Where Play Comes Naturally.

People need play. Especially as part of a meeting. That's one of the best things about Monterey, California. Play comes naturally, literally steps from hotels and the Monterey Conference Center.

The historical City of Monterey is located on the edge of Monterey Bay, the largest marine sanctuary in the United States. The Monterey Conference Center and flanking hotels are immediately adjacent to Monterey's colonial buildings and gardens. Just across the plaza is Fisherman's Wharf with its fresh seafood, freeloading sea lions, bubbling chowder pots, shops, restaurants, and bay excursions. The Coastal Recreation Trail runs past the Wharf, inviting visitors to walk, jog, skate, bike, or pedal a surrey along the coast, enjoying the panoramic bay vistas, picturesque fishing boats, and playful sea otters. They can rent kayaks, take a fishing trip, or go for a whale-watching tour. No one should be without a camera in Monterey.

Just south on the trail is Cannery Row, made famous by the late local novelist, John Steinbeck. Today it's a hopping collection of shops, galleries, restaurants, nightspots, and a carousel, peppered by the haunts of Steinbeck and his cronies. Anchoring Cannery Row is the spectacular Monterey Bay Aquarium, a wondrous exhibit of life beneath Monterey Bay, and a fantastic venue for off-site receptions.

Touring the peninsula, visitors will enjoy dramatic confrontations of land and sea, winery tours, the world famous 17 Mile Drive, and Carmel-by-the-Sea. What's more, Monterey has long been considered the Golf Capital of the World, thanks to 18 of the most beautiful and challenging courses ever built.

Monterey has long been a magnet for the arts. Painters, poets, photographers, and writers have found inspiration in the peninsula's drama and beauty. But Monterey is also the haven for an artist of a different palette--the creative chef. With the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Salinas Valley (The Nation's Salad Bowl) to the east, Castroville (The Artichoke Capital of the World) to the north, and Wine Country to the south, Monterey's chefs are no doubt inspired by this bounty of fresh ingredients. Monterey's restaurants, from the most casual to the most elegant, serve some of the most exquisite flavors ever tasted. It's also why the banquet meals in Monterey have been compared to individual menu items at fine restaurants.

On the facilities side, Monterey has more than 10,000 guest rooms in major chains and elegant independent and boutique hotels, as well as the 61,000-square-foot, full-service Monterey Conference Center to meet your needs. Hotels with meeting space include Casa Munras Garden Hotel, DoubleTree Hotel, Hilton Monterey, Hotel Pacific, Hyatt Regency Monterey, Monterey Marriott, and Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa.

Large groups can meet under one roof at the Monterey Meeting Connection, a formal association of three award-winning hotels and the Monterey Conference Center. The Monterey Meeting Connection offers more than 800 guest rooms and suites, 80,000 total square feet of meeting space, and 30,000 square feet of exhibit space. Planners enjoy joint convention servicing and guests enjoy charging privileges throughout.

Visitors can fly to Monterey Peninsula Airport, or land in San Francisco or San Jose, and arrive via Airbus service or rental car. Full-service site selection and destination information is available through the Monterey Group Sales Office. Groups that utilize more than 500 guest rooms per night are entitled to complimentary meeting space at the Monterey Conference Center.