Varden Hotel History
The Varden Hotel, a Downtown
Long Beach Boutique Hotel, has a rich and eccentric
history, which makes it a true downtown Long Beach
Landmark. Originally built in 1929, the 35-room Varden
Hotel has been a prominent visual feature of downtown
Long Beach for 80 years.
Named after a colorful and eccentric
circus performer who horded jewels, Dolly Varden lived
in San Jose, but had an admirer who lived in Long
Beach, and wanted her closer. The legend states
that Dolly Varden’s admirer was a wealthy man, somehow
related to the Bixby family.
He bought the hotel for her and she lived on the top
floor in a penthouse. Dolly Varden died in the 1950’s
and is buried next to her lover near San Francisco.
The 1935 sign on the roof of the hotel
was given city landmark status in 1995, and will remain
in place after the renovation. The sign’s landmark
status was partially granted based upon the message
on the sign, evoking the nostalgic flavor of Long
Beach’s past as a prominent
beach resort town. The remaining basis for
landmark status is its silhouette and shape, typeface
of the letters, and the use of neon and metal supporting
struts. These are all typical of “thirties signs,”
and therefore, historical significance.
The Varden Hotel
As you enter the “Historic-Chic”
Varden Hotel of today, you will experience
a European style boutique
hotel full of history and contemporary design.
Still a 35-room hotel, The
Varden Hotel is also going
“Green” with mini rain showers,
and low-flow Toto toilets,
in every room. Each hallway has 5 old airshafts, which
have been transformed into natural light sources,
reducing the need for additional electrical power
during the day.
Guest rooms all boast 9-foot ceilings,
custom-made glass shelves and desks, flat screen HDTVs,
designer lighting and furniture, and state of the
art individual climate controlled heat and air conditioning.
With Simmons Bouvet Island
Plush Pillow Top mattresses set atop custom
designed platform beds made exclusively for The Varden Hotel,
guests will feel like they are sleeping in the clouds.
Bathrooms are sleek and sophisticated with white round
penny mosaic, and cultured marble subway tiles that
stretch floor to ceiling. Guests will find exquisite,
rounded mirrored lights over each sink, created by
Designer John Kovac.
300 thread count sheets and super-plush linens will
envelope you in luxury that only a boutique
hotel can provide.
In the late afternoon and evening, enjoy
the full Varden Hotel experience with a wine
and light snacks reception served in the lobby. The
Varden will make you feel like your home away
from home.
The Varden
Hotel is the first European
style downtown Long Beach boutique hotel, and it’s
an experience you won’t want to miss.
