Travelers Hotel
Salinas, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Check out this old sign for the Travelers Hotel in downtown Salinas. The tall red blade sign hangs from the corner of the building, advertising rooms to visitors just as it did back in the day. With a name like Travelers, there was never much confusion about who was welcome inside. 02-06
The hotel stands on East Gabilan Street in the heart of Oldtown Salinas, only a block from the National Steinbeck Center. Its modest brick exterior and vertical sign recall the days when small downtown hotels served railroad passengers, salesmen, farm workers, and anyone else needing an inexpensive room near the center of town.
Unlike many old California hotels that became offices or disappeared completely, the Travelers continued offering budget rooms and longer-term accommodations. The red sign remains its most distinctive feature, stretching several stories above the sidewalk.
UPDATE: The Travelers Hotel remains open. The historic building and its familiar red blade sign continue to hold their place in downtown Salinas. 09-26
Padre Hotel
Bakersfield, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Padre Hotel, a downtown Bakersfield landmark since 1928, is undergoing another transformation. An earlier attempt to turn the old hotel into condominiums never made it to the finish line, but new owners now plan to return the Padre to its original purpose. Plans call for grand entrances, upscale restaurants, and redesigned guest rooms while preserving the familiar exterior. 12-08
The eight-story hotel celebrated its grand opening on April 12, 1928. Designed by architect John M. Cooper, it originally offered 196 rooms and was promoted as one of the finest hotels in the region. At the time, it was also the largest and tallest building in Bakersfield. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard were among the notable guests who reportedly passed through its doors.
Padre Hotel
Bakersfield, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Padre later became almost as famous for its colorful owner as for the hotel itself. Milton “Spartacus” Miller purchased the property in 1954 and spent decades battling city officials over building and fire codes. His protests included rooftop signs reading “Alamo” and “Tombstone,” along with a large fake missile pointed toward City Hall. Subtlety apparently was not part of the decorating plan.
By the 1960s, most of the upper floors had been closed to guests, though the downstairs bar continued serving customers. Miller remained in charge until his death in 1999. The building later changed hands, and a proposed condominium conversion stalled before a new ownership group purchased the hotel in 2008.
The Padre also comes with its share of ghost stories. Guests and workers have reported unexplained footsteps, children laughing in the hallways, and objects disappearing during renovation work. Some have even blamed the mischievous spirit of Spartacus Miller, perhaps still keeping an eye on what people are doing to his old hotel.
Padre Hotel
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy John King
UPDATE: Here's another photo of the Padre Hotel in Bakersfield. Check out the red neon lettering on the rooftop sign. Many thanks to John King for photo update. 09-10
UPDATE: An $18 million restoration returned the Padre Hotel to life in February 2010. It reopened as a 112-room boutique hotel with restaurants, bars, event spaces, and a rooftop patio. The historic exterior was preserved, and the Padre remains open in downtown Bakersfield. The condos never arrived, but travelers once again have a room for the night. 09-26
Kern Hotel (Demolished)
Delano, CA Photo courtesy John King
This weathered old building was once home to the Kern Hotel in Delano. Its simple two-story façade and faded Hotel Kern Cafe sign looked as though they had been watching travelers pass through town for quite a few decades. 10-10
The hotel stood near Delano’s old Highway 99 corridor, where it provided rooms and meals to motorists, farm workers, and other travelers passing through the northern end of Kern County. Period photographs show that the hotel and café once had a much livelier street presence, complete with illuminated signs welcoming customers after dark.
UPDATE: The fire-damaged Kern Hotel was later used by the local fire department for training before the remaining structure was demolished. The hotel and its old café sign are now gone. 09-26
Padre Hotel
Padre Hotel
Padre Hotel
Kern Hotel (Demolished)
