Merced El Capitan Hotel’s massive renovation is nearly complete. Here’s a sneak peek
The multi-million dollar renovation that has stretched over two years of Merced’s historic El Capitan Hotel is approaching the finish line.
The 114-room, four-floor hotel located at 1715 M Street is set to open on March 31.
The renovation of the El Capitan, part of Hyatt’s boutique lifestyle brand Joie de Vivre, began in late 2018. Hyatt also manages The Mainzer theater and restaurant, which recently reopened downtown after renovations.
“”(The El Capitan Hotel) has been a long project,” Robin Donovan, managing director of El Capitan Hotel and The Mainzer. “I’ve personally been on this project for over two years by the time we open.
“We are thrilled though with everything we’ve done here from the nod to Yosemite, taking in the history of Merced and the history of El Capitan, and bringing that all to life here in the hotel.”
The El Capitan Hotel was recently featured in a Forbes Magazine article that highlighted 60 exciting hotels opening around the world this winter.
The original El Capitan Hotel was built in 1924 and restored in 1936 after a fire.
The hotel will feature three restaurants: Native Son, Rainbird and the Courtyard.
Native Son will open with the hotel, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is named after an advanced climbing route up El Capitan at Yosemite National Park. The restaurant will feature beverages like wines and lattes, plus quick bites like paninis or pastries.
The Courtyard will be an outdoor patio with a garden setting. It will feature a horse trailer converted into a bar. Rainbird will be a stand alone restaurant that will open this summer. Bobby’s Market will be another food and beverage outlet that will open in May.
The hotel itself will feature 3,500 square feet of meeting space — 6,000 if combined with The Mainzer — with three separate rooms available on site: The Sentinel, Joe’s Boardroom and the Drawing Room.
There will also be a fitness center that will feature Peloton equipment.
The hotel and rooms were designed by award-winning interior designer Nicole Hollis. The hotel will feature a trio of three-bedroom suites and nine junior suites.
“It’s a long process but it’s well worth it and I think the extra time we’ve taken to make it right will be well received by the public,” Donovan said.
Donovan says the design of the hotel was a nod to Yosemite National Park, nature, the American West and the history of Merced.
Thirty-three of the rooms are from the original El Capitan Hotel and make up the Arbor Lane wing. These rooms feature custom wallpaper featuring pictures of historic landmarks in Merced like the old Merced County Courthouse, The Mainzer and Merced Theatre.
Each of these original 33 rooms will also have a turntable and vinyl records. There will also be a large vinyl collection library that has been purchased from local downtown shop Tigers & Daggers Records.
The other rooms make up the Main Street Wing, which are designed with a nature theme.
The hotel amenities include: complimentary valet for hotel and restaurant guests, in-room pour-over coffee service, Beekman bath amenities in eco-friendly dispensers, in-room refrigerators, handheld steamers and custom bedding.
“This is a lifetime investment,” Donovan said. “We’re not trying to own it and flip it. We plant to be longtime neighbors. We want to show Merced as the shining star that it is and we feel like we’ve done that with the El Capitan in its design.”
The hotel has already starting booking reservations with two weddings already scheduled for this year, according to Susan Gregory, director of sales and marketing.
The El Capitan Hotel staff will include 100-plus employees. According to Donovan, 70 to 75% of the staff has been hired and the employees will be offered training.
“We want everyone to know we’re proud of El Capitan’s history,” Donovan said. “We are just bringing it up to date. The support from the community for this project has been amazing.”
“The city support and county support has been great,” she added. “I think everyone sees the positive aspect we bring to downtown. These three projects are changing the face of downtown.”
