A hotel icon of Sonoma County, Flamingo Hotel and Resort was built in 1957 and was a haven for Hollywood celebrities who wanted an escape from the paparazzi-laden Los Angeles. Back in the day, they had to be on call and within two hours of the Hollywood studios, so this hotel provided a welcome haven within easy reach.
From Homer Rissman, the same architect as the original in Las Vegas, you will not miss the resort’s eye-catching 50-foot tower with a bright, pink flamingo on top, while the retro charms of the hotel make it feel like you could be in Palm Springs rather than in the wine country of Sonoma County.
Hotel
The irreverent tone is set as soon as you enter the lobby with an eye-catching receptionist mural on the wall, who is handling four calls at the same time. It was created by celebrated San Francisco visual artist, Serge Gay Jr.
On display are a variety of colourful leaflets and signs to help offer inspiration for activities to consider during your stay. There is a snack shop on site for those who don’t want to venture far for sustenance, although there are restaurants and a supermarket all within a five-minute walking distance from the hotel.
The design of the hotel revolves around the oversized outdoor pool, with five duplex buildings surrounding it on a 10-acre plot of land with all of the buildings being connected via glass corridors. It is no surprise to see the resort is a popular wedding and events venue given they have a generous 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor events space. With the kitsch touches and verdant surroundings, it is a unique property in the county.
Room
There are 170 sanctuary rooms including 14 suites and you would guess this is where they’ve spent most of their recent renovation budget on. The rooms have a more discerning, neutral tone than you might expect with only splashes of pastel blue and red in the seating. They’ve made elegant use of teak, brass, and gold finishes in the redesign to add to that sense of glamour from a bygone era. The retro landline phones and electric kettle further add to the character of their rooms, although all of the expected 21st century mod-cons are present, such as USB ports.
Room categories range from a classic king to a king suite, which is a two-room suite with an ultra-comfortable king-sized bed and a spacious living room area with serene views of the pool area.
Food and drink
The Pacific Rim cuisine offered by their Lazeaway Club restaurant is disarmingly brilliant and the décor portrays a refined yet casual Pacific Island café vibe. Executive chef Chris Ricketts delivers flair in abundance having worked at the likes of Brix in Napa and the renowned Michelin-starred Lord Stanley and Manresa.
The menu is simply divided into earth, surf, and turf with eclectic influences from Korea to Thailand to Mexico. You are recommended to order three to four plates per person, but some dishes are considerably more sizeable than others. Yes, I am looking at you – grilled NY strip steak with togarashi butter. The success of Lazeaway is that you can savour your tender steak along with an ultra-crispy vegetarian scallion pancake and finish it off with a spicy chicken bao. It typifies that Californian spirit; it’s laid-back and there are no rigid formalities.
Spa and wellness
A massive positive of staying at Flamingo Resort and Spa is their partnership with Montecito Heights Health Club and Spa next door. Highlights include a eucalyptus steam room and a dry infrared sauna and there are also tennis and pickleball courts along with a dazzling array of group exercise classes, cardio, and strength training machines. It is a facility that is open to the local community, but very few resorts would have such an in-depth offering. It’s safe to say that wellbeing is a core feature of staying at Flamingo, and they also run complimentary daily yoga and meditation classes in their studio room.
They have an extensive list of spa treatment options available with their signature treatments being the facials. Whether you opt for the entry-level detox and brighten facial or the more advanced microdermabrasion facial, you’ll walk out of the spa feeling like a Hollywood star.
To do
The hotel is a great base for embracing the abundant outdoor activities, synonymous with Sonoma County. You can hike around Jack London State Historic Park as well as the ever-popular Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Both are within half an hour’s drive from the hotel and are surrounded by protected verdant forests, where you can truly appreciate the cherished Californian way of outdoor living.
In a nutshell
After recent refurbishments, this Californian icon has been reborn and ready to embrace a new generation of visitors to this legendary hotel.
Factbox
Direct flights are available on Norse Atlantic Airways from £354 from London to Los Angeles. During peak season, flights run every day of the week apart from Tuesdays. Norse Atlantic exclusively operates the latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, ensuring the smoothest travel experience for passengers. They also have the most competitive and upscale transatlantic premium economy product on offer.
There are convenient direct flights that connect you from Los Angeles to Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport.
Flamingo Resort and Spa offers rooms from $178 per night.
Address: 2777 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95405, United States
Phone: +1 707-545-8530
Email: info@flamingoresort.com
Website: flamingoresort.com
