An igloo in California? Pismo Beach hotel offers special dining experience for the holidays
On the front lawn of the Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach sits a transparent igloo that can seat up to six people for a special holiday-themed dining experience.
The resort at 147 Stimpson Ave. in Pismo Beach plans to keep the wintry fixture up until Jan. 2, giving guests the opportunity to reserve an experience that includes dinner from the resort, tabletop s’mores, a mini fireplace and two hours of complimentary valet parking, according to its website.
General manager David Morneau took inspiration from Vespera’s current coastal beach-side cottage aesthetic and went to Pinterest to fulfill his dream design.
“When I think about the best Christmas I have, it’s like, you sit by a fire, you’re watching the yule log, you’re comfortable, you’re hanging out with friends and family,” Morneau said. “That’s what we wanted to replicate for people.”
A big factor? Picking a color scheme.
“We don’t want the explosion of greens and reds and cartoony kind of decorations,” Morneau said. “We didn’t want to necessarily do a cottage theme in the igloo but we’re like, we’ve still got to be rustic, country, comfortable, design-focused — like you should open up your home design magazine and feel like maybe this came out of that.”
Morneau said the igloo’s more subdued holiday color palette instead contains gold, silver, greens and blues.
Its interior of the transparent igloo has a wreath chandelier with hanging lights, star garlands, tartan leather place mats and natural greenery on the table and blankets, according to Morneau.
A holiday cocktail menu is also part of the resort’s holiday celebrations through partnerships with local distilleries and wineries and can be ordered while in the igloo. The signature holiday dessert, a chocolate dome that represents the igloo, is also on the menu.
“It was just an affordable, fun option for us to have a great meal and to just do something different, right,” Morneau said. “No else is offering that kind of experience to guests and that’s what we really wanted to do.”
How much does Pismo Beach igloo cost to rent?
The igloo requires a $75 rental fee and a $250 minimum spending fee. Guests can choose between two times: 5:30 to 7 p.m. or 8 to 10 p.m.
Vespera Resort also offers happy hour every day from 3 to 6 p.m., Trivia Tuesday and live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information, visit the hotel’s website at marriott.com or call 805-773-1011.
