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All the United States California Pasadena Vista del Arroyo Hotel

Vista del Arroyo Hotel

Pasadena glamour turned government issue.

Pasadena, California

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Mordy
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The Vista del Arroyo Hotel   --Mark-- Flickr
The Vista del Arroyo Hotel   waltarrrrr- Flickr
View of the North Wing and Sun Room from under the (replica) pergola   Avoiding Regret
Historic plaque by front door   Avoiding Regret
View from the Colorado Bridge circa 2013 (now obstructed by chainlink fence)   Avoiding Regret
Tiled tower   Avoiding Regret
Replica south wing (original burned down in the 1980s)   Avoiding Regret
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About

Pasadena in the early 20th Century was renowned for its many grand hotels, and there is no better monument to this gilded age of travel than the Vista del Arroyo Hotel on the eastern lip of the Arroyo Seco. The hotel played host to high society from near and far, as the golden age of train travel brought visitors from all over the world to Pasadena.

Built in 1920, with a 1930 expansion which brought the addition of the 6-story main building as well as the iconic Mission Revival Style bell tower, the hotel was designed to take advantage of the mild year-round climate, with extensive gardens, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. Guests dined and danced in luxuriously appointed halls that looked out over the grounds, gathering places with evocative names like the Sunset Room and the Spanish Room.

In 1943 the U.S Department of War acquired the property and converted it into an Army hospital. After the war the grand hotel stayed in government hands, eventually being converted to a branch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The General Services Administration renovated the building and grounds in the 1980s, with many of the original elements restored to their original appearance.

With the loss of the Hotel Green, the Raymond Hotel, and the original Huntington Hotel main building, the Vista del Arroyo stands as a remarkably intact reminder of Pasadena’s tourist-oriented past.

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Hotels Places To Stay Architectural Oddities Architecture

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Mordy

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Avoiding Regret

  • Avoiding Regret

Published

September 5, 2012

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  • http://www.gsa.gov/portal/ext/html/site/hb/category/25431/actionParameter/exploreByBuilding/buildingId/825
Vista del Arroyo Hotel
125 South Grand Avenue
Pasadena, California, 91105
United States
34.143155, -118.162165
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