The Brookdale Lodge, full of history, urban myth and reports of the paranormal, will be open to the public on Memorial Day- for a look around at what the old, iconic Highway 9 hotel looks like after approximately $4 million have been invested in its renovation.
The relatively new owner, Pravin Patel, after four years of ownership and more than three years of renovation work, prefers to call the event on Memorial Day a “soft reopening,” rather than a grand reopening, because the renovation of the historic hotel is only about half done.
The hotel reception area and the old Fireside Lounge have been completely renovated, with a modern yet somewhat retro, 1920’s hotel lobby décor. Only those areas will be open to the public on Memorial Day- but Patel said he will guide visitors through areas still under construction for a look at the legendary Brook Room Restaurant, with a natural creek running through it, as well as the storied Mermaid Pool.
“I’m celebrating the completion of Phase 1 of what is at least a two phase project,” Patel said. Patel expects to spend another $3 million renovating the Brook Room, the ballroom and the Mermaid Pool over the course of the next year in Phase 2, but will be getting the hotel back open for business with 46 newly renovated rooms before the end of the month, Patel said.
“This was something of a hide-away, hot spot hotel for the rich and famous, out of the public view, for quite a long time.” Patel says. The more famous guests are said to include Mae West, gangster Al Capone, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and President Herbert Hoover.
“I can’t tell you how much I wish the old hotel registers survived, but most of the documentation and records have been lost – It’s just been a real challenge bringing this historic and unique old building back to life,” Patel said.
Patel explains that previous three owners over the last two decades or so simply “depleted” the property and “milked” it for what they could, but the real culprits for the extremely expensive renovation were vandals and squatters during the years the property was in receivership by a bank.
“For maybe $500 worth of copper wiring and piping, vandals would cause more than $50,000 worth of damage,” Patel said. Patel explains he had to tear out “historic layers” of dangerous electrical wiring and below code plumbing just to get to the point of starting over. “I think the community was lucky the old lodge survived at all- it was just a matter of time until the building burned to the ground due to vandalism and squatters,” Patel said.
The lodge was originally built in 1890 by Judge J.H. Logan, but it was a subsequent owner, Dr. F.K. Camp who built the famous Brook Room with the natural creek running through it in 1923. Dr. Camp, a Seventh-day Adventist physician and strict prohibitionist, operated the lodge between 1922 and 1945. Under subsequent owners the lodge built on its reputation as a resort for movie stars and shadowy gangsters, including first rate entertainment of the day with big bands and swing era groups such as Tommy Dorsey.
The Brookdale Lodge has been featured in several T.V. shows and documentaries about ghosts and spirits that have been repeatedly reported to haunt the lodge. According to M. Hawkes on a website marketing haunted vacations, Mystery411.com,
“The lodge is reportedly haunted by the spirit of Gladys C. Logan, the twelve year old daughter of J.H. Logan, who fell and hit her head on a rock by the creek that runs through the property on August 30, 1923. Over time her name and age have been misstated until she became a six year old girl named Sarah. Gladys was born on August 14, 1911 and is buried in the nearby FeltonCemetery.”
Although much of the early history and the stories surrounding the lodge conflict and are not well documented, what is documented is a series of tragedies, bad luck and bad management over the last few decades, including:
The Brook Room was destroyed by fire in 1956. In 1972, a 13 year-old girl drowned in the lodge’s swimming pool, closing the pool to the public indefinitely. Heavy flooding destroyed the Brook Room again in 1982. Sanjiv Kakkar buys lodge for $5.34 million in 2007. A suspicious fire destroyed 20 rooms and apartments in the rear of the main lodge in August, 2009, and is investigated for arson. In September, 2010, Robin John Carson, 35, fell into an open and dimly-lit construction hole, and later died of his injuries, which was the subject of law suit.
Boulder Creek Fire Department closed the property in October, 2011 for numerous health and safety violations. In May, 2013, Kakkar pled no contest to felony insurance fraud, lack of worker’s compensation insurance and two misdemeanors related to unpermited construction. In October, 2013, a federal grand jury handed down bank and wire fraud charges against Kakkar. In April of last year, Kakkar was sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay $4.2 million in restitution.
Despite this history, Patel knew what he was getting into when he undertook the project. Patel says a previous quote of his is still valid, “This isn’t my first rodeo, but it is my first bull ride, and I haven’t been thrown off yet.”
Patel hopes to capitalize on some of this local history, and is considering conducting haunted hotel-themed with Maryanne Porter, a paranormal investigator from Santa Cruz, after the lodge is fully renovated. Patel is also considering the possibility of a BrookdaleLodgeMuseum in one of the commercial spaces on the property.
Patel has worked in the hotel and hospitality industry for 35 years, has lived in Santa Cruz for 25 years, is the owner of the Pacific Inn and Days Inn in Santa Cruz, and once owned a historic hotel on 17-Mile Drive in Pacific Grove.
