May 3--Even as Martin Resorts is taking over one Pismo Beach hotel, it is working to complete renovations on another on Price Street. 

By the end of the month, The Whaler's Inn will be renamed Pismo Lighthouse Suites. At that time, it also will reopen the first of three buildings being refurbished, said Paul Wallace, chief operations officer for Martin Resorts. 

The renovation, which began in July 2001, is turning the hotel's 140 rooms into 70 two-room suites, he said. One of the hotel's three buildings -- the last targeted for renovation -- has remained open throughout the work. 

Some rooms will be geared toward families, with two bedrooms that include up to three beds per suite. Others will offer a master bedroom, with a wet bar and couches in the front room. 

The inn's complete overhaul will give it a nautical, "Cape Cod" theme inside and out, Wallace said. It is being completed in stages. 

The second building should reopen in June, then work will be scaled back for the summer. In the fall, the hotel will close the third building for renovation. 

The project should be completed by the end of the year, including the construction of a 28-foot lighthouse feature at the entrance. 

More than 10 local contractors are working on the project, Wallace said. He declined to disclose the amount being spent on the upgrade. 

Charla Anderson, chief executive of the Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce, is optimistic that the changes will be popular among the city's tourists. 

"They'll probably find it booked year round," she said. "We have a lot of inquiries for suites, especially in the last year. More families are coming here." She noted that several other hotels in the city have undergone upgrades recently, including the Sandcastle Inn, SeaVenture Resort and Spyglass Inn. 

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(c) 2002, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.