Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant

Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant/La Casa de Juan Bandini
Cosmopolitan Hotel (formerly Casa de Bandini - 1829) in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, San Diego, California
Location 2660 Calhoun St. Old Town, San Diego
Coordinates 32°45′27″N 117°11′59″W / 32.75750°N 117.19972°W / 32.75750; -117.19972Coordinates: 32°45′27″N 117°11′59″W / 32.75750°N 117.19972°W / 32.75750; -117.19972
Built 1829
Architectural style Spanish Colonial
Part of Old Town San Diego Historic District (#71000182[1])
Designated CP September 3, 1971

The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant in Old Town San Diego is a registered national historic landmark, built in the early 19th century by Juan Bandini and later purchased by Albert Seeley to serve as a stagecoach hotel. In 2010, restorations and added fine dining restaurant revived the hotel to its 1870s charm, making it again a focal point of the original downtown area.

History

The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant was originally built between 1827 and 1829[2] as a one floor Spanish colonial style home for cattle rancher Don Juan Bandini. In the 1850s Bandini sold his home, and by 1869 it was restored and extended with a second floor into a stagecoach stop and hotel under the direction of Albert Seeley.

Seeley a stage master, converted the old adobe into an L-shapped Greek Revival hotel. He renovated the original first story, and added a wood framed second story and balconies. The hotel prospered as a stagecoach stop offering 20 rooms for a layover between Los Angeles and San Diego. By 1888, Seeley sold the hotel due to a major shift in railroad use and a rising downtown Gaslamp Quarter. In the following years it was used as an olive factory.

"The Miramar"

In 1928 Don Juan Bandini's Grandson, Cave J. Couts Jr., bought the property in order to restore it as a memorial to his mother Ysidora Bandini de Couts. Couts remodeled the residence in Steamboat Revival architecture style. By 1930 the building was wired for electricity, and gas. Cave J. Couts Jr. renames the building as, "The Miramar," hotel and restaurant.

The Miramar is sold to the State of California

in 1945 James H. and Nora Cardwell purchased the Bandini property. During the 1950s their son Frank renovated the building into an upscale tourist motel. The Cardwells eventually sold the property to the state of California in 1968, the same year Old Town became a state historic park. The State of California and concessionaire Chef and restaurant owner Joseph Melluso came to an operating agreement. Under agreement the Hotel would receive necessary historical excavation, and restoration to the time period of the Cosmopolitan Hotel.[3]

Reopening

The Cosmopolitan reopened for business as a Hotel and Restaurant July 21, 2010 after massive restorations to revitalize it to its 1870s grandeur. By August 2011 Owner Joseph Melluso had sold a majority of ownership over to Catherine Miller. In July 2013, the Cosmo was taken over by Old Town Family Hospitality Corp. Owner and President Chuck Ross, who also operates two restaurants in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park – Casa de Reyes and Barra Barra Saloon.[4][5][6][7]

Original features

Don Juan Bandini built his single story, thatched roof adobe between 1827-1829 on Old Town, San Diego plaza's southeast corner. The original structure had seven rooms, an entrance-way, and enclosed courtyard, a corral, and several sheds. The Casa de Juan Bandini had features of Spanish Colonial architecture usually found only in California missions. During the 1840s, he added several enhancements such as pane-glass windows, a brick-lined patio with well, and a small, bathhouse to entice his daughters to visit his wife Refugio and him more frequently.[8][9][10]

Hauntings

The Cosmopolitan Hotel is reportedly haunted with multiple friendly spirits in its guestrooms, including a cat who roams, Ysidora Bandini’s ghost (daughter of original proprietor) in room 11 and the spirit of a Lady in Red in room 4/5, to name a few.[11]

The Cosmopolitan Hotel was featured on Episode 56 of Ghost Adventures which aired October 7, 2011.[12] Countless other paranormal investigators have been involved with The Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Notable guests

Restaurant

The restaurant offers fine dining with American and Mexican dishes and is open daily with seating in the historic adobe and interior garden. Flamenco dancing is every Saturday night.[16]

Further reading

  • Herzog, Lawrence A. (2001). From Aztec to High Tech: Architecture and Landscape Across the Mexico-United States Border. JHU Press. pp. 115–116. ISBN 978-0-8018-6643-2.

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "A Cosmopolitan, Ghosts and Old San Diego". Tanama Tales. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  3. ↑ union tribune "Casa de Bandini still under fire repair"Jim Okerblom Staff Writer Publish Date: April 22, 1989
  4. ↑ San Diego's frontier past recaptured
  5. ↑ https://www.oldtowncosmopolitan.com/history/
  6. ↑ January 18, 2018 (2018-01-18). "Family Business: Cosmopolitan Hotel & Fiesta del Reyes". Kusi.com. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  7. ↑ https://www.fiestadereyes.com/the-cosmopolitan-hotel-and-restaurant/
  8. ↑ Casa de Bandini
  9. ↑ Casa de Bandini
  10. ↑ The Casa and The Don: Juan Bandini’s Quest for Homeland in Early San Diego
  11. ↑ "Bonnie Vent - Cosmopolitan Hotel Haunted". Sdparanormal.com. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  12. ↑ 'Ghost Adventures' Crew Goes On Ghost Hunt Of San Diego
  13. ↑ "Anni Von Westrum Baldaugh (1881–1953) – San Diego History Center – San Diego, CA – Our City, Our Story". Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "Mistress of the Dark has guest at new haunt". The San Diego Union-Tribune. 2010-07-29. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  15. ↑ "LorinMorgan-Richards on Twitter: "Happy Winter Solstice from my family to yours! Tin type by CAS Photo ##cosmopolitanhotelsandiego". Twitter. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  16. ↑ "Lakshmi Basile Popularizes Flamenco in San Diego | San Diego Jewish World". Sdjewishworld.com. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
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