The Historic Carlton Hotel

The Historic CARLTON

A hotel of much intrigue and history

By Blake Ashley Frino-Gerl

The historic Carlton Hotel on Traffic Way in downtown Atascadero is known for its luxury and class. The boutique hotel is perfectly established between Los Angeles and San Francisco, with nearby wine regions like Edna Valley and Paso Robles and beach cities Pismo Beach and Morro Bay.

Yet, aside from its ideal location to sightsee, the hotel’s intent was to provide a full-service stay for its guests. Having originally opened in 1929, it holds a lot of weight within its walls, and one may even wish those walls could talk. The stories it could tell. However, its history isn’t that simple, but rather interesting.

Before it became a Central Coast hotel, it began as the Atascadero Development Syndicate in 1928. Initially designed as a single-story block-long building, Fred Bartholomew (owner/ manager of the Atascadero Inn, which is where the current junior high is now) made an agreement to open a 52-room hotel on the second floor. The luxury hotel used to be called “The Annex” and was a companion to the Atascadero Inn, as well as one of the most luxurious places to stay in California. On the first floor were retailers such as J.C Penney, Sprouse-Reitz, and Safeway.

A few years later, Kenneth Filmore took over ownership of The Annex and renamed it the “Hotel Halfway and Coffee Shop.” However, very soon after that, in 1931, Nola Tunks and her brother George Clark bought the building and renamed it The Carlton. The new name was deemed “a more distinctive name that was well known in the east and associated always with hotels of high standing,” according to a document on the hotel’s history, provided by current manager Deana Alexander, in which Tunks is quoted. Tunks also added a neon sign to the rooftop that is still there today.

The luxurious rooms and suites, appointed with attentive detail from handcrafted ironwork to meticulous moldings, soon had high-profile guest during that time. Radio and TV personalities frequented the hotel, including Bette Davis, Jack Benny, Dick Powell, Ralph Bellamy, and Fred MacMurray. It was at the hotel where people could relax away from big-city life, but redeem all of the affluence they desired.

However, new owners over the next 20 years would bring more change to the hotel. In August of 1936, it was sold to Lewis Sutton and F. Porter Brown. The two businessmen constructed a new entrance in the corner of the building to create a champagne glass made of tiles to welcome visitors at the door. The next owner, Phillip Zarabozo, made the most significant change by adding the clock tower in 1952, which remains a city landmark to this day.

Over the years, several more people owned The Carlton, but it eventually went into flux as it at one time became a senior housing complex and then sat vacant for 30 years, according to Alexander. Then in 1999, the current owners, David and Mary Weyrich, purchased the hotel with plans to renovate and restore it to its first incarnation. After its construction of rebirth, it re-opened in 2005, reflecting its history with modern conveniences.

The new amenities that came with the renovation include a meeting space, a fitness room, and a business center. In addition, there is a retail space currently leased to Back Porch Bakery and a restaurant space that once housed the Nautical Cowboy, and a Tuscany-style courtyard on the third floor.

The Carlton Hotel’s location has only helped its notoriety be reincarnated with the increase of nearby restaurants, wineries, breweries, and retail businesses, as well as the esteemed Sunken Gardens, which all reside within walking distance and therefore provide an opportunity for out-of-towners to come and stay, while enjoying what the downtown has to offer.

While the renovation of The Carlton came with modern amenities, it also still holds its historical value, which guests can appreciate and find endearing to its past. Going through its ups and downs throughout its nearly 100 years, The Carlton has proven that its history is embraced with utter intrigue. 