The Golden State's Historic Hotels

By C. MacDonald

California has many historic hotels with a fascinating past. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites. I've always loved the ambiance of Hotel Del Coronado. And what a past it has. Everything from the site for the filming of Marilyn Monroe's "Some Like It Hot" movie to the 1970 first State Dinner held outside the White House.

A friend, Chuck Munnings, was hired to play piano at that dinner on Sept. 3, 1970, when President Nixon hosted Mexico's President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz in the beautiful Crown Room. But the thing that's the neatest to me about the hotel is its distinct and memorable architecture, which was first tested (a year before the Del was built) across the street at the Coronado Boathouse in 1887 (which used to be a Chart House restaurant and is now a Bluewater Grill).

The Mission Inn in Riverside was a vacation destination for Europeans and others in the early 20th Century (and is again today). Its roots go back to an adobe guesthouse in 1876. Like the Del, more than 10 U.S. Presidents have stayed there and President Nixon even got married at the Inn. It has been renovated and has a spectacular, special feel to it. The Mission Inn literally shines each holiday season with its phenomenal Festival of Lights.

The La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla has been a favorite Hollywood celebrity hangout going back to the days of Clark Gable. "The Pink Lady" opened its doors in 1926 and was built to offer sweeping ocean views.

The Historic Murphys Hotel started out as the Sperry and Perry Hotel during the Gold Rush in 1856. It was damaged by fire but its stone walls survived and its renovations have helped keep its legend intact in the Sierra town of Murphys.

Albert Michelson, the first person to accurately measure the speed of light and the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Science, grew up right near the hotel during the Gold Rush. You can see a copy of the old hotel ledger which lists the names of Mark Twain and former President U.S. Grant. One of the California's best stagecoach robbers also stayed there--Black Bart.

The Claremont Resort and Spa in the Berkeley Hills was built on land that a successful Kansas farmer purchased during Gold Rush Days. He built a castle and horse stables. The property eventually changed ownership and evolved into a beautiful hotel, which opened in 1915. My sister and father, both went to Cal, loved the Claremont. They told me about a law which prohibited the hotel from selling alcohol since it was within a mile of the university. A smart female student at Cal painstakingly measured the exact distance and found the school to be a few yards over a mile away from the hotel. She was rewarded with a lifetime of free drinks for her discovery! The current resort, which has a Del Coronado architecture feel, offers fantastic views of San Francisco and the Bay.

San Francisco has several noteworthy historic hotels. Hotel Whitcomb had not yet opened when the 1906 Earthquake and Fire ravaged the City by the Bay. The City Hall was destroyed and the Whitcomb Estate allowed the hotel to serve as the City Hall from 1912-15. It finally became a hotel for the public in 1916. A friend of mine used to take a street car, when she was 5, and travel to the Whitcomb after school to see her uncle, who resided there. He watched her until her parents got out of work and picked her up.

The Palace Hotel was originally built in 1875. It was wrecked in the earthquake/fire and rebuilt in 1909. The Palace's famous Garden Court used to be the entry for guests in carriages, including former President Ulysses S. Grant. Grant stayed there for a week in 1879. Today, you can eat in the majestic Garden Court and sense the history there.

The U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego was built by the General's son, U.S. Grant, Jr., who had served as his secretary the last 18 months of his Presidency. It was built on land formerly used by a Native American tribe, the Kumeyaay.

Because of casino money, that tribe was able to purchase the Grant Hotel in 2003 and spent more than $50 million renovating it into a top Starwood Luxury Hotel. The Native Americans liked Grant because he had used an Executive Order as U.S. President to set aside more than 600 acres in San Diego County for that tribe. He also created a Commissioner of Indian Affairs position and appointed a Seneca Indian to head it as well as create an Indian Peace Policy.

We'll take a look at other historic California hotels in future articles.

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