A $2 million renovation at the DoubleTree Golf Resort in Rancho Penasquitos will mean locals and guests can experience trendier facilities.

Locals who frequent its restaurant, coffee shop and bar overlooking the golf course will find a more contemporary setting by early summer, said Joseph Kruvi, general manager.

The renovations will begin in mid-May and take a couple of weeks. Work will be done in segments and food facilities relocated so locals can continue to patronize the DoubleTree, he said.

When completed, the contemporary design will give a “local pub” feel when residents meet friends and relatives after work and on weekends, Kruvi said.

“We want it to be an integral part of the local community ... (and) make sure it is ready when (nearby) Cresta Bella (housing) opens so residents will frequent us,” he said.

Residents who belong to the DoubleTree’s fitness center are already experiencing the first phase of the almost year-long renovation project. In December and January, about 800 square feet of the fitness center was demolished and rebuilt.

Updates include special flooring and new equipment, including weight and rowing machines, treadmills equipped with televisions, stationary bicycles and Pilates balls.
That area, dubbed “Fitness by Precor” is part of the 2,500-square-foot area providing fitness opportunities to locals and hotel guests, he said.

In its remaining floor space, Kruvi said there are yoga and gymnastics classes and other offerings similar to those found in area fitness centers.

“It has a contemporary, modern feel with the latest equipment,” Kruvi said, adding the fitness center was last renovated five years ago.

The resort’s Heritage Ballroom, renovated three years ago, is also receiving a partial makeover. While last time it received new carpeting, chairs and wall coverings, it will now have new lighting and restrooms featuring marble and granite in earth tones.

Starting this month and continuing through mid-summer, the 135-acre resort will have drought-tolerant plants incorporated into its landscaping.

“We have a lot of plants that require a (large) amount of watering,” Kruvi said.

“With the restrictions on water not going away quickly ... we thought drought-resistant (was best).”

Besides an updated lobby, hotel guests will also be able to enjoy hotel room amenities they possibly have at home, including 37-inch flat screen plasma televisions.

The 174 rooms, last updated five years ago, will also have granite counter tops, new armchairs, drapes and bedding.

Kruvi said guest surveys indicated the fancier accommodations, including the new televisions, are what guests expect to experience when away from home.