Vets get a barbecue
By Daily Press staff
The bungalows at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel Santa Monica have served as an exclusive playground for celebrities and politicians. Under the creative aegis of Virginia Ball of VB Designs, a small Los Angeles-based interiors firm, the bungalows recently underwent a $1 million renovation, which represents the final phase of the hotel’s $18 million refurbishment program.
The 28 structures were remodeled one at a time. Each retaining the Craftsman design, the bungalows have patios and terraces, hardwood floors, oversized tubs and French windows.
Set apart from the main hotel building, the bungalows are connected by a winding path that runs though the property’s landscape and pool areas.
Shortly after Fairmont Hotels & Resorts acquired the management contract in November 1999, the historic Miramar Hotel underwent a top-to-bottom redesign. The first phase of the renovation encompassed all guest rooms and suites in the Ocean Tower and Pacific Palisades building, as well as the lobby, lobby bar and Koi Pond Lounge, The Grille restaurant patio, and conference bungalows. The main drive-up entryway underwent a re-landscaping.
The hotel has 302 guest rooms, including the 32 single and bi-level bungalows. Boasting the largest ballroom in Santa Monica, the property features a total of 25,000 square feet of meeting and conference space.
The Santa Monica Elks recently hosted 410 veterans at the Veteran Administration’s Hospital to a barbecue lunch. While those in the hospital receive three meals a day, they welcomed the change of fare. There were 30 Elks and Emblem ladies manning the serving line, cooking and shuttling food trays back.
There also are homeless veterans living on the grounds — in the bushes and under the buildings. It’s said that they have even tapped into the electric system. They use the facilities and get handouts from the mess halls. Some of them were seen going through the Elks line three or four times.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 15, 2004. Read the original PDF.