Reservations for cottages coming soon

Reservations for the 13 recently restored historic Crystal Cove Cottages will open to the public April 27 through the State Parks reservation system, ReserveAmerica, parks officials said Thursday.

The rates have not been finalized, but the cost is promised to be affordable, said Crystal Cove Alliance founder Laura Davick.

The first phase of the $14-million cottage restor- ation project is in its final stages and state parks is put- ting the finishing touches on the cottages in the historic district.

“We are thrilled that we are now in the final countdown for opening this unique and special place,” State parks director Ruth Coleman said in a prepared statement.

The historic district’s 10 overnight cottages and three dormitory-style cottages are meticulously decorated in the style of the cove’s heyday, a period from 1935 to 1955.

The Crystal Cove Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the cove, has been awarded a 20-year contract to manage concessions in the historic district

“We are feeling very honored with this responsibility, and we’re looking forward to creating the Crystal Cove that we all wanted to see,” Davick said.

The contract includes management responsibility for the cottages, the Crystal Cove Shake Shack and a beachfront cafe, the Beachcomber.

Reservations for the cottages will begin at 8 a.m. April 27, with the first available stay June 26. The reservations can be made online at www.parks.ca.gov or by calling ReserveAmerica at (800) 444-PARK. There will be no waiting lists.

“With its rustic charm and historic feel, we anticipate a huge demand by people who are eager to spend a night at a place unlike anything found anywhere on the West Coast,” Coleman said in a prepared statement.

Only one person per family can make one reservation each year, and there is a seven-day maximum stay, Davick said.

The monthly public tour of the historic district will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. The tour meets in the Los Trancos parking lot, Los Trancos and East Coast Highway. There is a $10 park entrance fee.