In recent years I have journeyed to Catalina 3 times. Two of those trips included stays at Mt Ada, for the third I stayed at the newly renovated Hotel Atwater. This fourth trip was a bucket list check-off for me--a return to Mt Ada, but my first stay in the Grand Suite, which was William Wrigley Jr's former bedroom and sitting room in what was once the Wrigley family's Avalon home.
Anyone who is familiar with the history of Santa Catalina Island knows Mr. Wrigley (of chewing gum and Chicago Cubs fame) was instrumental in putting Catalina "on the map" in the early 1900's. It was he who had the famous Casino built and started the Catalina Tile Co. He named the hill upon which the Inn is built after his wife Ada, who had her own connecting bedroom, now called the Queen's Aviary. There are a total of six bedrooms in the B&B. For many years, Mt Ada was run by private innkeepers; more recently it has been managed by the Wrigley-owned Catalina Island Company, which also runs the Pavilion and Atwater Hotels, the Descanso Beach Club, Avalon Grille restaurant, plus many other businesses. All my stays here were under this company's management.
A stay here is pricey to say the least, but the amenities/perks are many. You are taken to and from the ferry dock/heliport in the Inn's Mercedes minivan. Daily hot made-to-order breakfast. Daily 3-course lunch, wine and champagne included. Daily evening wine and cheese platter. 24-hour access (via the concierge due to COVID) to the Butler's Pantry for various snacks and beverages. Personal golf cart (one per room). Discounts on Island Company tours. Free chaise lounges at the Descanso Beach Cub.
The perks have changed a bit with the times and because of COVID. Apparently the daily lunch was deleted for awhile (much to the chagrin of the Inn's many repeat guests), but was reintroduced for guests only when the Inn reopened in June after the island-wide 3 month COVID closure. Pre-COVID, lunch was open to non-guests as well during high season, which I recall from prior stays as being a very frenetic and intrusive affair. I personally did not miss these outside lunch guests this last visit, nor did I miss the cruise ship passengers that previously disgorged into Avalon several times a week pre-COVID.
A tour of the Casino and access to the Catalina Spa used to be included, but those sites are currently closed.
The evening wine and cheese reception used to be a social affair in the Inn's den. Now each room gets its own cheese/charcuterie plate to be enjoyed on the terrace or in one's room.
Similarly, the indoor dining room is closed, so all meals are taken on the terrace, which of course is gorgeous with a fabulous view, although prone to visits by yellowjacket wasps, plus the friendly house cat Bigfoot (he has an extra toe) and deer.
The Grand Suite was all I expected it to be. The sitting room was large and even had on old radio that belonged to Mr. Wrigley--radio stations in his writing are penciled in on the dial. The sofa has a pull-out bed, so the Suite can sleep 4. The golf cart assigned to the Grand Suite also seats 4; the other golf carts seat 2. The bedroom had a raised queen bed--you had to climb 2 stairs to reach it--a bit tricky for midnight bathroom breaks. There was a fireplace in the bedroom as well as a second TV. The bathroom had a separate shower and tub. Towels and robes are kept in sealed plastic bags due to COVID. Most impressive was the huge private terrace that afforded Mr. Wrigley views of what used to be the Chicago Cubs training field as well as Avalon Bay. The terrace had plenty of space for 2 chaise lounges plus a table with 2 chairs and 2 umbrellas. Alas, Yellowjackets visit this terrace as well.
One must realize Mt Ada is a B&B, not a hotel. It is not modern and perhaps not as well-staffed as a hotel, although the staff will bend over backwards for you. It's like being a guest in someone's elegant large island home. And the staff, although they all surely have formal titles, all take on whatever tasks need to be done, whenever. So there may be times when the "front desk" is unstaffed. During this stay, I met Violet and Parker (both titled Concierges). Pierre I remembered from my last stay, as well as Sean, who went down to the Atwater when it reopened but is now back at Mt Ada. He is a prime source of information about the Wrigley family. I even saw Lisa, formerly a concierge at Ada but now oversees all 3 hotels, serving as a waitperson. And if you need something before 7am when the front staff arrives, the kitchen staff will gladly help you.
Overall a splendid and too-short visit. Next room to try: the Windsor.
