New Indoor-Outdoor Venue 

Earlier this year, the 607-room Omni La Costa took the wraps off its Costa de la Luna event venue as well as an expansion of its Coastal Events Center, giving the property more than 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor spaces, which makes it the largest resort-meeting footprint in Southern California. The array of room configurations and outdoor venues can host anywhere from a few dozen people to well over 1,000. 

Costa de la Luna

Inspired by the architecture of the Spanish missions native to the region, the new Costa de la Luna takes a page from La Costa’s original design, when in 1964 Beverly Hills architect Edward H. Fickett fashioned the resort’s $3 million clubhouse in a Spanish/Mexican style. The event space features 45 meeting rooms, including 18,000-square-foot Costa Del Sol Ballroom and the 14,000-square-foot Costa de la Luna Ballroom, as well as 76,000 square feet of indoor event space and an additional 100,000 square feet of outdoor space. Among its features for groups are 4,000 square feet of pre-function space, two breakout rooms, an expansive event lawn, a foyer and outdoor terrace, as well as a dedicated valet entrance. Indoors, 16 meeting rooms beam with natural light. 

Costa de La Luna (photo credit: True Photography)

As part of its meetings transformation, Omni La Costa also expanded its Coastal Events Center, adding 7,500 total square feet of event space with its new Coastal Events Center, West. As an homage to its surrounding gardens, its meeting rooms are named after various species of hummingbirds, which are integral to the pollination of Southern California's native flowers.  

Resorts Experiences for a Variety of Life’s Simple Pleasures 

Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s high pedigree traces back to its storied past. The Omni, which originally debuted in 1965 as La Costa Resort & Spa, staked its fame as a getaway for the Hollywood elite. In the 70s, La Costa drew the likes of Dean Martin and Bob Hope to its famed golf course, Charlton Heston and Johnny Carson to its tennis courts and Richard Nixon and Jackie Kennedy to its $3 million healing spa.   

Fast forward through the decades and the coastal California resort, set on 400 acres of greenery and gardens, not only continues to boast star power for its championship golf courses and luxury spa, and a variety of experiences for meeting attendees looking for adventure or relaxation, famous or otherwise.

For Nature Lovers: 

Local pro surfers, skateboarders, beach volleyball players and other adventure seekers flock to Carlsbad for its active seaside lifestyle, while business travelers can escape the meeting room to explore coastside Carlsbad Village or recline along one of the beaches, such as Carlsbad State Beach, also known as Tamarack Beach. 

Carlsbad has also earned the moniker, Flower Capital of the U.S. In spring, the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch burst into a hillside of varying colors, with the blossoming of giant tecolote ranunculus flowers. Groups can arrange special events among the ranch’s 50 acres, either outdoors in the gardens or in the 200-seat Paul Ecke Jr. Barn. Also on offer are tractor driven wagon rides, a sweet pea maze and a 1,500-square-foot greenhouse filled with Ecke poinsettias.  

For Golfers:

The resort is still a haven for golfers with its 36 holes of championship courses, which have hosted everyone from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods. Using holes from both its current courses, the Champions Course and Legends Course, La Costa hosted the PGA’s Tournament of Champions from 1969 to 1998, and the World Match Play Championship from 1999 to 2006. In 2020, the NCAA announced Omni La Costa will host the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships on the Champions Course. 

Gil Hanse will begin renovating The Champions Course in August 2022, just before the 2024 NCAA Championships. 

Groups can book outings on the Champions Course, known for its well-manicured greens and serene setting among wetlands and hillsides. Another option is a day on the more intimate fairways of the Legends Course. Groups can also book hands-on instruction at the Omni’s Golf Performance Institute which also offers state-of-the-art swing technology, video analysis and custom club fitting. 

For Spa Seekers: 

When La Costa’s spa opened in 1965, it was led by a professor of medicine and became the first spa in the country to earn an endorsement from the American Medical Association. Its amenities included saunas, specialty mineral pools, swimming pools, gyms and volleyball courts. A 2003 $12 million spa redesign added 15,000 square feet of gardens and courtyards and a new Spanish-Colonial style building.  

Today, The Spa at La Costa offers attendees holistic stress relief with a focus on organic ingredients and sustainable products in its treatment.There is also a poolside for relaxation, where groups can order the spa’s signature Bellini, and Southern California’s only reflexology pathway, designed to massage and stimulate acupressure points on the soles of the feet, which are connected to various energy meridians of the body.  

For Art Lovers: 

Groups can also organize tours of the interactive Museum of Music Making, which features more than 500 instruments and traces the history of music back to the 1890s, or spend an afternoon shopping at Carlsbad Premium Outlets.  

For History Buffs: 

The 27-acre Leo Carrillo Ranch & Historic Park was once part of the original 2,538 acre working ranch and vacation retreat of actor Leo Carrillo, who co-starred in the TV series The Cisco Kid and appeared in nearly 100 movies from the late 1920s to 1950. The City of Carlsbad restored many of the buildings and grounds, including the current visitors center, adobe buildings, hacienda, reflecting pool, cabana, cantina, carriage house tack shed, stable, barn and foundry.