St. Catherine Hotel (1918-1966) on Catalina

An introduction and general information about the former St. Catherine Hotel on Catalina Island in Southern California. See also other Historic Hotels and all Overnight Accommodations on Catalina Island.

NAME: St. Catherine Hotel
FIRST OPENED: June 28, 1918
CLOSED: 1963
DEMOLITION BEGAN: February 12, 1966
LOCATION: Descanso Canyon, Catalina Island

Soon after William Wrigley Jr. purchased Catalina Island in 1919 he began building cottages and homes. He also added 60 rooms to the Hotel St. Catherine and began construction on the 130-room Hotel Atwater.

Postcard
Construction was begun on the Hotel St. Catherine in 1917 to replace Avalon's Metropole, destroyed by a catastrophic fire in 1915. By 1918 it was open for business. When the island was bought by William Wrigley, Jr., in 1919, a series of upgrades were made to the hotel, ending in the early 1920s. The casino (for dancing, not gambling) visible at the vertical middle toward the left, with the red roof, was built in 1920 by Wrigley and replaced by a larger building in 1929, at which time Sugar Loaf Rock, here seaward of the casino, was destroyed. Avalon Bay can be seen beyond the casino and rock--the next bay over. According to the back, this postcard was hand-colored.

Resources

Islapedia "Saint Catherine Hotel" Article

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More Historic Hotels on Catalina Island

All Types of Lodging on Catalina

Catalina Island Travel Guide

California for Visitors

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