sausalito

Checking in (Again) at Casa Madrona in Sausalito

Casa Madrona was the first hotel in California that I ever truly loved. I first visited in the late 1990s, when a dear friend got married, at sunset, on the patio of the Mikayla restaurant, overlooking the bay towards Tiburon and San Francisco. I returned several times after that, but hadn't been back since the hotel went through a major expansion in 2002, and oh yes, bankruptcy, foreclosure and sale at auction.

When I stayed a few weeks ago, Terra Resort Group had just been engaged to manage the property.

The hotel started its life in 1855 as a mansion, and the historic section (pictured above) appears to be just as charming as ever. The 2002 expansion, in my opinion, was unfortunate. It's perfectly nice, but entirely contemporary, the type of room you can find anywhere - a missed opportunity, if you ask me. The contemporary part of the hotel is also closer to the street than the historic rooms which are set back on the hill, so you do get more street noise. I'll have to poke back in once Terra has had a chance to get its bearings, but I'll definitely request one of the older rooms.

And oh, as of now, the lovely Mikayla restaurant is closed, replaced by a street-level restaurant Poggio. It serves top-notch Italian food, but it doesn't have the bay view that made dining at Casa Madrona so special.

Tags: bay area, california, casamadrona, hotel renovation, HotelsInTrouble, sausalito, terra

Indian Billionaire Wheels And Deals For Car Collection Warehouse

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth

Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya loves his cars but members of the Sausalito community where he has a home may not feel the same way. Mallya, who owns India-based Kingfisher Airlines and Kingfisher beer and the Formula One team Force India has a home in the Bay Area community of Sausalito and wants approval to turn a vacant lot near the waterfront into a 6,600-square-foot warehouse to house and occasionally exhibit (by appointment) his collection of cars and boats. In return he has offered to expand nearby Dunphy Park.

The Marin Independent Journal reports that Mallya's plan got a cool reception when it was shown to the city's Planning Commission. No decision was made and a second public hearing will be held on September 23. At the meeting some residents said that the proposed design was not fit for a waterfront building and could block views. The city-owned lot Mallya wants to use to expand Dunphy Park has been vacant for decades. He would put in grass, benches, trees and other improvements and would also maintain the park area.

Mallya has an 11,000 square foot home in Sausalito in addition to a reported 25 other residences scattered around the world including a castle in Scotland, a condo at Trump Plaza and homes in five Indian cities.

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Tags: sausalito, vijay mallya, VijayMallya

Amy Tan's Sausalito Cottage, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The writing life has certainly been kind to Amy Tan, author of the Joy Luck Club and other books. Last summer we saw her Southampton cottage, now check out her retreat in Sausalito, California. The Victorian home sits on the end of a lane and is just about as charming as can be. The home was built in 1892 but remodeled in 1999. The three-story home has three bedrooms a formal dining room and a unique two-way fireplace. The home has views of the harbor and the bay and the land includes an exercise pool and hot tub and an attached garage. It is listed at $2.395 million. After the jump, plenty of cozy nooks for contemplation and inspiration.

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Tags: amy tan, AmyTan, california real estate, estate of the day, sausalito

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