NAPA, Calif. (August 10, 2012) – With more than 50,000 square feet of flexible event space, The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa has just hired a new National Sales Manager. Craig Tonks will spearhead The Meritage Resort’s mid-west association business and work in tandem with Director of Group Sales, Roseanne Beals, on the California State and National association markets in Sacramento, Calif. and Washington, D.C.
 
With more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including 21 in the Napa Valley, Tonks has achieved annual revenue goals of over $2.5 million for the last 21 years. With The Meritage Resort, Tonks will reach out to associations across the country and help educate them on the resort’s capabilities. With an expansion that opened in May 2012, The Meritage Resort now offers the two largest ballrooms north of San Francisco and west of Sacramento, three covered terraces, an event piazza and a large entertainment space in its Estate Cave ideal for wine country dinners and mixers.
 
“The Meritage Resort and Spa offers guests and conference attendees the ability to experience everything that Napa has to offer without leaving the property,” said Tonks. “From Siena, its Tuscan themed restaurant, to the Estate Cave that is home to Spa Terra and the Trinitas Cellars Tasting Room, it has what people expect when they head to wine country. It also has the unexpected: two ballrooms that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests, Crush Ultra Lounge with luxury bowling lanes, Blend Café that serves up gourmet coffees, a la carte food items and gelato and a spectacular pool area that looks out onto a hillside covered in vines and topped with Napa’s Grape Crusher statue.”

The Meritage Resort and Spa officially opened in July 2006. It continued to expand with the addition of the Estate Cave in May 2007 that is home to Spa Terra, Trinitas Cellars Tasting Room and an event space for groups of up to 200. In May 2012 the resort completed an expansion, allowing it to host larger events with 322 guestrooms, including nine suites, plus access to 180 vacation rental rooms at the adjacent Vino Bello Resort for a total of 502 guestrooms and suites.
 
“We are pleased to welcome Craig to our sales team,” said Sheri Thomas, director of sales and marketing for The Meritage Resort and Spa. “His experience and ability to expand our reach into the association market will be integral to our continued success.”

The Meritage Resort and Spa is an extraordinary Napa Valley luxury resort set against a hillside vineyard. A destination unto itself, it features 322 Tuscan-inspired guestrooms, including nine luxury suites; seasonal farm-to-table cuisine in Siena restaurant; and wine tasting in the Estate Cave featuring Trinitas Cellars. Guests can regain a healthful balance with curative treatments at Spa Terra – a lavish underground Napa spa with steam grottos, soaking pools, tranquil walls of water and 12 treatment alcoves, including four for couples. The Meritage Resort boasts the most comprehensive event and meeting space in wine country, including its two large ballrooms, Estate Cave and three covered terraces. Crush Ultra Lounge offers guests a chance to relax with a full bar, sports entertainment and six bowling lanes, while Blend Café serves up gourmet coffees, a la carte food items and gelato. Far more than a place for expert relaxation, The Meritage Resort offers an old world escape from the ordinary. Experience The Meritage Resort and Spa – an extraordinary Napa luxury hotel and resort with the perfect blend of gracious hospitality, unrivaled amenities and peerless personal care. The Meritage Resort and Spa, We are Napa. www.TheMeritageResort.com.