Ayres Hotel Group brings boutique style, family touch to South Bay: European elegance minutes from LAX earns kudos from guests.

Ayres Hotel Group and the Ayres family invite all Southern California visitors to experience the new Ayres Hotel South Bay/Manhattan Beach, the crown jewel of Ayres Hotels just four miles south of LAX. The new 175-suite property is the 16th in the Ayres collection and the first in the Los Angeles metropolitan market.

Each Ayres hotel has its own personality and decor, setting the company apart from those with standardized products, and this one is no exception. The new hotel carries an Italian/French Renaissance-inspired theme. It's a European oasis in an urban setting and features a 400-year-old French castle fireplace, Venetian wall treatments, Italian Renaissance sculptures and a rare 17th Century tapestry. Sculptures brought in by helicopter grace the courtyard.

And that just covers the public areas. Each room also includes reproductions of authentic European art works and Belgian bed covers.

Guests say they are truly astounded by the hotel. Some say they feel like they're in Italy or France.

Vice president of development Doug Ayres, who along with brother Bruce keeps an eye out for potential hotel parcels, looked at the South Bay area as an opportunity to introduce those traveling to the LAX market a new experience in boutique properties.

"I saw the potential future growth in South Bay around the aerospace and other industries," said Doug Ayres. "And I always felt we were lacking in a major metropolitan market," he said.

Businesses like Raytheon Co., Skechers, Mattel Inc., Toyota Motor Co. of America, Boeing Co. and Accenture Ltd. are among those in the area that make frequent use of various regional hotel facilities for corporate meetings and events or to host visiting executives. That provides a big pool of potential customers for the new hotel.

Ayres hotels blend a European home-away-from-home feel with modern American business needs and are designed to attract business travelers, meetings and small group events. Wedding parties also enjoy the elegant and intimate charm of the hotels. Doug Ayres travels Europe frequently to find art, statuary and other amenities for the company's lodgings and is often inspired by design ideas stemming from the art he finds. He works with Old World artisans, weavers and craftsmen to create a blend of classic beauty and the latest business travel technology.

At the new South Bay/Manhattan Beach hotel, all rooms have the Ayres signature 'Dream Sleeper' pillow top mattresses (created by Doug Ayres), micro-kitchens with microwaves, refrigerators and complimentary coffee makers. Rooms also include irons and ironing boards, hair dryers and nightlights. But travelers also will find spacious work desks, high-speed Internet access in guest rooms, two phone fines and European art works, tapestries and bed coverings. The first floor studio suites have high ceilings and windows, providing an open and airy--yet still private--feel. Ayres customers say they enjoy the home-away-from-home feel of the Ayres brands and the tranquility of their courtyards, soundproof rooms and elegant surroundings.

The signature 'Dream Sleeper' has been a big hit since its introduction about three years ago.

"We get more feedback on the Dream Sleeper than anything," said Dana Meyer, regional director of sales and marketing for Ayres Hotel Group. Meyer and other employees like the beds so well they have them in their own homes.

"Guests can order the bed for themselves if they'd like," she said.

Guests are invited to a complimentary full breakfast served each morning, as well as an evening hospitality reception on weeknights. A complimentary newspaper is delivered daily.

For relaxation, there's a heated pool with private poolside cabanas, a quiet, relaxing courtyard and a first-class restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. A private dining room reminiscent of a European castle dining room, is available for small groups.

The hotel's signature restaurant, Matisse, features continental and American cuisine, with alfresco dining in the Palazzo courtyard. When the waiter plucks your martini olive from one of the varietal trees of Southern Italy on the property, you'll realize you've arrived at a different kind of hotel. The impeccable food presentation and service make it easy to linger over a long lunch or dinner.

Meeting planners will delight in the state-of-the-art boardrooms and ballrooms, set back from the lobby for privacy, yet near the central courtyard where guests can enjoy outdoor breaks or receptions. Groups will never be bothered by noise from arriving aircraft at LAX, as the hotel is away from the flight path for the airport, adding to its quiet charm.

In all, the hotel offers 6,000 square feet of indoor meeting space for up to 400 people. The central courtyard and an upper terrace provide Courtyard at Ayres additional elegant outdoor settings for breaks or receptions. The Renaissance ballroom can be divided into the da Vinci, Florentine and Palladio ballrooms and there are two boardrooms for small meetings.

Business and leisure guests also will find that Ayres Hotel South Bay/Manhattan Beach is in close proximity to some of the area's finest attractions, shopping and dining. Local beaches at Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach are approximately four to six miles away and easily accessible. Each beach town also has eclectic shopping districts for casual browsing or serious shopping. There also are shopping areas adjacent to the hotel.

Besides the onsite Matisse restaurant, other popular eateries like Fleming's Steak House, Houston's Steak House, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and McCormick & Schmick's are within half a mile of the hotel. The South Bay hotel represents a homecoming of sorts for the family-owned business. The Ayres Hotel Group is the outgrowth of Frank H. Ayres & Son--an early Los Angeles developer who shaped the lives of commercial and residential areas of Los Angeles at a time when it was just beginning to grow The legacy of that company today is one that still provides high-quality property. development, with a focus on its 16 hotels throughout Southern California.

Next year, the company will celebrate its 100th anniversary, with Don Ayres Jr. and his three sons and a daughter still intimately involved with every detail of each hotel. Their hands-on attention to quality and first-rate guest service is apparent when you walk through the door. A photo gallery tracing the company history in the early days of Los Angeles runs along one of the public corridors at the South Bay/Manhattan Beach hotel to commemorate the family's roots.

The company's brands include Awes Country Inn & Suites, Ayres Hotels and Ayres Suites. Each one features a unique combination of luxury and ambiance that ranges from European boutique elegance to country French charm. Each has its own personality, with the design, hand-selected antiques, art and comfortable room decor personally chosen by Doug Ayres, who also spearheaded the new Awes branding campaign.

President Bruce Ayres oversees development, land acquisition and other business functions, while vice president Don Ayres III oversees hotel operations, ensuring that team members are well grounded in the company's core values of caring about people, valuing teamwork and delivering results.

Last year, the company created a separate management unit, Ayres Hotel Management. In May, Jim Roos--a veteran hotelier who comes to Ayres from Candlewood Suites--was brought in to head that group.

Other Ayres Hotels are in Anaheim near the Arrowhead Pond, Laguna Woods and Seal Beach. Both the Laguna Woods and Seal Beach hotels are near busy commercial centers. Ayres Inns can be found in Orange, near The Block and Angel Stadium, and Corona East in Riverside County. Ayres Suites are operated in Diamond Bar, Mission Viejo, Yorba Linda/Anaheim Hills, Corona West, Ontario Airport/convention Center, and Ontario at the Mills Mall. Ayres Country Inns and Suites can be found in Costa Mesa, Ontario, the eastern San Diego town of Alpine and Cardiff by the Sea in San Diego.

For more information about Ayres Hotel South Bay, call [phone] or visit the Web at www.ayresmanhattanbeach.com. To view the entire Ayres collection, visit www.ayreshotels.com.