Located in the heart of Long Beach, California, the classic Varden Hotel is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its original opening and the first anniversary of the major renovation that transformed it into a “European-style boutique hotel”. It was long known as the “Dolly Varden Hotel”, after the “colorful and eccentric” circus performer for whom it was purchased by an admiring wealthy gentleman. The sign on the roof, offering “A bath in every room”, was one of the reasons the hotel received city landmark status in 1995.
The recent renovation of the Varden gave the 35-room hotel a completely new feel, with custom-made glass shelves and desks, plush pillow-top mattresses and “sleek and sophisticated” mosaic bathrooms in each room. The hotel also became much more “green”, with the addition of more natural lighting sources, low-flow toilets and “mini rain showers”.
The Varden Hotel is just a few blocks from the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and a short drive from the port area that is the home of the Queen Mary and the Long Beach Cruise Terminal.
