SAN FRANCISCO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A luxury hotel in Northern California on Thursday agreed to pay 1.6 million U.S. dollars in fine to a state coast regulation agency for blocking public access to beaches.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay, Northern California, was ordered to pay the penalty to the California Coastal Commission in what was the second-largest fine in the commission's history to settle the hotel's violation of California coast laws, the San Jose-based Mercury News reported.
The commission, which approved the penalty at a monthly meeting in San Diego, has issued multiple warnings over the past years to the hotel and urged it to allow residents in San Mateo county and other public members to park for free in the hotel's parking garage.
But the 261-room oceanfront hotel, a popular site for posh retreats for Silicon Valley companies, failed to heed the order of the state commission.
The commission had fined the hotel with 50,000 dollars in 2004 for violating coastal laws, according to the local daily.
After Thursday's settlement, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel which pegs its rooms at 1,000 dollars per night, agreed to allocate more parking spaces for the public and beach-goers, and put up signs to state clearly that the beaches are public and can be accessed through its property.
The hotel, located about 48 km south of San Francisco, was bought by Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc based in Chicago for 124 million dollars in 2004.
