If the century-old brick walls at 1130 Morro Street could talk, there’d only be whispers of what once occurred within it’s historic halls. Inside this 1920’s brothel turned modern boutique hotel, you’ll find evocative traces of Granada Hotel’s storied past.
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Built in 1922, the original Hotel Granada was adjacent to The Elmo Theatre, San Luis Obispo’s premier vaudeville venue. Long thought to be an enclave for traveling artists and actors, rumor has it that hotel rooms were rented by the hour throughout the Jazz Age. Eventually, the hotel closed in the 1960s and the upstairs rooms were converted into residential housing, while the downstairs spaces were rented out to small businesses.
One of those renters was Kimberly Walker. In 2009, in the space that is now the hotel lobby, she opened a small bistro & wine bar and called it “Granada” — because the original sign for the Hotel Granada still hung above it.
Back then, the Bistro only had four candlelit tables and everything was second-hand. Ever-changing menus were pasted into vintage books and eclectic wines were served in antique glassware. Because there was no range hood, they served only what could be prepared on an induction burner or in a crockpot. Think: tapas, cheese plates, salads, and paninis (which would become the Bistro’s signature menu item.) It was simple, sure – but it was good.
“Great music and fantastic guests made for a nightly dinner party that often ended with the entire small dining room becoming friends, and sometimes an impromptu dance party,” recalls Kimberly.
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The next year, in 2010, the historic building that housed her beloved bistro was slated for demolition – but Kimberly and three friends, Mike Kyle, Darren Smith, and Roy Ogden had other plans. And so it was decided, while they were gathered around a fire at 3am at Burning Man, that they would purchase the property, restore it into its original use as a hotel, and save the bistro.
“We called ourselves the The Lunacy Club. But we actually pulled it off.”
Thus began a two-year, multi-million dollar renovation that preserved the building’s original craftsmanship while modernizing the design, plumbing, and electrical.
"We enlisted a fabulous designer to spearhead the interiors. As much as we loved his direction, it felt disingenuous to outsource that part of the process on a project we were so passionate about," Kimberly says. "We picked out every piece of furniture, art, fabric, song, and book. It was a true labor of love and introduced me to what would become my main focus at Nomada Hotel Group."
In 2012, the Granada Hotel & Bistro as we know it today re-opened with 17 industrial-chic guest rooms - each elegantly appointed with carefully curated antique furnishings, rich textiles, and commissioned artwork that complement the original hardwood floors, steel framing, and exposed brick walls.
“We really believe in taking old pieces and then creating something new and interesting and giving it new life. We’re taking an antique chair and reupholstering it with new, vibrant fabric.”
The magic that happened at Granada Hotel & Bistro became the blueprint for Nomada's next six restoration projects.
“We hope our guests feel the effort and attention we dedicate when they step onto the property,” muses Kimberly. “When we get it right, it’s equal parts art, music, design, food, and drink served with the utmost care in a space that is truly timeless.”
