Staycation Anyone?

Check out our review of the renovated Claremont Resort & Spa and a chance to win a free night's stay.

Admit it. Even if you just got back from the Cape, or a week in Maui, you still wouldn’t mind one more little trip. One more way to extend the summer of 2009. Maybe some place nearby? No planes. No trains. But a spot that still feels like a real getaway.

Well if you need an excuse, we’ve got three reasons you should check out the Claremont Resort & Spa now.

First, this grand old hotel just got a $7 million remodel. That means its 279 rooms are all spiffy with new furniture, comfy beds with feather pillows, wallpaper, carpets and flat screen TVs. It’s a top to bottom remodel. We took a tour last week, and the words “relaxed elegance” came to mind.

Second, this hotel has a new chef, Josh Thomsen, who cooked for Thomas Keller for two years at the French Laundry and for Michael Mina in Las Vegas. Need we say more about him? No. But we will. We tried his tasting menu, and from the first bite, it was all fresh and delicious. (The hotel’s main restaurant will be closed for renovations from Aug 29 to the end of October. Thomsen will be on hand to oversee renovations and revamp the menus, converting them to make the most of Northern California’s delicious fresh fruits and vegetables.)

Third, the hotel wants you come check it out, and rates haven’t been lower in years. Ask for the “Get Reacquainted” package, starting at $129 per night with 50 percent off parking.

As always when you stay, you can use the fitness center, which has all new equipment and more than 60 gym classes a week, including Pilates, yoga and spin. Or you can play tennis, relax by the pool or hit the Claremont’s renowned spa.

And if you need just one more reason, well there’s always that gorgeous view of San Francisco and the Bay.

For information, call (510) 843-3000 or go to: claremont-hotel.com. And look for a story on the revival of this grand hotel in an upcoming issue of Diablo.

And for a chance to win a free night's stay at the Claremont, just fill out the form below.