The swanky side of Catalina Island

Posted by Staff in California, Luxury Monday, North America

The birth of Catalina as we know it came when William Wrigley Jr. purchased the island in 1919 and two years later made it the spring training camp of his baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.  With the teams arrival came development and with that came Hollywood’s glitterati, who thought it cool at the time to come relax on its beaches and watch the team practice.

Over the years, Catalina lost some of its glamour and became more of a weekend trip for families and romantic couples. Now on the island there is a resurgence of a trend to bring back some of the islands old glamour and luxe style. Fueled by a partnership of two couples, the Lambert’s and Gosselin’s, there are two new luxe Inns on the island, the Avalon and the Aurora.

The Avalon is a Craftsman style, 15-bedroom boutique inn.  The rooms are spacious, most have ocean views, and feature amenities like hand made spa products in the rooms and complimentary snacks.  Room prices range from $195-495.  Theavalonhotel.com

The sister hotel, the Aurora in contrast is very modern and hip. The rooms are smaller than the Avalon but feature Tempurpedic mattresses and a chic décor that makes great use of the petite size.  Rates are lower starting at $150.  Auroracatalina.com (pictured above)

To capture the history of Catalina Island you have to head over to the Country Club for lunch. Originally built as the clubhouse for the Chicago Cubs, it is now the place to find some of the best food on the island. Don’t let the name deter you as it is not a private club anymore, but a gorgeous public restaurant serving up classic California fare with a gourmet twist. Make sure to check out the photos lining the bar walls that depict Hollywood legends lounging at the club in their time off.