Welcome To The:

Miramar By The Sea Hotel Historic Society

This website was developed to recognize the historical signifigance
of the Miramar Hotel in scenic Montecito, California. The Miramar closed
for renovations on September 10, 2000. Since then, it has been an eyesore for Montecito
residents as well as visitors. Less then 1 year ago, the hotel was purchased by Ty Warner.
Hopefully Mr. Warner will resume renovations and re-open the Miramar for business.

 

ABOUT THE MIRAMAR:
The Miramar history began in 1876 when Josiah and Emmeline Doulton purchased the 20 acre ocean front property in Montecito. In 1889 the Doultons built a separate cottage for visiting friends, which soon served to accommodate outside guests. Originally called Ocean View Farm, a friend/guest at the hotel suggested that the name of the destination be changed to “Miramar”, meaning “behold the sea.” Mrs. Doulton was immediately taken with the name and ordered signs the following day. Over the years, the hotel was expanded and by 1910 there were 29 structures on the property. The Miramar struggled during the Depression and the Doultons eventually sold the hotel to Paul Gawzner on November 3, 1939. Gawzner owned the Miramar until September 1998, when Ian Schrager purchased it for $31.7 million. The hotel closed its doors on September 10, 2000 to begin renovations and was set to reopen in about 18 months. Five years later, the partially demolished Miramar Hotel still sits vacant on one of the most valuable and beautiful beachfront properties in Southern California.

April 2005, Ty Warner Purchases the Miramar for an undisclosed amount.

March 2006, the Miramar has still not began renovations, however Mr. Warner is in the process of obtaining construction permits.

(Pictures of the Miramar presently are located below.)

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The Hitoric Miramar:

Most of you can probably remember all of there personal memories at the Miramar. I personally took a vacation at the Miramar a few times a year. It was (and still is) my favorite Hotel. My personal favorite part of the Miramar was the Amtrak-Santa Fe Dining Car located in the patio near the beach. The dining car served burgers, fries, shakes, etc. and was a great place to eat while at the beach. When Ian Schrager closed the hotel in 2000, the Amtrak-Santa Fe Dining Car as well as another historic sleeping car in the parking lot were given away.

Natioanl Embassy #1205
Most guests of the Miramar did not know much about this car since the inside was never opened after Mr. Gawzner's death in 1984. In 2000, Morgans Hotel Group (Ian Schrager) donated the car to the Santa Clarita River Valley Railroad Historical Society. It is now owned by them, and is opened for public tours relatively often.

Here are some pictures of the car being moved from Montecito to Fillmore:

At the Miramar just as it sat when the Hotel was open.

Being put on a truck, it's last minutes at the Miramar.

Moving Day at the Miramar

 

Santa Fe-Amtrak Railcar Diner

Most of us have had atleast one meal at the railcar. I personally ate lunch there each day of my many stays at the Miramar. Unfortunetly, it too is no longer on site. It is now owned by Burger Depot in Bakersfield. I have not visited it yet, so I do not have any pictures unfortunetly. However, I do plan on making a trip to Bakersfield within a few months to visit the car.

Note: I have additional pictures of the car which are not presently online, I will post more as soon as they are scanned and I have visited the new location in Bakersfield.

 

THIS WEBSITE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Please check back soon for regular updates.

Last Updated: 3/12/06

 

ATTN:This website is not affiliated or relate to the Miramar Hotel, Ty Waner Hotels, or Morgans Hotel Group in any way. This website is intended to gather information regarding the hotel's reopening only.

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