looKing BacK

The hoTel Redondo

Former Showpiece oF the South Bay
written By deniSe Kano
redondo Beach had just 600 permanent residents when the majestic hotel redondo opened in 1890. as the first port of los angeles county, redondo had hopes for a promising future, and this extravagant hotel was part of the plan. Steamers from the pacific Steamship company regularly stopped at redondo four times a week at one of the three piers as part of their regular runs between San francisco and San diego. the redondo railway company and the Santa fe railroad left los angeles daily for redondo. this was the start of a bustling time in the citys young history, and eventually, redondo was served by henry huntingtons Big red electric cars. as the cornerstone of seaside redondo Beach, the hotel redondo was designed partly to rival the grand hotel del coronado, which had opened in 1888. each of the 225 rooms was decorated in a different fashion, and each floor featured a bathroom. the hotels overall look and feel was english, and hunting scenes decorated every hallway. the architecture featured included turrets, gables, and chimneys, and was everything the proprietors had envisioned. with tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, a grand ballroom, and an auditorium featuring opera programs, the hotel redondo was considered luxurious for the time. other hotel features included a billiard room, reading rooms, electricity, steam heat, and elevators. the unobstructed view from the hotel was unparalleled, and the beach was only a few steps from the hotels front door. the property was soon considered the centerpiece attraction and cultural hub of the South Bay. guests arrived by steamships that docked at redondo marina. local attractions at the time included the fishing wharf, moonstone beach, and the largest saltwater plunge in the world. although a deed restriction regarding hotel operations specified that liquor was not to be sold on the premises, liquor was readily available in nearby bars. henry huntington bought the property in 1905 and sold it five years later. however, by 1915 the hotels occupancy had declined dramatically. Some historians believe that the hotels demise was due to the city opting to go dry. the voters had decided to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol in redondo Beach after a bitter fight, and without alcohol, the number of hotel visitors decreased. eventually, the entire nation went without alcohol and entered into the era of prohibition. Some historians believe the hotel del coronado survived prohibition due to its proximity to the border, as this ensured it could easily be supplied with illegal alcohol, unlike the hotel redondo. with prohibition and the subsequent downturn in redondos commercial harbor business, the hotel redondo was closed in 1925. it was eventually sold for scrap lumber at a price of $300. the site was purchased by the city of redondo Beach for use as a park. it was later reduced to a much smaller area and renamed Veterans park. catalina avenue now occupies a broad stretch of the former 18-hole golf course. the next time you drive south on catalina Boulevard and cross torrance Boulevard, stop and imagine this imposing hotel encompassing all of what is now Veterans park. you can almost hear the steamships arriving with excited visitors,

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beach path walk to the hotel redondo in the early 1900s

looKing BacK

hotel redondo as portrayed on postcard

hotel redondo patrons enjoy beach activities (notice train in foreground)

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HOtel RedONdO FactS:
the hotel was built at a cost of $500,000 and opened on may 3, 1890. the redondo Beach railway Station was located at the back of hotel redondo. Visitors who could not afford to stay at hotel redondo stayed at nearby tent city. patrons were charged $3.00 per week, or $10.00 per month for a tent. wooden floors and electric lights were included in the price. the hotel redondo was sold in 1910 to newton J. Skinner and w. J. conner, who planned to revamp the hotel at a cost of $25,000.

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SouthBaydigS.com | 5.04.2012