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San Simeon, California
| Frequently Asked Questions
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| Few places in the U.S. are as opulent as the Hearst | Can I make the San Simeon reservation by phone? |
| Castle, which publisher William Randolph Hearst | We would be happy to help you make any San |
| built in 1919 in the hills above San Simeon. Outfitted | Simeon hotel reservation by phone. You can call our |
| with imported treasures from around the world | toll free number between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 |
| (ancient Greek vases, Italian tapestries, oriental | p.m. Monday through Friday (CST). 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| carpets), the palatial mansion and grounds became | Saturday and Sunday. |
| and still are symbols for ostentation. In fact, Hearst | |
| Castle was the model for the mansion Xanadu in | How can I be sure information about my credit card is |
| Orson Welles' movie Citizen Kane, which is a thinly | secure? We use secure-socket-layer (SSL) |
| veiled portrait of Hearst. This is one of the few places | encryption, the standard encryption on the Internet. |
| in the world that might render Lifestyles of the Rich | This type of encryption allows you to feel confident |
| and Famous host Robin Leach speechless. | and secure about supplying personal and credit |
| | card information. |
| Only in recent years has the estate's architect, Julia | |
| Morgan, begun to receive her due as a pioneer in a | Are free shuttles supplied from the airport to the |
| field previously reserved for men. She worked for | hotel? Some hotels do offer free shuttle services |
| Hearst for 27 years, continually adapting the building | from the airport but not all. Please verify this |
| to fit his ever-changing wishes. (Morgan reportedly | information on the property information page, if this is |
| even designed the ceilings to be adjustable in the | import to you. |
| event he wanted them higher or lower.) It could be | |
| argued that Hearst's robber-baron tastes | Is there a minimum age requirements to reserve a |
| occasionally nudged the architect's hand a little too | room? A minimum age of 18 is required by most |
| much. Witness, for example, the outdoor Neptune | hotels to book a room. Some require the guest(s) be |
| Pool, a pseudo-Greco-Roman folly that is so gaudy, | 21. These requirements and other amenities |
| it's a great advertisement for socialism. | information on the property "Detail" pages. |
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| There are four separate tours, each focusing on a | Can I book the reservation to stay tonight? Some |
| different part of the grounds. But be advised that the | hotels accept reservations until 3:00pm on the arrival |
| privilege does not come cheap: tours cost upwards | day. Only hotels that follow this policy will show when |
| of US$10 each. Seeing all four tours in one day is | the today's arrival date is typed into the search form. |
| best left to those with the hardiest constitutions. If you | |
| can settle for less, Tour 1 is the best option. (Make | How will I know when my reservation is confirmed? |
| reservations in advance.) | Our confirmation number displayed immediately |
| | upon successfully making your reservation. Our |
| If you're willing to pay slightly more and are in the | systems work behind the scenes to email you the |
| area at the proper time (Friday and Saturday nights, | final confirmation number. |
| September-December and March-May), you can | |
| see the castle on an evening tour. Docents in 1930s | Is free breakfast available? Some hotels offer free |
| clothing pretend to be the guests and staff at one of | breakfast with each room night booked. This |
| Hearst's cocktail parties. Those on the tour can | information can be found on the property information |
| wander through the elaborate rooms as the actors | "detail" page for your specific property. |
| sip martinis, work on puzzles and socialize in grand | |
| fashion. 160 mi/250 km southeast of San Francisco. | |
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