Arrowhead Springs Hotel facts for kids
The Arrowhead Springs Hotel is a famous resort hotel located near San Bernardino, California. It's known for its beautiful mountain setting. During World War II, this hotel also served as a special hospital for the United States Navy. It was called the Naval Convalescent Hospital Arrowhead Springs.
This large property has many cool features. There's an outdoor swimming pool, a theater that can hold 130 people, and natural hot springs. It also has a lake, tennis courts, and other fun areas. All of this is spread across 1,700 acres in the mountains!
From 1961 to 1992, the hotel was used by an organization called Campus Crusade for Christ. They used it as their main office and a place for training and meetings. In May 2017, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians bought the resort.
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History of Arrowhead Springs Hotel
The Arrowhead Springs Hotel first opened in 1939. It quickly became a popular getaway for famous people from Hollywood. The resort gets its name from a natural landmark nearby. This landmark is a giant arrowhead shape on a hill above the hotel.
Early Days and Fires
Before the hotel was built, the land was home to the Yuhaaviatam clan of the Serrano people. In 1864, a small health center opened there. It had a natural steam cave and mud baths. But a fire in 1886 destroyed that building.
A new hotel was built in 1905. Around the same time, the Arrowhead Springs Company started. They sold bottled spring water, which you might still see today!
Hollywood Owners and a New Hotel
In 1938, a group of Hollywood stars bought the resort. This group included Jay Paley, Joseph M. Schenck, Constance Bennett, Al Jolson, Darryl F. Zanuck, and Claudette Colbert. Sadly, another fire in 1938 burned down this second resort.
The Hollywood group then spent a lot of money to build the hotel you see today. The main building has four stories and two wings. There were also 10 smaller bungalows. A famous designer named Dorothy Draper created the inside look.
Many famous people stayed at the hotel. These included Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland, and Clark Gable. The resort was even used to film movies, like "High Sierra" in 1941, starring Humphrey Bogart.
World War II Hospital
During World War II, the United States Navy rented the hotel. They turned it into a 149-room hospital. It opened in June 1944 and was also called the Naval Special Hospital, Arrowhead Springs. It helped ease overcrowding at another naval hospital nearby.
In June 1944, 500 patients were moved to Arrowhead Springs. By November 1945, when the war ended and the hospital closed, over 5,800 troops had received care there.
After the War
After the war, the building became a resort hotel again. The famous swimmer and actress Esther Williams filmed her movie "Thrill of a Romance" there in 1945.
The resort was sold a few times. In 1946, Conrad Hilton, who started the Hilton Hotel chain, bought it. In 1950, Elizabeth Taylor and Nicky Hilton spent their honeymoon at the resort.
The hotel was sold to Hilton Hotel in 1951. Then, in 1961, it was sold to Campus Crusade for Christ. They moved their main offices to Florida in 1991. The resort was empty for many years until the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians bought it in 2017.
Gallery
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First Arrowhead Springs Hotel, opened in 1864 and burnt down in 1886
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Second Arrowhead Springs Hotel, opened in 1886 and burned in 1895
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Third Arrowhead Springs Hotel, opened in 1905 and burned in 1939
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Arrowhead Springs Hotel, circa 1907
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Arrowhead Springs Resort Archway. circa 1929
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Natural Arrowhead shape near Arrowhead Springs Hotel
